The Clever Way to Tackle Filthy Window Blinds, According to TikTok

My cleaning style can be best described as, well … lazy. Because of this, I leave most of the vacuuming to my Roomba (which is very necessary as a dog mom). I’m all about a cleaning hack that gets the job done easier and faster.

So, when I saw this hack for window blinds from professional cleaner @allisonscleanin, I knew I had to try it. Cleaning blinds can be a pain, but Allison shows us that using a mop can make it much easier. The trick is that Allison says she dedicates one of her mops to just cleaning only window blinds and cabinets. I picked up the O-Cedar mop used in the video and a bottle of Gain Powerblast and got to work.

First, I filled the inner bucket with hot water and a few squirts of the Gain dish spray. I took a Swiffer dry cloth and wiped the dust off the blinds, taking care to clean each individual blind (both sides!) before moving on to the next step. The amount of dust that I collected on the cloth was a little gross, but also so satisfying.

Next, I dipped the spin mop into the soapy water, got rid of the excess water using the convenient foot-activated spinning wringer, and cleaned the blinds. I found it easiest to move the mop in a downward motion on the front of the blinds, and a side to side motion on the back of the blinds.

I also kept the mop handle (which is adjustable) pretty short so that it was easier to wield.

Once I was satisfied with how clean the blinds were, I took another Swiffer dry cloth and dried the blinds thoroughly. This time, the white cloth came out looking perfectly clean.

As far as cleaning hacks go, I’d say this one was pretty successful. That said, the key step is not mentioned in the voiceover of the video. You have to watch pretty carefully to catch it: It’s dusting the blinds, first.

I found that the dusting cloth did much of the heavy lifting, and I could already see a huge difference after simply running it over each individual blind. For good measure, I ran the mop down the length of the blinds, which was fairly quick and easy. The mop technique worked well to break down sticky residue and oil on the blinds. Plus, I made it a point to concentrate heavily on the perimeter of the blinds because that’s where most of the grime and dirt had accumulated.

While you can use just about any mop system, I was most impressed by the O-Cedar bucket that Allison uses in the video — the clever design not only wrings the mop hands-free (and keeps you from making a huge drippy mess), but it also ensures that you’re mopping with clean water every time. I accidentally bought the O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop and Bucket System before realizing that the one in the video is actually the O-Cedar EasyWring Rinse Clean Spin Mop & Bucket. Both models have the hands-free spinning wringer, but the latter uses a two-tank system to separate the clean and dirty water. I’m glad I went back to the store to make the swap.

The video notes that no matter how you clean blinds, “it’s gonna take a minute.” Patience is key here — take your time wiping down the individual blinds with the dry cloth to get into every nook and cranny and be gentle with the mop as you run it over the blinds. I found the process almost meditative and was definitely satisfied with the final results!

How do you clean your dusty kitchen window blinds? Tell us your cleaning strategies in the comments below.