How to wash vertical blinds

Vertical blinds are a modern, practical, and quite attractive way to decorate windows, both in the office and at home. But no matter how pleasing their appearance, sooner or later the question of how to wash vertical blinds in a washing machine will arise. You might also need to find a good way to clean stubborn stains from the blinds' slats. This is where the information provided in our article comes in handy.

Can this type of blinds be washed in a washing machine?

Not all vertical fabric blinds are machine washable, especially not in the washing machine. Before throwing your blinds in the washing machine, pay attention to the fabric they're made of. If you're talking about expensive blinds made of natural fabrics like jacquard and cotton, experts recommend against wetting them altogether, meaning they shouldn't be washed by hand or in the washing machine.

Failure to follow this recommendation and machine-washing natural slats will result in significant shrinkage and possible color loss. Blinds made from natural fabrics can only be dry-cleaned or wet-cleaned; we'll discuss cleaning in more detail later.

Blinds made of polyester and other synthetic fabrics, as well as fabric blends, can be washed., including in automatic mode. However, this shouldn't be done haphazardly. Washing should always be done very carefully, following certain rules and recommendations. Otherwise, there's a risk of crushing the delicate slats and ruining the entire structure.

Please note! Before washing your blinds, please read information about how the slats from a specific manufacturer respond to washing. You can do this by reading online consumer reviews and the manufacturer's instructions.

Machine Washing Blinds: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you decide to wash your blinds in an automatic washing machine, you need to prepare everything beforehand, especially the washing machine itself. So, step one is preparing the washing machine.

1. Remove dirty laundry from the drum.
2. Remove the powder tray and rinse it thoroughly with warm water to remove any remaining detergent.
3. Run the rinse cycle with the drum empty. This will remove any remaining detergent and dyes from previously washed synthetic items.

Once the machine is ready, you can move on to the next step – choosing a detergent. It might seem like a good idea to just use regular washing machine detergent and wash the vertical blinds. Regular detergent can react unpredictably with the material of the blinds' slats, and most importantly, it can leave unsightly white streaks that are very difficult to remove.

The best option for any type of fabric blinds is a liquid detergent for delicates in the washing machine. If you plan to wash light-colored blinds, choose a liquid detergent for light colors, and if you're washing dark-colored blinds, choose a liquid detergent for dark colors. Liquid detergent for wool, for example, works well for synthetic blinds.

In the third step, you can begin loading the blind slats into the washing machine drum. However, they must be removed correctly first. Experts recommend finding instructions for installing/removing vertical blinds and removing all slats very carefully, without causing any creases. So, here's what to do:

• remove the slats;
• we roll the slats one by one into loose rolls (you can fasten them with threads);
• place the twisted slats in a washing bag;
• Place the bag in the drum and pour a few capfuls of liquid detergent into the washing machine's detergent drawer.

In the fourth step, you should select a washing program. The programs illustrated in the diagram are preferable.

If your automatic washing machine model does not support any of the washing programs listed, you can set the program manually with the following parameters:

1. temperature - no higher than 30 ⁰WITH.
2. revolutions – no more than 500 rpm.
3. Additional functions such as eco-bubble wash can be disabled.
4. Rinse, spin, dry – turn off.

You can read more about the washing programs of different washing machines in the article Functions of the washing machine. At the fifth stage, washing is complete, but the washed slats still need to be dried properly. During drying, the blinds' slats should be unfolded and hung vertically on a line, securing the ends with clothespins.

It's best to hang the slats outdoors in a shaded area or in an apartment above a bathtub to allow excess water to drain. Blinds should not be ironed or hung horizontally, especially not rolled up. Experts recommend hanging the slats back on the window while still damp, with small weights attached to their lower ends. Forced drying of blinds using any heating elements is strictly prohibited.

Important! Using weights on blind slats is almost always advisable. It's better to have vertical blinds stretch evenly than to have them shrink unevenly.

Is it possible to do without washing?

In most cases, vertical blinds cannot be machine washed, so when there's no other option, you'll have to resort to dry or wet cleaning. Dry cleaning professionals are the best option for cleaning blinds, so if you're considering upgrading expensive slats, it's best to play it safe and entrust the job to professionals. If you decide to take matters into your own hands, consider the following expert recommendations.

1. If you decide to clean fabric slats with a textured structure, do not use a brush.
2. To remove dust from the slats, mix ammonia with water in half, apply this mixture to a soft cloth and wipe all the slats one by one on both sides.
3. If you add a little baking soda to a mixture of water and ammonia, you can use this mixture to remove ink stains from the slats.
4. To remove stains from spilled tea from the slats, dissolve a teaspoon of citric acid in a glass of water and gently clean the stained area with this mixture.
5. To remove marker or felt-tip pen marks, use non-acetone nail polish remover. Apply the remover to a cloth and wipe away the stains.

Please note! Currently, cleaning companies offer ultrasonic cleaning services for blind slats. This type of cleaning is very effective against dust, but is not very effective against stubborn stains.

To summarize, when deciding how to wash vertical blinds in an automatic washing machine, you first need to determine whether your particular type of blinds can be washed. If so, you need to properly prepare the washing machine, select the detergents, and choose the right washing program. In this article, we've tried to cover these steps in as much detail as possible.

   

4 reader comments

1. April 10, 2017 at 7:37 PM

   RRR:

   So, will they remain unrinsed?

   Answer
   • May 5, 2017 at 8:29 PM

     Irina:

     Another website says that after washing, the slats should be rinsed by hand one by one.

     Answer
2. October 28, 2020 at 6:04 PM

   Ira:

   But what if they are wrinkled, the slats?

   Answer
3. January 31, 2023 at 6:16 PM

   Tatiana:

   After washing in the washing machine, I ironed the slats and nothing happened to them.

   Answer