How-To: Clean Your Window Blinds and Shades

As FotoFlat says, it's "2010, Y'all. Out with the old." It's nearly March already, so I hope you've gotten a start at cleansing your home of things you don't need and giving it a deep clean too. One area that's often overlooked, especially if you don't hire a cleaning service, is your window blinds and shades. Dust can collect there overnight, and they're bound to be covered in greasy fingerprints. So I figured I'd give you a little refresher on cleaning them.

Window Blinds:

1. Lay a towel down in your bathtub (for protection).
2. Remove your dusty aluminum or PVC blinds and place them in your tub.
3. Fill your tub up with warm soapy water — dish soap will do. Make sure to keep the roller mechanism dry, though!
4. Rinse with your shower head or a spongehead and shake the water off.
5. Rehang the blinds and let them air dry. You can place a towel underneath them to catch the water.

To learn how to clean your fabric shades, read more.

Fabric Shades:

1. Using your small brush attachment, gently vacuum your fabric shades or blinds.
2. If any spots remain, test clean them in an inconspicuous place using an upholstery cleaner (like a spray). Let dry.
3. If the colors haven't bled or faded, spot clean the dirty spots. Fini!