Here's Why You Should Be Using Dryer Sheets On Your Window Blinds
Your window blinds offer extra protection from the sun throughout the day, but it might be exhausting constantly cleaning dust off them. These common coverings tend to collect particles and dirt easily, but as Make My Blinds notes, they do create a pleasing aesthetic throughout a home while keeping bright sunlight at bay. Despite their dust attraction, blinds are a window addition most homeowners need or want. Rather than thinking of your blinds as a chore or annoyance, this simple cleaning hack can help you enjoy their benefits without the drawbacks.
Using dryer sheets to clean off your blinds can help to deter dirt and dust for longer than a standard cloth or sponge. These helpful little items help to reduce the static electricity that your blinds have, which pulls in grime and other particles and creates the annoying layers of detritus you're constantly wiping off. By using a dryer sheet, you're creating a surface that won't attract dust as regularly, letting you go longer between cleanings. Not only do dryer sheets keep static off of your clothes, they can also keep your blinds looking fresh. Here's how.
How to clean your blinds
In order to properly clean your blinds and prep them for this dryer sheet hack, you'll want to grab a microfiber cloth to wipe down the surfaces first. According to Sparkling Penny, it's again about electrical charges — in this case, the electrostatic charge in microfiber cloths. This charge helps pull the dust off of your blinds and keep it on the fabric rather than just shifting it back and forth.
You should clean your blinds at least once a month to help deter grime from building up. As more dust accumulates, more allergens and particles will become present in your home, aggravating everything from allergies to asthma. Rather than suffer from these discomforts, use microfiber cloths to remove spores, dirt, and grime before it starts triggering these symptoms. (Architectural Digest suggests using an old sock if you don't happen to have any microfiber cloths on hand.)
Use the cloth (or sock) to wipe from one end of your blind to the other, then repeat on each one. Take the time to dust around blind cords as well, as dust can build up in the openings where they sit. Once you've done this, your blinds are ready for the dryer sheets.
Use a dryer sheet after cleaning
Once you've wiped down each blind, grab your box of dryer sheets and pull one out to begin wiping it along the clean surfaces. Start at one end just like with the microfiber cloth, then run it along the top and bottom before moving to the next. Per Today's Homeowner, dryer sheets are useful for window-blind cleaning because they help to eliminate static cling, which blinds can suffer from throughout their lifetime.
By getting rid of the static element, you're creating a less sticky surface for dust particles as they appear in your home. As HowStuffWorks explains, the dryer sheets actually leave a positive electrical charge on the blinds, which then repels the dust from settling. The outlet notes this hack can be applied to any surface that tends to collect dust, not just window blinds.
As for window blinds, this dryer sheet hack will let you go longer between cleanings, and help to minimize the allergens and spores that can hang around on your window coverings.
Whenever a dryer sheet becomes dirty, throw it away and start with a new one to ensure you're not spreading more dust on a different blind section. Because you already wiped them down with a cloth before, there should actually be minimal dust, so you should be able to use one dryer sheet for several blinds before needing a new one. Apply this trick once a month to keep the surfaces dust-free as long as possible, and to keep your home sparkling.