Finally Found the Best Way to Clean Dusty Blinds—and It’s So Much Faster Than Dusting by Hand

Finally Found the Best Way to Clean Dusty Blinds—and It’s So Much Faster Than Dusting by Hand

When it comes to cleaning, there are certain spots around the house I tend to treat with an out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality. If I can’t actually see the dust or debris, it’s a lot easier for me to justify postponing the cleaning process. One of those dreaded spots? The blinds. 

Dusting each individual slat is tedious and time-consuming—a combination I don’t typically enjoy while cleaning. Fortunately, the internet is full of cleaning hacks, and there’s one expert-approved method that significantly reduces the amount of time it takes to clean the blinds. It involves just one trusty kitchen utensil: a pair of tongs.

After speaking with a cleaning expert, I tested the hack myself to see if it lived up to the social media hype. Here’s how the method works, plus tips and tricks from a professional to make the process even easier. 

How to Clean Your Blinds Using Tongs

The preparation for this viral hack couldn’t be simpler. To get started, follow the steps below:

1. Grab a pair of tongs. Keep in mind that a smaller pair may work better, depending on your blinds. 
2. Wrap them using microfiber cloths, wipes, or even an old pair of socks. Secure each side with a rubber band.
3. Surround the slat, making sure the tongs are pressed against the top and bottom.
4. Slide across each slat while clamping the tongs to collect dust from both sides simultaneously.

“Using tongs wrapped with microfiber cloths lets you clean both sides of a blind slat at the same time, which cuts the cleaning time in half. It's especially useful for horizontal blinds where dust tends to settle on top of each slat,” says Becky Rapinchuk, cleaning expert and founder of Clean Mama.

How It Worked

I gave the method a go in my bedroom, where I have two large windows with blinds. The pair of tongs I used happened to be on the smaller side, which actually worked well for squeezing around each slat. I wrapped a microfiber cloth around each side, securing each one with a hair tie. 

Because of how bulky the microfiber cloths looked when wrapped around the tongs, I was worried they might not fit around each slat. However, I was able to clamp the tongs around each slat and slide from one side to the other with ease.

After cleaning just a few slats, I could already see how much dust was collecting on my microfiber cloths. Depending on how dusty your blinds are, I recommend wiping dust into the trash periodically or keeping extra cloths or wipes nearby to swap out as needed. Even including the time it took to clear the dust off between slats, I was able to get through each window in under 10 minutes—which may be a personal record. 

Pro Tips for Cleaning Your Blinds

The tong method is fairly self-explanatory, but there are a few pro tips to keep in mind that will make the process even easier. 

Use Rubber Bands: “Secure the cloths to the tongs with rubber bands so they don't slip while you're working,” says Rapinchuk.

Apply All-Purpose Cleaner: Take this method to the next level by spraying all-purpose cleaner onto the blinds or onto your microfiber cloths before wiping down each slat. 

Clean Top to Bottom: “Start at the top and work your way down so you're not re-depositing dust onto already-cleaned slats,” says Rapinchuk.