Make your Wood Venetian Blinds look New
If you’ve moved into a home with old wood Venetian blinds or just allowed your own blinds to become neglected over time, you may not need to replace them just yet. There is a way to restore neglected wooden blinds to looking almost as good as new.
Sometimes a regular standard clean is not adequate to keep your wood blinds looking new.
Not cleaning your blinds frequently can lead to a build-up of dust, which, if ignored long enough in a humid setting, can become an encrusted black muck that can’t be cleaned without some difficulty.
Additionally, high heat and UV exposure may cause wood to fade; and water damage from rain coming in through open windows can result in water stains, as well as discolouring of the wood.
Despite the fact that so many people advocate washing “wooden” blinds, they’re almost certainly referring to the synthetic type of blinds that appear to be wooden. If your Venetian blinds are created from real Cedar, Teak, Hardwood or Bamboo, DO NOT immerse in a bath of water. Soaking these blinds in water will cause warping, fading and discolouring.
To restore your blinds, you’ll need to take them down and lay them flat on a towel on the floor, or suspend them high from a clothes line or shower rail.
With a damp (not wet) cotton cloth or soft scourer, dipped in a solution of a third vinegar to two thirds water, rub each side of each wooden vane clean, then wipe dry right away using a dry rag. This process may require repeating a number of times to remove excess dirt that has coated the wood.
If the Venetian blinds have water damage or discolouration, use linseed oil to restore the finish on the vanes. Linseed oil is an amazing timber restorer and preserver, and will bring out the grain of the wood, giving you a polished and waterproof finish.
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Mix up a third Raw Linseed Oil with a third Vinegar as well as a third Mineral Turpentine.- Dampen a soft cloth with this solution and rub it firmly over either side of every louver. (Should the wood seems to be especially damaged, first experiment with a test section to determine how absorbent the wood is – you may be need to repeat the treatment a few times to ensure consistency of the texture).
- Utilising a clean cotton cloth, wipe off any surplus then rub until the wood has absorbed the solution and feels dry to the touch.
It’s really important not to leave even the slightest leftover oil on the wood as it will cause dust to stick to your blinds. - Leave the wood blinds for 2-4 hours to permit it to dry totally before re-fitting. The linseed oil will have absorbed into the timber by this time, leaving a non sticky surface that dust will not adhere to.
If you are regularly dusting and wiping down your blinds, you need only perform this kind of restoration only every 1 or 2 years.