Keep your new blinds looking pristine with these tips
Cleaning your indoor roller blinds is a task that is normally forgotten about or systematically ignored due to being too complicated, but procrastinate no more! Roller blinds are surprisingly easy to clean and, if cleaned once or twice a month, you will keep them looking fresh, in tip-top shape (don’t forget that you can always spot clean your blinds at any time using fabric stain removers and a small brush).
The indoor roller blinds available at Blinds Quickly come in a wide range of styles and fabrics from blackout to sheer shades. There are different types of materials used for indoor roller blinds, each requiring a special way to be cleaned. To avoid permanently damaging your fabric, vinyl, or paper blinds you need to be careful and make sure you’re choosing the right cleaning method. If you are not sure what material your roller blinds are made of contact Blinds Quickly to talk to one of our experienced team members.
How to clean roller blinds without taking them down
- Fully extend your indoor roller blinds making sure you can access the entire fabric.
- Placing your other hand opposite the vacuum brush to keep from damaging your blinds, vacuum the blinds using your brush tool, starting at the top making your way down from left to right.
- Using 1L lukewarm water and 15ml of dishwashing soap mixed till bubbly, take a microfibre cloth and after wringing it out fully, gently wipe the blinds again from the top to the bottom. If there are any stains or bug droppings, spend some time gently scrubbing the area.
- Rinse your cloth several times while cleaning to dislodge any accumulated dirt or grime. If you notice the cloth isn’t coming clean, bring out a new one.
- If there are tough stains that refuse to come out, try using a fabric stain remover on your indoor roller blinds spot testing near the top where it is normally rolled up in case of discoloration.
- Do not roll up your indoor roller blinds until they are completely dry, depending on how wet they are it should only take a few hours. Fabric roller blinds are best left to dry overnight, whilst vinyl ones will not take long as they do not absorb water. Indoor roller blinds can get mouldy and smelly if rolled up while still damp.
How to deep clean roller blinds (not including paper blinds)
- Remove them from sockets and hinges.
- Place blinds in a bathtub half-filled with lukewarm water and a few tablespoons of mild detergent, let soak for a couple of hours. If washing white blinds add a little bleach to the mixture.
- Using a brush relative to the size of stains, scrub the roller blinds rinsing occasionally to see if more scrubbing is needed.
- Using the showerhead of your bath (or a hose) rinse any leftover soap off once you’ve finished scrubbing the stains off. Alternatively, after draining the tub, refill with clean water and rinse the blinds continuing the process until all the soap is gone.
- Using a curtain rod or clotheslines, hang and air dry your roller blinds thoroughly before rehanging them inside.
How to deal with water spots on roller blinds
The dreaded water stain can unfortunately appear on indoor roller blinds, but thankfully it can be easily fixed. Taking a well wrung out slightly damp cloth, wipe it over the blinds in small sections at a time. Follow this up with a hair dryer set on cool to dry the area.
How to get rid of mould from roller blinds
- With your roller blinds fully rolled out, brush a feather duster along the fabric to remove any large and hard pieces of mould. Feel free to wear protective equipment at this point to avoid inhaling or touching the mould.
- Using the brush attachment of your vacuum, gently move across the blind to dislodge and vacuum up any other parts of mould.
- Using a damp cloth with the soap and water mixture mentioned above, gently scrub the areas.
- Apply lemon juice directly to the affected areas, scrubbing the area immediately with a brush or sponge. If the mould is resilient put together a mixture of water, lemon juice and salt before scrubbing the area again.
- Let air dry completely before returning the roller blinds to their positions.
- Don’t forget to wash your windows too.
Points to remember when cleaning roller blinds
- To avoid damaging the fabric, do not use harsh cleaners or chemicals on the blinds.
- We recommend using ProTech shades, or other fabric protectors, to seal your roller blinds and make future cleaning easier.
- Colour-safe bleach can be utilised, but, as with any other cleaning product, be sure to spot test first to avoid unwanted surprises.
- Make sure your clean blinds are fully dry before rolling them up – mould and weird smells are not something you want in your home.
- Air drying is the best way to keep dirt from building back up too quickly.
When in doubt about cleaning your roller blinds, contact a professional cleaner. Similarly, if you would like to purchase new roller blinds, please visit us at blindsquickly.com.au, or talk to one of our team members at 1300 112 333. Alternatively, please click here to send us a message or request a free quote. Blinds Quickly – Don’t shop blindly, get the best price on blinds today!
