Venetian Blinds, Cleaning and Care

Classic, always in style, Venetian blinds originated, probably, in Venice, Italy around 1770. Venetian blinds come in a variety of colors and materials such as wood, plastic, and aluminum. Slats can vary in size from a standard to a mini-blind. Keep in mind that, Venetian blinds look best in contemporary style structures.

Venetian blinds can be hung inside or outside and as far as energy savings go, work best outside. Since slats can be easily adjusted, you can control the amount of light and heat that you allow in. Typically, Venetian blinds will be white or polished aluminum for controlling solar heat and light.

You should use care when handling or hanging Venetian blinds. Use care not to bang the slats against each other or the woodwork to prevent paint scratching, should the blinds be painted. This is because chipped paint will expose the metal which will result in detracting from the Venetian blinds’ appearance and shortening their life.

You should never separate or bend the slats to look outside. Instead, use the cords to lift the slats. Once the metal slats are bent, if they are metal instead of wood, you cannot rebind it. The whole slat will need to be replaced which means restringing as well.

If you clean the Venetian blinds with a vacuum, you must do the following:

• First, tilt the slats so that they are closed.
• Next, start at the top of the blind.
• Your next step will be to hold the blind steady with one hand, preventing it banging against the wall or itself. With your free hand, vacuum the slats from center to right and back again. Use the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner.
• When that step is done, repeat with the other side of the Venetian blind.
• When you have finished that side, reverse the tilt of the slats and do the repeat the same procedure.

Now, if you prefer to clean your Venetian blinds without a vacuum, you can do the following:

Using the same method to hold the blind steady to prevent banging, you should dust each slat with a dry, soft cloth. DO NOT use a damp or oily cloth as this will streak the slats of your blinds. You might also use a pair of soft, dry cotton gloves to wipe the slats free of dust.