Venetian blinds are brilliant at playing with light, with adjustable slats that tilt, raise and lower. They also collect dust over time. Cleaning Venetian blinds is much easier than most people think – and you don’t need to take them down to do it. Here’s some useful tips for how to clean Venetian blinds, including dusting for regular maintenance to cleaning marks and stains to keep them looking their best.
How Often Should You Clean Venetian Blinds?
We recommend a light dust once a week and a deeper clean every couple of months (or when you spot marks) to keep them looking fresh. However, Venetian blinds in your kitchen and bathroom may require a little more attention due to humidity.
How to Dust Venetian Blinds
If you’re wondering how to dust Venetian blinds quickly and properly, this is your go-to method. Regular dusting stops build-up and makes deep cleaning much easier later on.
What you’ll need to dust Venetian blinds:
- A microfibre cloth or duster
- Vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment (optional)
Step-by-step: How to dust Venetian blinds
- Close the blinds fully so the slats lie against one another.
- Start at the top of the aluminium slats and work your way down – dust falls, so this saves doubling back.
- Wipe each slat from one side to the other with a microfibre cloth.
- Flip the slats the other way and repeat on the reverse side.
For a quicker clean, use your vacuum’s brush attachment on a low setting and gently run it across each slat. For any dust that may have fallen, this can be simply swept away with a dustpan and brush or your hoover.
Top tip: If you’ve got wide slats, you can use both sides of the cloth at once by lightly gripping each slat between your fingers.
How to Clean Marks and Stains Off Venetian Blinds
Here’s how to clean marks off Venetian blinds while preventing damaging the finish.
What you’ll need to clean marks and stains from Venetian blinds:
- Bucket of warm water.
- Mild washing-up liquid.
- Soft cloth (microfibre works best).
- Clean, dry towel.
Step-by-step: How to clean marks off Venetian blinds
- Close the blinds fully to create a flat surface using the tilt control wand.
- Mix warm water with a small amount of mild washing-up liquid.
- Dip your cloth in the solution and wring it out well – it should be damp, not wet.
- Gently wipe the affected area, supporting the slat from behind or underneath if needed.
- Dry the slat immediately with a clean towel to prevent water marks.
- Repeat on the other side if necessary.
Avoid soaking the blinds or using abrasive sponges. If a mark doesn’t budge with gentle cleaning, it’s best not to scrub – especially on matte finishes.
Common FAQs for Cleaning Venetian Blinds
Close the slats, run a microfibre cloth or duster along each slat from top to bottom, flip the slats and repeat. For a faster option, use your vacuum’s brush attachment on a gentle setting.
A: Use a barely damp microfibre cloth with a tiny amount of mild washing-up liquid, wipe gently, then dry the slat immediately with a clean towel. Avoid soaking the slats or using abrasive sponges.
Not quite. Real wood needs a light touch. Dry dusting is best and any damp cleaning should be done sparingly and dried straight away to avoid warping. Aluminium is more forgiving and can take a mild soapy wipe and a good dry. View our guide to cleaning wooden blinds.
It’s usually unnecessary and can risk damaging mechanisms or finishes. Most marks come off with spot cleaning while the blinds are still installed.
A: Wipe cords with a lightly damp cloth and dry immediately. For the headrail, use a microfibre cloth or the vacuum brush on low. Avoid getting the mechanism wet.
Looking to Update Your Home with Venetian Blinds?
If you’re thinking about refreshing a room altogether, Venetian blinds are available in a wide range of finishes — from bright white tones to contemporary blue shades plus everything in between. And if measuring feels like the trickiest part, we take out the legwork with our SureSize Measuring Guarantee.
Explore our Venetian blinds today, or if you’re looking at how to dust and remove stains from other types of blinds, view our entire guide to cleaning blinds.
