Cleaning Venetian blinds

If you think you have problems I have louvre doors between my living room and dining room. Talk about dust collectors! This time of year when the sun shines on them.......Oh! .........I usually wrap a cloth round my fingers.........put the radio on ..........and go up and down each louvre. It usually takes a couple of goes but at least they aren't greasy!!

I use vi

I use vinegar to clean venetian blinds.Simply fill a small bowl with a mixture of one part vinegar and one part water, and then use a clean sock cloth to dip in the bowl. Turn the blinds one way and wipe them while holding the bottom rail, then turn them the other way and clean the other side.

They are nicknamed a thousand shelves for a reason ? bloody dust collectors. Feather duster is always a good one .

"I have always believed that venetian blinds were invented by someone who had too many unmarried daughters"

And I thought they were invented by Venetians!

One of the cables has broken on one of ours. (We have 5 in our kitchen/utility room/loo) Hillary's don't want to know so now we're stuck. Any ideas? I'm 83 so it's a bit difficult getting up there.

I have always believed that venetian blinds were invented by someone who had too many unmarried daughters living at home in the days before girls went out to work and needed something to keep them occupied.

The only really good solution is to get rid of the blinds and put up washable curtains, or none, as curtains in the kitchen are after all a potential fire hazard.

Wet wipes are really good and Mr Sheen also do some good wipes that repel the dust for a little while.

We have Venetian blinds in the kitchen bathroom and two bedrooms. I have tried putting them in the bath but found it quite a lot of trouble and didn't get them clean. Tried one of the gadgets that is supposed to clean the blinds - more trouble than it's worth.

Best solution I have found is similar to the old sock method but I bought microfibres gloves from amazon I think. Brilliant! Dunk hand in bucket of soapy water, squeeze fingers together to get rid of excess water, use one hand to hold the slat and the other to wipe each one individually. Best method I've found so far. Gloves go in the washing machine after and come out nice and clean. They are also very useful for dusting difficult shape objects.

DH bought ours and moans they are dirty. I cannot reach to clean them easily so mainly Dyson them and use a wet wipe half way up. Our ceiling is twice as tall as me.

We've only just bought some new wooden Venetian blinds for our bedroom to replace dingy old net curtains. I'm told by a neighbour what knows these things that they're easy to clean. . . . . . Shall remember sock trick and there, at least, won't be any grease!

NanaVal1946, that was my reaction, but thought I'd be told off for being a spendthrift

They cost a bloody fortune so I’m not throwing them away. They look great, most of the time. I’ll try all the tips until something works then I’ll go and lie down in a darkened room with a bottle of something alcoholic . Thank you.

Try two cups of glass cleaner with an extra shot of household ammonia and a tsp. of dish detergent (very effective grease cutter). You'll need rubber gloves, plastic bowls and several old dishrags and towels.

Fill a small bowl with the solution. Close the blinds in one direction and swish down and across the entire surface with the brush, wiping down with a clean, damp dishrag. Rinse in sink, wring and replace dishrags as needed. Close in the other direction and do the same. Dry each slat individually with a clean cloth or use a hand held hair drier.

Repeat if need be until your kitchen blinds sparkle or whatever it is they do when they're happy

Throw it away and buy a new one?

Thanks ladies, some excellent advice. My blinds are metallic white, not wooden, and the whole house has them but it’s just this one blind that is grubby. They look very smart (apart from the current grimey one) so I’ll persevere and get them clean and try not to let it happen again!

I’m with Vampirequeen! Although I love the look, ditched mine for roller blind, far less bother. Lesson learnt.

I had blinds in kitchen we used to take them down and put them in bath of hot soapy water I then used small sponge to clean between slats it was backbreaking so reluctantly I got rid of them and now have roller blinds

Use the sock method and the wonderful product available in pound shops called Elbow Grease -yes really - it is a brilliant degreaser with little effort I can't be without it now

I agree, get rid of the venetian blinds. Horrible things. I have lived in my house for 32 years and never felt the need to have a curtain or blind up in the kitchen or at the bathroom window ( both at the rear of the property). However, I do have a large and not overlooked garden with lots of trees at the back to screen it too.

Chuck the blinds away Lilylilo?

Seriously, I have wooden blinds in my bedroom that are very dusty. I have tried lots of methods but there is always a line of dust left which I haven't managed to reach. I am going to try the sock method - thanks to all who suggested it!

When I had a house that already had venetian blinds I found the same problem. My solution was to take them down (they were quite easy to take down in those days, I can't say what they are like these days) lay them across the lawn and use a soft broom to gently brush them clean, turn over and do the same to the other side. Let them dry and rehang. Voila

I stand on the draining board and use a spray and two old socks... So much better than the gadget.. Then just chuck them away. Amazingly therapeutic but you need to be quite nimble to get up and down again!!

1.Take blinds down.
2.Take blinds into the back garden.
3.Open bin lid.
4.Put blinds in bin.
5.Balance lid on top of blinds.
6.Cross fingers that the bin man will empty the bin
with half open lid.
7.Go to town.
8.Look at curtains, roller blinds and roman blinds.
9.Buy whichever you think is best for the position and shape of the window.
10.Take home.
11.Make self and DH coffee.
12.Drink your coffee whilst DH puts up blinds/curtains.
13.Make second cup of coffee to replace DH’s first which has gone cold.
14.Drink second cup of coffee whilst congratulating self that you will never have to try to clean a venetian blind again.

Jacky b

Oh b----r I have never tried steps 1 & 2 !

If they are greasy from cooking,use hot water with white vinegar or soda crystals,using any of the methods mentioned.