How to Clean Wooden Blinds

Wooden blinds are a great decorative choice for a home. They are more durable than common plastic blinds and are also more aesthetically pleasing. 

Wooden blinds can either be hung vertically or horizontally to cover windows or glass doors. The blinds have a great natural look to let in the Southern California sunshine. Shutter Heaven, Inc. has many great and affordable options for wooden blinds. 

Wooden blinds need to be maintained to keep their best look. Regularly cleaning them is an important aspect of ensuring that your will enjoy your wooden blinds for years to come. The following are a few tips and tricks to clean your wooden blinds.

Tip #1 - Dusting Wooden Blinds

The easiest and quickest method to clean your wooden blinds is using a feather duster. A Microfiber cloth can be used as well. These are the two best options as they will avoid accidentally scratching your surfaces. 
Make sure your blinds are completely closed and using your cloth or duster, wipe each slate left to right (or top to bottom if you have vertical blinds).

Focus on each individual slat to get the best cleaning on your blinds. Rotate the blinds and the same for the other side. This should be done at least once a month. 

Alternately, you can use as vacuuming with a soft brush attachment. This is handy if you are short on time or already vacuuming.

But what to do if dusting isn’t enough?

Tip #2 - Washing Your Blinds

Sometimes a simple dusting will not get the job done. You may need to wash the blinds with water. Filling a bucket with warm water 1-2 inches should do the job.

 
Do not use any chemicals or cleaners, as they may stain or ruin the wood. Lightly moisten a cloth with the water (do not soak or saturate the cloth). Adjust your blinds to an almost closed position and start wiping from the top of the blinds. 

As with dusting, go left to right. Repeat on the other side. 
If you find tougher stains, scrub in a circular motion. This will buff out the stain.

Once you are done washing the blinds, go back over them with a dry cloth. This is an important step to avoid water damage to the wooden blinds.

Tip #3 - Keeping a Shine on your Blinds

Over time, wooden blinds will often lose their shine. There are a few tried and true methods to preserve and restore that new shine on wooden blinds. 

Mixing a quarter cup of olive oil to your warm water is one method that can restore the shine on your blinds. Use the same process you would with the water method to clean the blinds. It is not recommended to do this with cracked or damaged blinds, as the oil can seep into cracks and cause warping.

Lemon oil and commercial wood cleaners (Murphy’s Oil Soap, Orange Glo, etc.) also work well with giving your blinds a shine without damaging the wood. As with anytime you use a liquid on your blinds, wipe them dry.

These tips will ensure that your Shutter Heaven blinds last you for years to come. 
What do you think? If you have any additional tips that work for you, let us know below!