Keep Your Exterior Roller Blinds Clean

Your blinds might be accumulating dust and grime. Try to keep them clean for a healthy, comfortable home.

Windows are the main access point for dust and dirt, especially if you live by a busy street. Make sure your exterior blinds don’t accumulate dust. Instead, keep them nice and clean like all the other spaces of your home.

Exterior roller blinds aren’t a norm everywhere in the world. Northern European countries, for example, don’t need them as they don’t receive as much sun as countries like Spain.

But exterior blinds are very helpful for blocking out light in the morning and keeping rooms darker for better rest. But they collect dust and dirt. If you don’t clean them occasionally, you could end up with a big problem on your hands.

How do dirt and dust accumulate on blinds?

In colder regions, homes often have double glazed windows with integral blinds. The homes in warmer regions, on the other hand, don’t need an insulation system and simply have a normal window with exterior roller blinds.

These days, contaminants come in all kinds of forms. Some of us might not even realize that the dust that results from construction sites, smoke from cars and our overall surroundings all emit pollutants everywhere. And all of it is harmful to our health.

The slits are often the main spots where dust and dirt float into and build up in. Over time, they can cover your entire blinds in a layer of visible grime.

Cleaning exterior blinds

It might sound crazy but cleaning your exterior blinds every month will help prevent dust and dirt from entering your home.

• First and foremost, have all the products and materials you’ll need: a clean rag, bleach or ammonia and water.
• Then, start cleaning. Completely lower your blinds and clean the spaces in between the slats and outer surfaces carefully.
• Make sure to get into all of the little spaces and wash them out with water to remove any contaminants. You’ll notice the water change color, which is a clear sign of the effects of all the dirt and dust your home is exposed to.
• Once you finish cleaning your blinds with the water mixture, dry it with another rag.
• Make sure to clean from one side to the other. Also, try to keep your swipes closer together for cleaner results.

Keeping your exterior blinds clean

There are various ways to keep your exterior blinds clean without having to clean them regularly. But you’ll need to be consistent.

• Double glazed option. A double glazed window will keep your blinds out of direct contact with the outdoors. By keeping them behind a window, they won’t collect as much dirt and grime. Also, double glazed windows will help block out sound.
• Raise your blinds during the day and lower them at night. Some people prefer to keep their bedroom blinds lowered throughout the day but doing so will expose them more to dirt and other pollutants.
• Check them occasionally and wipe them every month. Doing so will remove the little layer of dust that builds up.
• Don’t fall into lazy habits. Failing to clean your blinds will make them into a hot spot for dirt.

Steam machines

Everyone has probably faced this situation at one point or another – stubborn dirt that just won’t come off regardless of how many times you wipe it. If you leave your exterior blinds dirty for long periods or forget about them completely, dirt and grime will likely get to this point.

A steam machine can come in handy in these situations. This can soften the top layer and help you remove it more easily. Besides, the pressure that the machine applies to the blinds also helps remove stubborn patches of dirt from between the slats.