How to clean smoker's stained venetian blinds?

Question

I've gotten an apartment where the former occupants smoked heavily and the 3' x 5' venetian blinds are very yellowed and have gritty 'bits' adhering to them...dusting is useless. Does anyone have any recommendations on techniques/products to use on them to clean them up some?

Answer 1

Take them down and fill your bathtub with about a quarter to half a gallon of bleach and then warm water. Not hot water because it can change the shape of the blind. Put them in and let them soak about 15 min. or so. Then rinse well stand up on a towel to dry. Then rehang. It is some work but trust me it's worth it they will look like new. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Here you go, but don't work so hard my friend.....lol


Before taking the blinds down, put the slats in the fully 'open' position to make it easier to clean the slats. The cord should be extended to about 12 inches. Then take the blinds off the wall and remove the blind mechanism from inside of the top rail. Once you take the ends off of the top rail, the mechanism should just slide out.

You will need to cover the bottom of the bathtub with some terry cloth or cotton towels. Fill your bathtub with approximately 6 inches of warm soapy water. Use a mild liquid dish washing detergent. The towels will float some, but putting the blinds on top of them will weigh them down.

Place one blind into the tub on top of the towels. Using a clean sponge or cotton washcloth, clean the surface of each slat, one at a time. Then turn the blind over and clean the underside of each slat. You may want to wear rubber gloves to avoid getting your hands nicked by the slats.

Drain the soapy water from the tub and then use a bucket of clean cool water to pour over the blinds and rinse off the soap residue. Do this at least four times. Another way to rinse your blind is to turn on the shower and thoroughly rinse the blinds this should take about 5 minutes.

Drain the blinds on each end for approximately ten minutes. Then move the blind onto a dry towel and drain for another ten minutes.

Replace the blind mechanism and then put the blind back on the window. Make sure cord is fully extended and slats are open. Allow the blinds sufficient drying time. Opening the window may allow dust and debris to stick onto your blinds, so you should keep the window closed while drying them.

Answer 3

Can you take them down and soak the in a bathtub with some cleaner, like simple green or 409, or greased lightning?
And use an old toothbrush to get in around the places wwhere the 'bits' are hanging from!
it may be easier to replace them, depending on what they are made of.

Answer 4

I had the exact same situation in the house I moved into a few years ago. I filled the bathrub with bleach water, and soaked the blinds in it for several hours. It didn't require much scrubbing, and most of them came clean.

Answer 5

Soak them in the tub with Dawn dish washing soap, scrub with a soft brush or a toothbrush. Dawn really is the best for cutting that gummy nicotine residue. I wouldn't use bleach. It could weaken the blinds and they would break easily.

Answer 6

We take our's down about once a year and take them outside and turn a hose on them and use a scrub brush with a bucket of soapy water. It gets them clean. We let them dry outside, and then take them in and put them back up.