Do you need to clean external Venetian blinds?

[LnP]

Hi,

 

I'm thinking about overheating and since we don't think we can work overhangs into our design, I'm looking at external blinds.

 

Internal Venetian blinds can be a bit of a pain to dust. What about external ones? Do they get dirty? If you need to clean them how often do you do it and how?

 

@Bitpipe  @craig  @Thorfun I think I've seen you post about external Venetian blinds. I'd be interested in your experience.

 

Many thanks

[jack]

I have them.

 

They probably ought to be cleaned regularly, but I haven't gotten around to it in the 7.5 years since they were installed. We went with a shade of grey that we thought might hide the dust and it largely works!

 

I was planning to do it - or, better yet, get my kids onto it - this summer. I was going to wait until an overcast day, hose them down, then use a pressurised pump sprayer to spray on some detergent (not sure what type yet) and leave it for a while before hosing it off.

 

We have one of those car-washing brush attachments for the hose that I might try on the more visible ones (e.g., near the front door) once the detergent's done its work.

[jack]

Or this!

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/External-blinds-cleaner-Sunblind-LR-180-GTR/dp/B07SSB4MWV

[LnP]

8 minutes ago, jack said:

I have them.

 

They probably ought to be cleaned regularly, but I haven't gotten around to it in the 7.5 years since they were installed. We went with a shade of grey that we thought might hide the dust and it largely works!

 

I was planning to do it - or, better yet, get my kids onto it - this summer. I was going to wait until an overcast day, hose them down, then use a pressurised pump sprayer to spray on some detergent (not sure what type yet) and leave it for a while before hosing it off.

 

We have one of those car-washing brush attachments for the hose that I might try on the more visible ones (e.g., near the front door) once the detergent's done its work.

Good to know, thanks! Low maintenance is one of our goals and my wife, who has a lower tolerance for dirt than I do, is particularly concerned about cleaning the blinds. The alternative would be roller blinds, but I like the way that you get more control of the incoming light with Venetians.

[jack]

I should add that the blinds that are under overhangs (800-1000 mm) aren't rained on and they're much dirtier than those that are.

[Thorfun]

29 minutes ago, jack said:

I have them.

 

They probably ought to be cleaned regularly, but I haven't gotten around to it in the 7.5 years since they were installed. We went with a shade of grey that we thought might hide the dust and it largely works!

 

I was planning to do it - or, better yet, get my kids onto it - this summer. I was going to wait until an overcast day, hose them down, then use a pressurised pump sprayer to spray on some detergent (not sure what type yet) and leave it for a while before hosing it off.

 

We have one of those car-washing brush attachments for the hose that I might try on the more visible ones (e.g., near the front door) once the detergent's done its work.

I have one of those snow foam nozzles for cleaning my car. I wonder if that would work?

 

47 minutes ago, LnP said:

Hi,

 

I'm thinking about overheating and since we don't think we can work overhangs into our design, I'm looking at external blinds.

 

Internal Venetian blinds can be a bit of a pain to dust. What about external ones? Do they get dirty? If you need to clean them how often do you do it and how?

 

@Bitpipe  @craig  @Thorfun I think I've seen you post about external Venetian blinds. I'd be interested in your experience.

 

Many thanks

we haven't finished our house yet so they've barely been down since installed so I'm sorry I can't really comment.

[craig]

They are like everything. External blinds will get dust & debris on them and will need to be maintained. Our recommendation is as follows.

 

Bring the blinds down into the closed position “dark” and wash them with water. Use a garden hose or a steam cleaner, a pressure washer is fine but at its lowest setting. Then use warm water with soap/detergent with a sponge or cloth & clean every slat and in one direction, same method to clean the guide rails.

 

Rinse again after complete clearing with soap/detergent with warm water again. Once a month is recommended (i.e. when the window cleaner is around) but every couple of months is fine.

[Bitpipe]

I give them a clean once or twice a year. I Give them a good suds wash first with fairy liquid to loosen the dirt & rinse with the hose and a carwash brush attachment.