How do you wash window blinds?

[chrissyk]

I need to really wash the blinds in my new house. Just wiping them down isn't going to cut it. I took some down and put them in a closet while I painted the room. When I opened the closet, the closet stank of rank dog. Hence, I'm pretty sure that the dog smell is in the blinds. They are not wood...they're plastic or composite of some sort. What can I use to wash them? I just don't want to yellow the cords in the blinds, though. Thanks for any info.

 

[grinningghost]

Call a professional blind cleaner. Taking them down to clean them is a royal pain. It's worth the money.

 

[FroggyinArk]

we have been know to soak blinds in bathtub with Super clean mixed up ion it then spray them off with a shower, but that may not be an option for rthe type you have, if they are hte cheep plastic ones, its ussually cheeper to replace them instead

 

[Franniepoppins]

You could put them in the bathtub to wash them. That is what I used to do when I had mini blinds. I used dish soap a couple of time. If you use dish soap, be careful how much you use. Some dish soaps are very concentrated now. I have also used Oxy Clean.

Francine

 

[chrissyk]

Well, I don't have the $$ for a professional blind cleaner, and they're already down anyways (I had to take them all down to paint). The blinds themselves don't look dirty, but they're rank from the dog smell. I can't afford new blinds right now. Will Oxyclean get rid of the stinky smell?

 

[Tiggeroo]

what about the febreeze laundry cleaner. Maybe you could put some of that in the cleaning water.

 

[chrissyk]

what about the febreeze laundry cleaner. Maybe you could put some of that in the cleaning water.

Does it work to remove smells? I wonder if it would yellow the blind cords. Maybe I should try washing only 1 as a trial run.

 

[poohandwendy]

Just do not use bleach because the cording is probably a poly blend (and it will yellow if bleached). I think oxy Clean would be the best bet. If you add vinegar to the solution, it will remove any tough odors. Just soak them for a while. Good lick!

 

[SpecialK]

Never knew that about the cords yellowing with Clorox. I always soaked mine in the tub with a combo of Dawn (really cuts through the dirt) and bleach. I never had a problem. I liked it because it whitened the cords. If you put a towel down in the tub first you don't have to worry about the blinds scratching the tub surface. I also would try to do this on a sunny day so I could lay the blinds out on beach towels to dry.

 

[poohandwendy]

Never knew that about the cords yellowing with Clorox. I always soaked mine in the tub with a combo of Dawn (really cuts through the dirt) and bleach. I never had a problem.

It totally depends on what the cords are made of. If they are cotton or any natural fiber (not a blend) they will not yellow.

 

[magicfan]

In our last house we would totally take them off the windows, one at a time, put them on the patio and scrub them with a bristle brush, dish soap and water, and just hose them off. It worked really well for us. Much easier than doing it while they are hanging on the window. We don't like to spend money hiring people to do things like that. I always think that there are a million other things I could better spend my money on. That's just us. It's not fun, but it's the easiest way we have found. Good luck.

 

[vacanut]

It sounds like it may just be time for new blinds. They are pretty reasonable at Walmart/Home Depot/Lowe's.