How to Clean Every Type of Window Blind & Shade – Without Damaging Them

Your window blinds and shades are doing a lot of work, blocking heat, controlling light and providing privacy for your Maryland home, day after day. However, the price of all that effort is dust, allergens, pet hair, cooking grease and fingerprints that slowly accumulate on every surface, marring the look and life of the surface.

Most people will end up with a problem because they are not working hard enough, but on the opposite end of the spectrum, they are working hard on the wrong material. Soaking wood blinds in water. Staining a fabric Roman shade by rubbing. Cleaning with bleach on a cellular shade that requires a microfiber wipe only. The following failures result in permanent damage which can never be repaired.

This guide covers each window blind and shade type in your home, explaining how you should clean them quickly, safely – and correctly – without any damage.

What You Need Before You Start

Now before you get into the specifics of each type of instruction, collect these facts. You will only need the following things for most of the cleaning you do on window blinds and shades:

• Two (damp and dry) soft microfiber cloths
• Use a vacuum cleaner equipped with a brush attachment
• Mild dish soap (a few drops in a bucket of warm water)
• A lint roller for fabrics (for dry surfaces)
• A hairdryer with a cool/low heat setting for cell shades
• Use white distilled vinegar on hard surfaces for sturdier dirt 

Avoiding any kind: bleach, ammonia-based cleaners, an excessively wet area around the mechanism and headrail, and furniture polish. Damage materials, strip protective coatings and may invalidate manufacturer’s warranties.

When cleaning, work from the top to the bottom so that there is no dust rolling back to previously cleaned areas.

1. Faux Wood & Vinyl Blinds

Difficulty: Easy | Frequency: Monthly deep clean, weekly dust

Faux wood and vinyl blinds can be most easily cleaned. The smooth texture renders easy cleaning, and they’ll not absorb moisture, which is why they’re a great fit for basements, bathrooms, and kitchens in Maryland homes.

Routine dusting: Slats should be tilted to a 3/4 closed position – not closed completely because then you will miss surfaces. First, use a microfiber cloth or vacuum brush attachment to run across each slat from left to right, and then tilt the slats the other way, running across the back face again.

Deep clean: Fill a bucket with warm water and add in a few drops of dish soap. Moisten a microfiber cloth in the solution, wring out thoroughly until it is just moist, and clean each slat one at a time. Follow right afterwards with a dry cloth – never leave moisture on slats or dripping in the headrail mechanism.

For stubborn grease or grime: Use a 1:1 white vinegar and water solution on a microfiber cloth without harming the finish. Wipe dry as soon as possible after.

What to avoid: Put faux wood blinds in the bathtub. Although they’re water-resistant, they still wear down over time and the ladder’s internal strings and moving parts will deteriorate when soaked.

2. Real Wood Blinds

Difficulty: Moderate | Frequency: Monthly dusting, spot clean only

Real wood blinds are the most sensitive type of hard surface treatment. Wood is a natural substance which can absorb water and becomes warped, cracked, or roughens its finish when water is applied to it, or it sits in water.

Routine dusting: Only clean with a dry microfiber cloth or a lambswool duster. Gently wipe slats in direction of wood grain, but never against the grain. Low suction setting and a soft brush attachment also works well in a vacuum cleaner.

Spot cleaning: If there are marks, smudges, etc., use a clean cloth slightly moistened with clean water and wipe immediately with a dry cloth. Do not leave any moisture on the surface of wood.

Polish and finish: If the blinds are painted or stained on real wood, try to restore them by lightly spraying them on a soft dry cloth in the direction of the grain. Clean immediately of any residue.

What to avoid: Water, steam cleaners, damp cloths on slats, and any other cleaning solution not formulated for finished wood surfaces.

3. Aluminum Mini Blinds

Difficulty: Easy | Frequency: Weekly dust, monthly deep clean

Aluminum mini blinds are water resistant and durable enough to last long, and are very easy to take care of as window treatments. They seem to be a special favourite in offices, rentals and basements in the DMV area for some reason.

Routine dusting: Use an old sock or clean cotton glove over your hand. Dip it in a warm water and dish soap solution, then, wrinkle it, and slide your fingers along each slat – cleaning two sides with each finger stroke. This is the quickest way to make aluminum slats.

