How to Clean Faux Wood Blinds That Have Yellowed

Wood blinds are an aesthetic and elegant addition to the indoors. They are a meaningful investment; however, the fixtures do collect dirt and dust. No matter how frequently you clean your blinds, it can still turn yellow over time. In this article, learn how to clean faux wood blinds that have yellowed.

How to Clean Faux Wood Blinds That Have Yellowed

The dirt build-up in the windows or faux wood blinds can be due to various reasons like UV light or pollution. Here are the reasons, tips, and DIY solutions for fixing the yellow tint of the faux wood blinds. 

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Why Do Faux Wood Blinds Turn Yellow?

• Faux wood blinds are factory processed it has a vinyl coating to protect them from UV rays. The vinyl coating on the faux wood blinds remains for over 5-6 years. 
• Over time, the exposure to the sun, the faux wood starts to damage, and it develops a yellow tint on the corner or the edges. 
• Indoor pollution plays a key role in the yellowing of faux wood blinds. Cigarette smoke, oils, and smoke from cooking inside can lead to the yellowing of the blinds.
• All cleaning agents are not compatible with the vinyl layer of the faux wood. This can cause fading of the texture and develop a yellow tint.

Materials Required

Requirements for DIY cleaning and whitening the yellow faux wood blinds are:

• Easy clean duster
• Vinegar
• Dryer sheet
• Dusting Spray
• Soap or mild detergent
• Bowl
• Measuring cup
• Microfiber cloths
• Bleach
• Baking Soda
• Oven cleaner
• Newspaper

Step 1: Clean the Dirt Build-Up

Faux wood binders develop grime and dirt with exposure to pollutants in the air. Therefore, to clean off the yellowish tint, you need to dust off the dirt. 

1.  Open up the faux wood blinds from the fixture.

2. Use a vacuum brush to brush off the dust buildup. Use the brush attachment and go through each slat thoroughly to wipe off the layers of dirt and grime.

3. If you don’t have a brush attachment or vacuum cleaner, dust off the dirt with an easy clean duster.

4. Wipe off the dirt from the slats with the help of a dryer sheet, feather duster, or microfiber cloth.

5. Clean every slat of the blind individual with a dryer sheet to make sure no spot is missed. Cleaning off the dirt will protect the blinders from dust build-up for the following procedure. 

Step 2: Cleaning With Vinegar and Baking Soda

If the faux wood blinds hang near the kitchen, the slats are likely to be covered with dirt and grease. To remove the layers of grease and dirt, you can use a small amount of vinegar wash, which is also a great way to clean sticky kitchen cabinets.

1. Once you clean off the dirt from the slats, you can move forward to wipe off the grease.

2. To deep clean the grease in the blinds, nothing is better than white vinegar.

3. Make a DIY solution with equal parts water, equal part vinegar, and baking soda. Soak a dry cloth into a small amount of the diluted vinegar solution and rinse off the dirt from the rails.

4. Clean your blinds while holding the bottom rail to keep it aligned on one side. Turn the slats to the other side with your thumb and wipe off the grease from the other side too.
5. Vinegar will rinse off the grease from the blinds. Wash it off with warm water after wiping off the dirty spot with the sponge. 
6. The solution has multipurpose use vinegar will scrub off the grease along with disinfecting the slats. 

Step 3: Bleach It Off

After cleaning dirt and grease from faux wood slats, you can move to the next step to whiten it up. For example, to whiten the yellowed faux wood blinds, you can beach off the blinds. 

1. Fill the bathtub with 2 to 3 cups of liquid bleach. Mix it well, and then soak the blinds in it.
2. To ensure safety while using bleach, open the windows and switch on the fan for air circulation in the house.
3. Use rubber gloves before putting the blinds in the bathtub. Use the sponge to wipe off one slat separately.
4. Put it in the hanger to dry up the dripping water.
5. Bleaching will clean off the dirt and whitens the slats. 

Step 4: Use Oven Cleaner

If you don’t want to take the risk of submerging the slats in water, then you can jump up to this step.

This process may sound unconventional, but many people have tested it and found promising results with this. 

1. Spray a small amount of cleaning spray on the sponge. Use it to scrub out the dirt from the slats.

2. Spray oven cleaner in the parts where the yellow tint is present. Leave it for a few minutes.

3.  Clean it off with warm water spray. Viola! The yellow tint vanishes off, and you get shiny and white faux wood blinds.

4. Hang it up with hangers and let it dry. Once it dries off, take it and set it up in the window.

Step 5: Paint It Again

This is the last step in the restoration of faux wood blinds. It brings out the shiny white texture in the binds and makes it look new. 

1. Unscrew the bottom of the blinds and pull the string that was binding the slats of the blinds. 

2. Unstrung the slats and remove the slats that have faded and turned yellowish.

3. Use sandpaper to smoothen the slats; after that, use a clean cloth to remove the extra dust buildup from the slats.

4. Once you dust off the dirt, use primer on the slats. One coat of primer will be enough. After primer coating, use white paint and paint each slat individually.
5. You can put the slats on newspaper and spray paint the slats for a cleaner finish.
6. You can paint wooden fixtures, hanging blocks, and other parts to make them look even. Lock the color with sealant spray to give matt texture to the blinds.
7. Restring each slat carefully and screw the wooden blinds with the string at the bottom. The sealant spray will lock the paint so you can wash it in the future without damaging the paint.

Maintenance Tips for Faux Wood Blinds

• If you have brand new blinds, then all you need is a little dusting once a month, and the blinds will not build up too much dust.

• If you have it hanging around the kitchen or near a smoke chimney, then once in a while, wipe it up with soap water.

• Do not put soap or mild detergent solution directly into the blinds. Instead, use a sponge and soak it in the soap solution to wipe off the dirt from blinds.

• Once a year, use vinegar and baking soda solution to disinfect the blinds. The baking soda and vinegar solution have anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties that make the surface clean and disinfected, they work great for cleaning steel pennies as well.

Here is an article for guidance that forms the cleaning cares solution. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Fastest Way To Clean Faux Wood Blinds?

The fastest and easiest way is to turn off the blinds and use a microfiber cloth or feather duster. Move the microfiber cloth duster in a downward position to clean blinds within a minute. Make it in your daily dusting routine to prevent it from turning yellow.

Faux wood blinds have a plastic coating, so the dirt does not go into the pores. Therefore, it is easier to clean with a feather duster or a microfiber duster. 

Can I Steam Faux Wood Blinds?

Steaming the faux wood blinds is not advisable, even if it cleans the blinds thoroughly. This is because blinds are made from PVC, which is a form of plastic. When direct heat is applied, it becomes malleable, and the plastic coating starts to melt down.

As a result, it could lead to warping or distortion of slats. Furthermore, if used in one area for a longer time, it can permanently damage the slats. If you want to disinfect the slats, use vinegar and baking soda solution, which is effective and does not cause harm to the slats.

Can I Soak The Faux Wood In The Bathtub For A Deep Clean?

Yes, faux wood is not susceptible to warm water. If your faux wood blinds are covered in grease, your kids have mucked them with color paint or ketchup, then just open it from the brackets and put them in mild detergent or soap water solution. Keep it soaked in for 10 minutes, and then wash it off. Once completely dry, hang it back in your window.

Conclusion

Faux wood blinds add visual effects to your room and prevent direct sunlight from entering your house. Therefore, it is essential to keep it clean and maintain its color. Doing it is very simple and inexpensive. In proper care, the faux wood blinds last for more than a decade, and faux wood blinds will be as good as a picture for a long time.