With the holidays just around the corner a lot of us are planning our holidays as well as preparing for those large family gatherings. If you are the host this year then making sure your home is spotless is probably something close to your heart. Your roller blinds may be overlooked as you go about your cleaning regime however freshly cleaned blinds can make a big difference to the overall look of your home. While a quick dusting or wipe with a damp cloth can remove surface dust, a more thorough approach may be needed for more persistent marks and stains. The good news is you can remove most of these blemishes using common household items and a little bit of effort on your part.
To learn the best way to do this check out our step by step guide:
1. Prepare a mild cleaning solution
The first thing you need to do is prepare a mild cleaning solution that can be used to gently lift away the stain without damaging the fabric. Gather up the following household items:
- Some liquid dishwashing detergent
- A white sponge
- A white, soft, clean cloth
- A bucket
- A hair dryer or fan
Add warm water to the bucket and a small amount of the detergent. Mix it all together.
Tip
You should test your cloth and sponge on another surface first to make you don’t get any colour run from the cloth. We recommend white cloths for this reason.
2. Have a look how substantial the stain is.
If the stain is only small you should be able to do the next steps while the blind is in place. If the stain is large then you may want to take the blind down from the window and lay it out on a clean flat surface.
3. Test the cleaning solution before applying to the blind
This is an important step. You need to test your cleaning solution on a hidden area of the blind and wait for it to dry again before applying to the actual stain. This is to make sure there isn’t a negative reaction to the detergent, if there is you may want to try a different brand of detergent. Look for something as mild as possible. Otherwise you may have to seek professional help. Depending on the fabric we may be able to provide some sample fabric to test this on.
4. Slightly wet the sponge with the cleaning solution and gently dab the stain
Make sure the sponge is not so wet that the water is dripping out. The sponge only needs to be slightly wet. Some fabric can be damaged by too much water so it’s important to be conservative. Press the sponge into the stain gently until it is moistened with the cleaning solution. Then use the clean cloth to blot away the excess liquid. Keep repeating the process until the stain disappears from the fabric
5. Dry the area of the blind that you just worked on
The next step is to dry the blind. A hair dryer is ideal for this. Set it on a low heat and gently apply the dryer to the wet area. Be careful not to set the dryer to hot as that could melt or damage the fabric. If you took the blind down then place it back up before drying
6. Check the stained area to see if the stain is no longer noticeably visible
Wait till the fabric has completely dried and reassess the damaged area to see if the stain is still visible. If it is then you can consider taking a more aggressive approach. First check for any warnings or instructions that came with the blinds around the use of bleach. You can also try contacting the people you got your blinds from. If they are supplied by Urban Blinds then we can provide guidance around this.
Prepare a solution with 4 parts warm water and 1 part bleach. If your blinds are made with a darker fabric then we suggest 10 parts water and 1 part bleach to reduce the chance of accidently discolouring the fabric. Follow the same steps again with your bleach solution
7. If all else fails
If after all this you are unable to remove the stain to an acceptable level then please reach out to us and we can look at replacement options.
