What do you use to dust wood blinds?
What do you use to clean laminate floors.

Joanne
Illinois

If you dust your blinds regularly, you can at least put off the inevitability of having to take them down and wash them with soap and water. For wood blinds, you can use a white cotton glove sprayed with furniture polish to dust them -- running each blind between your fingers. If you have vinyl blinds, you can use a white cotton glove sprayed with window cleaner to dust them -- running each blind between your fingers. You can also use a vacuum with a dust or upholstery brush. Close the blinds all the way and dust the front, then reverse them, close them in the opposite direction, and dust the other side.

When blinds finally need to be washed, forget trying to do it in place. It won't do a thorough job, it stresses the blinds, and it takes forever. And don't try to wash them in the sink or bathtub either. It's too slow and messy. Here's a good method:

1. Take the blind down and find a slanted surface, outside if possible, and lay an old blanket, quilt, rug or dropcloth on it.

2. Let the blind out all the way and make sure all the louvers are flat.

3. Lay the blind on the padding, and mix up a bucket of all-purpose cleaner or ammonia solution.

4. Scrub with a soft brush parallel to the slats, and be sure to get back under the ribbons. Then turn the blind over and do the other side. Use a little powdered (bleaching) cleanser on the ribbons if they aren't coming clean. The cushioning cloth will be soapy by now and help clean the blind, plus protect it from being scratched or dented.

5. Hold the blind up or hang it on a ladder or clothesline and rinse it with a hose.

6. Shake it to get all the water off you can, then let it air-dry the rest of the way and re-hang.

If you have dark-colored blinds and live in a hard-water area, rinsing with a hose will leave spots. You'll have to either use softened water to rinse or blot your blinds dry.

If you'd really like your blinds to look like new -- cords, slats, and all -- without all this effort, look in the Yellow Pages under "Blinds Cleaning" for someone who does ultrasonic cleaning. It's expensive but effective.

For laminate flooring, laminates should be washed with mild liquid or powdered detergents in water. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth. Rinsing is important. Cleaning solution left on laminated surfaces for long periods of time can sometimes permanently etch them.

• recent
• top rated
• most popular

Before following any of the cleaning information, methods, advice or suggestions above, always test a small area that is less visible first. Also, you should consult the manufacturer's care instructions and warnings before trying any of the above. Due to the general nature of the advice in this material, neither Merry Maids, L.P.®, nor its individual franchises assumes any responsibility or accepts liability for any loss, damage or injury, which may be incurred as a result of any action inspired by information, advice or suggestions through this material.