How to clean Roman blinds

Product Manager

Written: 22/11/2019

Updated: 16/03/2023

Find out the easiest and fastest way to clean your fabric Roman blinds

Keep your Roman blind looking clean and fresh with our easy to follow cleaning guide. Discover the best and simplest methods for regular cleaning and get expert advice on effective stain removal.

Here, you'll learn how to:

- Remove dust and debris from your Roman blind using the upholstery attachment of your vacuum

- Smooth out creases or wrinkles with a steamer

- Spot treat stubborn stains with a damp cloth or fabric stain remover

Watch our step-by-step guide

Our easy to follow guide gives you plenty of simple cleaning tips and techniques to keep your Roman blind looking great for longer. You can follow these simple steps to clean a Voile Roman blind too. Take a look to learn more.

1. Lightly vacuum to remove dust and debris

To prevent dust from collecting on your Roman blind, we suggest cleaning using the soft brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner. This is a small, flathead brush with a row of short bristles, great for cleaning fabric surfaces like blinds as well as mattresses and sofas.

Close your blind fully and use the upholstery attachment to carefully brush the fabric in a downwards motion until you have vacuumed the whole of the blind surface.

Work in a downwards motion from top to bottom, paying particular attention to the bottom and side edges, where dust may gather.

2. Steam cleaning Roman blinds

If your Roman blind becomes creased or wrinkled, you can lightly steam it using a hand-held steamer. For velvet fabrics, steam on the lining side only.

Use the very lowest temperature steam setting, hold the attachment well back from the fabric and move it lightly and briskly so you’re not hovering over one spot.

3. Treat any stains

If your Roman blind becomes marked or stained, first try to remove the stain using a clean, damp cloth. Gently rub the affected area with the cloth until the stain begins to lift.

To clean more greasy stains, you may need to try spot cleaning using a specialist fabric stain remover or gentle detergent.

If you ever need to clean mould off your Roman blind, brush with a stiff brush or spot treat with a specialist fabric detergent.

Always check that the product you are using is appropriate for your Roman blind fabric and make sure you follow the manufacturer instructions for removing the stain. Test a small, inconspicuous area of your blind fabric first if in doubt.

Serene Wasabi in a white room with a cream sofa on the left and a wardrobe with a dress hanging up on the right

4. Get your blind cleaned professionally

We don’t recommend machine washing any of our Roman blinds, but many of our fabrics are able to be dry cleaned.

Look out for the dry clean symbol on our fabric swatches, but do always check with your local dry cleaning company before taking your blinds down.

Keep your Roman blind looking clean and fresh with our ‘how to…’ cleaning guide. Discover the best and simplest methods for regular cleaning and get expert advice on effective stain removal.

Roman blinds look beautiful at your window and are most suitable for rooms with light usage such as bedrooms, hallways, living rooms and dining areas, where you want to incorporate your window dressing into your interior design scheme.

They’re also easy to maintain with light, regular cleaning, without the need to take them down from your windows.

Lightly vacuum the blind to remove dust and debris

The easiest way to keep your Roman blind clean and dust free is by using a vacuum cleaner with a specialist upholstery attachment. Open your blind fully and, using the upholstery attachment, carefully brush the fabric in a downwards motion until you have vacuumed the whole of the blind surface. Pay special attention to the bottom and side edges of the blind. These attract the most dust as they are in regular contact with your window sill and frame.

View Roman blinds

Treat any stains on your Roman blinds

If your Roman blind does get stained, first try to remove the stain using a clean, damp cloth. Gently rub the affected area with the cloth until the stain begins to lift.

For more stubborn stains, you may need to apply a specialist fabric stain remover. There are many suitable stain removal products on the market. Always check that the product you are using is appropriate for your Roman blind fabric and make sure you follow the manufacturer instructions for removing the stain. One thing to be wary of when using a stain remover is that you may end up with a clean spot on your blind which is significantly lighter than the rest of your blind fabric.

someone vacuuming the underside of a roman blind

View Roman blinds

Professional cleaning

We do not recommend machine washing any of our Roman blinds. However, many of our fabrics are dry clean only. Look out for the dry clean symbol on our fabric swatches, but do always check with your local dry cleaning company before taking your blinds down.