Blinds can do a lot for an interior space. They can provide you with privacy when they’re drawn, they can provide your home with natural sunlight when open, and they can even provide you with some pretty impressive energy savings. They can greatly increase the interior appearance of any room too!
Wood blinds are an especially good choice if you’re looking for stylish blinds that provide you with the aforementioned benefits, but all blinds also have a downside—they can be bad for your health.
Why Clean Your Wood Blinds?
There are many areas of your home that probably get a lot of attention on cleaning day. You probably wipe your kitchen counter, vacuum, and wash bedding frequently. But your blinds?
It’s easy to forget about cleaning your blinds, but it’s extremely important. Keeping them clean can actually enhance your health.
Every home contains a wide variety of airborne particles that can greatly affect indoor air quality. Dead skin cells, dust, and even pollen can float around in the air. They don’t usually cause any problems, unless they’re allowed to build up inside your home.
If particles aren’t removed from interior surfaces, your indoor air quality will suffer, and the health of you and your family can suffer in many ways:
- Eye irritation
- Itchy nose
- Scratchy throat
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Frequent sneezing
Keeping the blinds clean is especially important if you or someone you love has trouble with indoor allergies. Cat dander and dust are common indoor allergens that settle on blinds and create allergy symptoms.
How to Clean Your Wood Blinds
Just because you know you need to clean your wood blinds doesn’t mean you know how! If you want your wood blinds to last, you have to know how to clean them correctly.
The easiest way to clean your blinds is to use a duster. Simply draw the shades to create a flat surface and wipe a duster along the slats of the blinds. Wipe from left to right, focusing on each slat as you go.
If you’re having a hard time with a duster, you may want to wipe each individual slat with a dry rag. This is the best way to remove the dust that settles in the nooks and crannies around the cord.
Want to save a little time? Use your vacuum cleaner! Use a duster attachment on the end of the hose and you can suck away all that dirt and grime.
Blinds that hang in front of the window can be exposed to condensation. It can create a sticky surface that’s a magnet for airborne particles. If dusting just isn’t getting the job done, use a soft rag and a bit of warm water to wash each individual slat.
No matter what method you choose, make sure you remember to rotate the slats so you can clean the opposite side of the blinds as well.
The Wrong Way to Clean Your Wood Blinds
Wood blinds can greatly enhance an interior space, but that doesn’t mean you are able to care for them the same way you care for other blinds. There are a few cleaning techniques that should never be used with wood blinds.
You should never use harsh cleaners because they can wreak havoc on wood blinds. They can create unsightly stains and streaks. If you want to use a cleaner, make sure you look for one that is specially created for wood blinds.
Cleaning blinds can take quite a bit of time because you have to focus on wiping each individual slat. Then you have to rotate the slats and repeat the process on the other side! You may be tempted to remove the blinds and dunk them in the tub for a quicker clean, but this is a terrible idea.
Wood is a very porous surface. If it’s submerged in water, it will soak up that water, and it could ultimately warp the slats of your blinds. Not to mention, if your blinds aren’t dried properly, they could end up harboring bacteria, which is just as bad for your health as dust and pet dander.
Not all blinds are created equal. Every type requires a different cleaning method. Take the time to clean your blinds right and you’ll notice a difference in your indoor air quality, and your health.