Deep clean: Take aluminum blinds off brackets and place inside a bathtub filled with warm water and mild dish soap. Soak them for 10 minutes, and use a soft cloth to gently wipe each slat. Rinse with fresh water, shake off surplus water and hang them back with the water still moist enough to air dry. Never bend or stack wet aluminum blinds as they may become permanently kinked.

What to avoid: Abrasive scrubbers that can scratch the aluminum surface, and bleach-based cleaners that can discolour the aluminum surface.

4. Cellular (Honeycomb) Shades

Difficulty: Gentle care required | Frequency: Monthly dusting

Cellular shades (also referred to as honeycomb shades) are the most energy efficient window treatments you can install, however, the multi-layered fabric cells also keep dust trapped inside the fabric when it is rolled up and dust-mites and other allergens are even more at home. The secret is being able to get it out without harming the cells.

Routine dusting: Vacuum using brush attachment with minimum suction. Apply lightly from top to bottom on the face of the shade. Gently secure the bottom rail so that the shade stays in place, as it should not be pulled or stretched.

Removing dust from inside the cells: Ensure the hair dryer is set to minimum air speed setting and is set to the cool air setting but never warm or hot. Dust is blown out of the fabric without touching it, by directing the airflow into the open cells. It is the one most people don’t know about and is the most effective method of maintaining cellular shades.

Spot cleaning: If you have stains or marks, use a clean, white cloth dampened with cool water and gently blot, never rub. If there are ‘difficult’ areas, a small amount of mild dish soap may be used, but blot off with a clean water-soaked cloth and let air dry completely before raising and lowering the shade.

What to avoid: Water, using any upholstery cleaner or strong detergent, and crushing cells while cleaning. For staining deeper, reach out to a certified ultrasonic blind cleaner – this is a professional service that will be able to clean without harming the cell structure.

5. Roller Shades

Difficulty: Easy | Frequency: Monthly dust, spot clean as needed

One of the reasons why you select roller shades is as a result of low maintenance. These do not collect dust as other shades and most types of fabric with vinyl-backed backing will withstand a little moisture.

Routine dusting: Shade completely lowered and microfiber cloth or brush attachment in top to bottom motion. Fabric or textured roller shades will work well with the lint roller as it will draw hair or fine dust from the surface without spreading it.

Spot cleaning: Use light soap and water to dampen a cloth and blot the stained area with it, for water-resistant or vinyl-backed roller shades. Do not rub. Wipe with a clean damp cloth to wipe away soap residue and then dry with a clean cloth.

For solar shades specifically: Solar shades are built from open weave, synthetic, resilient mesh. Regular care is best done with a soft brush attachment on a vacuum. For stains, a slightly moistened cloth with a mild detergent solution put gently on the mesh and blotted dry is recommended.

What to avoid: Rolling up a wet/damp shade roller. When rolling up, allow it to air dry fully in the lowered position, otherwise rolling the cover up while it is damp will cause mould to form inside the roll tube.

6. Roman Shades

Difficulty: Moderate | Frequency: Monthly dusting, professional clean annually

Roman shades are fabric that creates soft folds when drawn/opened, into which dust and allergens can accumulate as well as in the fabric itself. Although they should be cleaned, what they require and how often will depend on the type of fabric.

Routine dusting: Shade dusted using a vacuum cleaner should be done from the top, passing carefully from top to bottom at the lowest setting of the vacuum. Careful dusting of horizontal folds should be extra. A lint roller can also be used to remove surface dust and pet hair.

Spot cleaning: Gently blot the stain with a cool, moist, clean white cloth to remove the stain; don’t rub, as rubbing will spread the stain and damage the fibres. Only use a small amount of mild fabric detergent diluted in water on colourfast fabrics; first test in an inconspicuous spot.

Deep cleaning: Most Roman shade fabrics need to be professionally dry cleaned for deep staining or just overall soiling. Roman shades should not be machine washed as water can shrink, distort and fade the fabric and damage the internal lifting mechanism. The first step is to see what is written on the side of the care label on your particular shade before trying any wet cleaning technique. 

What to avoid: Machine washing, tumble drying, steam cleaning, and using any strong chemical cleaner. Better safe than sorry, professional cleaning is always in order.