Because venetian blinds are usually hung over windows, they are exposed to corrosive elements and moisture more so than other metal materials inside the home. Chips or scratches make the material even more vulnerable.

When handling painted metal venetian blinds, be careful not to cut yourself on sharp edges, and try not to let the slats bang or scratch against one another.

One common problem with venetian blinds is that the slats become creased and bent by people peeking through to look outside. Once a thin metal slat becomes damaged in this way, it cannot be repaired back to its original condition. The whole blind needs to be disassembled, slat-by-slat, and restrung around a new piece. This can be prevented by simply using the rotating bar to open the slats for viewing.

To clean venetian blinds with a vacuum:

1. Use the rotating bar to close the blinds so that the top edge of each slat is facing you.

2. Using a stepstool, if necessary, begin vacuuming at the top of the blind. Using one hand, hold the blind steady and secure so that the slats don’t bang against the woodwork or rub together too much. With your other hand, use the dusting brush vacuum attachment to brush a few slats at a time from the center out to the right edge and then back from the center to the left edge of the blind.

3. Repeat this procedure, working your way from the top down to the bottom of each blind.

4. Then twist the rotating bar all the way in the other direction so the back side of the blinds are facing toward you and repeat.

To clean venetian blinds without a vacuum:

1. Follow the same porocedure as above using a soft, dry cloth instead. Don’t use a wet or oily cloth as this will leave streaks.

2. Another method is to use clean soft gloves (ideally made of cotton) on both hands to dust the surface of each slat.