how to clean mini blinds

How to Effectively Clean Mini Blinds

If you let your mini blinds build up too much dust and dirt, they can be impossible to clean. The more you spray and wipe, the more you just spread the dust and grease buildup. Here's how to effectively clean them.

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Prime One End of the Pipe

Grungy mini blinds need super strength cleaning. But professional ultra-sonic cleaning can cost upwards of $65 per blind. That's more than half the cost of new blinds! My blinds are too long to fit in the bathtub, so I built a soaking tank and cleaned all the blinds in my house for around $60. I bought a 10-ft. section of 6-in. diameter PVC drain pipe, along with two cleanout adapters and caps. Start by applying PVC primer to one end of the pipe and the inside of the cleanout adapter. Then coat the pipe and inside of cleanout with PVC cement. Here are more mini blinds tips and fixes. Photo: Kevin Sweeny

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Push the Cleanout Adapter onto the Pipe

Next, quickly push the clean-out adapter onto the pipe and hold it in place for about 20 seconds, until the glue sets up. Photo: Kevin Sweeny

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Install the Cleanout Plug

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Mark the Pipe for Cutting

Measure the length of the longest blind in your home and mark that length on the pipe, so you can cut off the excess. Plus: Fixing the Lift Cord on a Miniblind Photo: Kevin Sweeny

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Cut Off Excess Pipe

Cut off the excess pipe using a circular saw or reciprocating saw. De-burr the cut edges. Then glue on the second cleanout adapter. Photo: Kevin Sweeny

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Remove the Tilt Rod

Remove the mini blinds from the brackets. Turn the tilt control so the blinds are fully open or closed to prevent the slats from sticking together during the soak. Then remove the tilt rod from your blind by pushing the retainer down and removing the metal hook. Photo: Kevin Sweeny

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Roll the Blinds

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Continue Rolling Blinds to Form a Bundle Photo: Kevin Sweeny

Continue Rolling Blinds to Form a Bundle

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Add Soap and Water Photo: Kevin Sweeny

Add Soap and Water

Insert the rolled blinds into the pipe, being careful not to catch the ends on the edge of the pipe. Next, Tilt the pipe and add a grease-cutting dishwashing detergent. Avoid strong cleaning agents because they can damage the paint finish on the slats. Fill the pipe about halfway with water, leaving some room for the water to move around. Plus: Speed Cleaning Tips

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Cap the Open End

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Soak and Agitate

If your blinds have stuck-on grease or food, let them soak in the soapy solution for about 15 minutes to loosen the dirt. Then roll the pipe back and forth for about 5 minutes to churn the soap, water and blinds. Lift one end several times to create side-to-side slosh. Photo: Kevin Sweeny

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Remove Blinds and Rinse

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Finish Cleaning with a Sponge

Remove any remaining dirt by laying the blinds over the pipe. Flatten and separate the slats. Then wipe with a sponge soaked in soapy water. Flip the blinds over and repeat on the backside of the slats. Photo: Kevin Sweeny

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Preform Final Rinse Photo: Kevin Sweeny

Preform Final Rinse

Rinse off all soap residue. Then lay the blinds over a railing to drain. Wipe with dry microfiber cloth to prevent water spots. Click here for tips on how to straighten bent slats or fix frayed lift cords. Let the blinds dry thoroughly and then reinstall.

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Before and After Photo: Kevin Sweeny

Before and After

The filthy grungy blinds before cleaning turn into spotless blinds after cleaning, and it's much cheaper than buying new blinds! Get more incredible uses for PVC here.

Originally Published: September 13, 2017

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