(Image credit: Abby Stone) Looking for help remembering to clean those "forgotten" areas of the home that have a huge impact on your space looking and feeling clean? Well we've got today's assignment to tackle: Blinds! They're a common element in many homes that we tend to leave off of our regular cleaning to-do lists. Take an hour (or less!) of time to tackle today. We've got a little info to get you started on cleaning the most common types of blinds, plus some tips to keep them clean and establish a cleaning schedule. Even if you did a good clean of your blinds during the January Cure, it's time to establish a habit that will keep this part of your home tidy all year long. (And of course, if you regularly clean them, they'll never get so gross it requires an intense cleaning). Plastic or aluminum blinds: Dirt level: A little dusty You can attack slightly dusty blinds easily and quickly with a Swiffer type dusting tool or an ostrich feather duster tool that will go in and out of the blind slats, grabbing the dust and (hopefully) not distributing it to another area of your home.

Start from the top and travel to the bottom. Start from convex side facing you, and don't forget to flip your blinds and dust the concave side. Dirt level: Very dusty Switch to the vacuum if your blinds are incredibly dusty. Then move to wet wipes or eco-friendly sprays and microfiber cloths. Or try the glove method. From an Apartment Therapy reader: "I use cotton gardening gloves. Put them on, get them damp, and run your fingers along the slats. For the greasy shades, spray them with the cleaning product of your preference." Dirt level: Kids, pets, cigarette smoke or cooking grease filmy If your blinds aren't just dusty but are accompanied by a film or stains, you'll have to get a little extra tough. We suggest the bathtub method: Taking your blinds down to soak in a few inches of warm water plus dish soap and vinegar in your bathtub for an hour or so. You should be able to wash the stains and film off easier after a soak. Then, just lightly towel off and hang to dry.

(Image credit: Abby Stone) These blinds can get really filthy, especially being so close to the floor. Use eco-friendly cleaners and microfiber wipes to clean these and consider putting towels underneath to catch any grimy drips. It might serve you to take each one down individually, lay across some towels, and spray and let soak before cleaning, so as not to bend them while trying to clean them while hanging. (I'll personally be tackling this task this weekend as mine are so gross.)Any stains should be spot-cleaned with a fabric stain cleaner (after you've done a test on a small corner, first), rinsed with water and blotted with a towel to allow to air dry. Consider adding a wood cleaner to your regimen to help attract dust and keep it away, and avoid strong cleaning chemicals. Plastic blinds can withstand a lot, but wooden blinds could be discolored. Do a test first. Keep your window blinds clean longer: Periodically wipe them down with used dryer sheets. The anti-static properties of the product will actually help to repel dust and dirt.

Set up a routine: If you use dryer sheets in your laundry, make it habit of dusting one set of blinds with some used sheets (or any cleaning method you choose) once a week. Or, add the blinds to your vacuuming or dusting schedule if you haven't already to keep them clean throughout the year. More info to help you clean those blinds: How do you tackle cleaning your blinds? Do you have a regular way of cleaning them that keeps them looking good all year long? best vacuum cleaners for hardwood floors 2014Or do you frequently forget and then have to do a mega-clean every once in awhile?best carpet cleaning service dallas tx33 CleaningCleaning Tips TricksClever CleaningCleaning ThingsHomemade CleaningSpring CleaningCleaning SolutionsCleaning IdeasCleaning ProductsForwardClean blinds with an old sock. best vacuum cleaner 2015 australia

37 Deep Cleaning Tips Every Obsessive Clean Freak Should Know1. “My windows always streak after washing” Use a window-washing squeegee with a smooth, soft rubber edge. Washing windows is a tiresome chore, but it’s even worse when your labors leave streaks on the windows. Here’s how the pros avoid streaking when they wipe off their windows:Use a window-washing squeegee with a smooth, soft rubber edge. best stick vacuum cleaners uk(Or use crumpled-up black-and-white newspaper—avoid the color sections.) best vacuum cleaners 2015 for hardwood floorsDry a 1-inch (2.5 centimeter) strip at the top or side of each window and always start your squeegee there—starting on dry glass is one key to avoiding streaks. best vacuum cleaners 2015 for hardwood floors

Don’t wash windows in direct sunlight, because quickly dried glass is more susceptible to streaking. Evenings or cloudy day sare the times for window washing. 2. “My blinds are dust magnets!” Use an antiseptic spray. To keep dust from piling up quickly, use an antistatic spray, such as Static Guard, on the window blinds right after you clean them. 3. “There’s mildew on my window frames” Wash with a bleach-detergent solution. Black or gray mildew spots on wooden frames can be cleaned for good with a solution of 2 ounces (60 milliliters) of household bleach and 1 ounce (30 milliliters)of laundry detergent in a quart of water. Wearing rubber gloves to protect your hands, sponge the solution on the spots, let it sit for ten minutes, and then rinse thoroughly with clean water. 4. “My outside windowsills get dirty so quickly” Apply a coat of floor wax. Because your exterior windows are exposed to the elements, they are subject to collecting a lot of dirt.

But there is a simple way to keep your sills clean: Wipe on a coat of clear floor wax to protect them. 5. “My shades are filthy” Dust or wash the shades. Dust shades regularly with a soft cloth, a duster such as the Swiffer, or the dusting brush on your vacuum. (Be sure to dust both sides of the shades.) If they’re stained or spotted, it’s time for a real cleaning. Though you can wash them in place (with a drop cloth over the floor and furniture), it’s best to remove the shades. Place one shade at a time across a worktable covered with a plastic sheet or shower curtain. Wash vinyl shades using a sponge and a solution of 1⁄4 cup white vinegar in 1 quart (1 liter) of warm water. Washing them in the bathtub is even easier. Run some warm water in the tub, add a squirt of dishwashing liquid, and wipe each side with a large sponge. To rise, dunk them in clean water or hold them under the shower. Then wipe with a clean, soft cloth.Many fabric shades can also be washed, but take a close look at the care instructions before washing them.

It’s best not to leave them in the water for more than a minute or so. 6. “My windows get dirty too fast” Change your heating and cooling system’s filter. If the interior glass surface of your windows gets dirty unusually fast, you may need to change the filters on your furnace or air conditioner. Modern airtight homes trap more dust, pollen, dander, and other particles inside than ever before. Furnace and air-conditioner filters help trap that dirt and also extend the life of your appliances. Filters should be changed every month or two or anytime you can’t see light through the filter when you hold it up to a light. 7. “Secondhand smoke is killing my windows” Wash it with ammonia solution. To remove nicotine film or other grime from windows, you need ammonia. Mix 1 cup of lemon scented ammonia in 21⁄2 gallons (9.5 liters) of water and use this solution to clean the windows. The ammonia will cut through the grime, and the lemon scent will leave your house habitable.