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Britain might have got a battering from Storm Katie early this week, but the clocks have gone forward and that means spring has sprung. It's time to get out the marigolds and give your home a thorough spring clean. But when you’re washing your windows, don’t forget about your window blinds – they need a spring clean too. Here are our top window blind cleaning tips to help you out with your spring clean.

Cleaning Venetian Blinds

Venetian blinds look attractive, but they can easily collect dust. When light cleaning with a feather duster or a special venetian slat cleaning brush isn’t enough, it might be time for a deep clean. Taking down your venetian blinds to soak in a bathtub with cleaning solution and hot water for half an hour – and then rinsing them with water – is a bit of an undertaking, but if you make it part of your spring cleaning routine, your venetian blinds will look fantastic all year round.

Cleaning Vertical Blinds

Vertical blinds add a touch of sophistication to any home, but they can be tricky to wash. Regular dusting and gentle vacuuming with a brush attachment (make sure to vacuum in downward strokes, or you could accidentally unhook your vertical blinds) should keep them in good condition. Vertical blinds can fray easily, so if yours are machine washable (check the care label) make sure you wash them in a delicate cycle at no more than 30 degrees, and put them in an empty pillow case to protect them. If they aren’t, hand wash them in warm water with a mild non-bio detergent. Allow your vertical blinds to dry naturally, lying them flat so they don’t shrink or stretch.

Cleaning Roller Blinds

Roller blinds are a simple and practical window dressing, and most of the time they won’t need much more than a gentle vacuum. Whether or not you can wash them depends on the fabric they’re made of, so make sure to check the care label. If you can’t soak them in a bathtub of warm water and fabric detergent, then you’ll need to spot clean any stains with a sponge or toothbrush – again, with warm water and detergent. Rinse with clean water and remember to dry flat whenever you give your roller blinds a thorough spring clean.

Cleaning Roman Blinds

Roman blinds are fairly easy to clean. Follow the same rules as roller blinds: check the fabric care label before you do anything, and spot clean if you can’t give them a soak. That said, it’s worth taking them to the dry cleaner, as the outer fabric and the lining can shrink at different rates as they dry. Make sure to unpick the plastic or metal dowels if you give your roman blinds a deep spring clean, as they are sewn into the lining. If your roman blinds are creased after cleaning, give them a once-over with an iron or a steam cleaner.