Mini blinds, like regular blinds, naturally collect dust, grease, and dirt, especially on their horizontal surfaces, and require regular cleaning. After having them in your house for a while, you may notice your mini blinds are changing color, which indicates that they need to be cleaned. However, their delicate structure makes them more difficult to clean, since there are many more surfaces to deal with, and small spaces that can be difficult to get a regular cleaning tool into. The following tips will help you keep your mini blinds clean with a minimum of trouble.

Vacuuming

You can get dust and loose dirt off your mini blinds by closing them and running the hose attachment of your vacuum over the surface. Be sure your vacuum is on low power. Once you've done this, turn the blinds the other way, and vacuum the other side as well.

Removing the Blinds for Cleaning

For a deeper clean, you'll need to take the blinds off the window. Raise the blinds completely, remove the adjusting rod (if there is one) and remove the blinds from the window frame.

Cleaning Necessities

The best place to clean mini blinds is in your bathtub. If you don't have one, try doing it outside, or in another place where you can slop water around without causing too much trouble. Dish detergent cleans blinds well, or you can try a 1-to-1 mixture of water with borax, ammonia, or baking soda, as you prefer. Particularly filthy blinds may require you to add a little pine oil or other floor degreaser to the cleaning solution. A sponge and cleaning gloves will also be useful. For drying the blinds afterward, a clothesline or enough towels to lay the blinds out on are necessary. Dryer sheets will help treat the blinds afterward.

Cleaning the Blinds

Let the blinds down completely. The slats should be open, or at least slightly angled -- not closed. If you are using a bathtub, run enough warm water to cover the blinds, add plenty of the detergent or other cleaning solution, and submerge the blinds for at least 5 minutes. Wearing your gloves, rub gently along the slats to loosen dirt. If you are not using a bathtub, then soak a sponge in the cleaning solution, rub it on the blinds, and let stand for at least 5 minutes. Rinse the blinds with a shower or hose and then hang them on a line or lay them out on towels to dry. When dry, rub the slats with a dryer sheet to help keep dust off the blinds, and then re-hang.