How to clean mini-blinds - easily?

[Lindaloo]

You would not believe the dust and dirt a ceiling fan can deposit on the ceiling and walls. I remember a long time ago, one of my pictures fell off the wall. I saw a perfect clean square where the picture was. I was floored at how dirty the walls were. Not anymore. lol.

My sister smokes and I know she cleans, because her house is always spotless. Well, I helped her move from Newan, GA to Pascagoula. All of her procelain figurines, furniture, appliances smelled like nicotine. I helped her get everything set up in her new home here. But first, I showed her a few things. She went postal on how dirty her stuff was. She said "YOU MEAN THAT THING IS WHITE?" lol. Even her computer was yellow/brown. So, now she pays attention to detail.

I am not a clutter person either.

Don't get me wrong, I do not walk into someones house, then tell them they need to clean. I figured since she was my sister, I could. lol. My Mother is the same way as me. My Dad is a perfectionist.

[angelwing]

I didn't know I married one till it was too late, lol! Nah I really don't mind, my mom was the same way, but gee, even she wouldn't do fall cleaning *every* time you clean, it's a little extreme!

As for smoking, when the hubby was let out of the hospital last year, he had worn the patch already for 2 weeks so he went from a 4 pack/day to nothing so I had to clean EVERYTHING..all the clothes had to be rewashed, all the closets emptied and cleaned out, the furniture was washed inside & out and the nictotine!!! OMG, we thought we got it good last time, (it was only like a month prior)it was horrendous!
I still smoke, but I refuse to do it in the apartment.

[Lindaloo]

I do not do fall or spring cleaning everytime. I really clean stuff you can't see once a month.

I tell you, if you do smoke it is always best to go outside.

[Miss Mary]

My husband's cousin is a First Grade teacher and she cleans each week, but in that week, out of all her oh 6 or 8 rooms, one gets a thorough cleaning - windows, cobwebs, cold air return, under furniture, spot cleaning on the carpet, etc. She keeps a rotating schedule so each room in her house, gets this deep down cleaning every 6 or 8 weeks. She doesn't have to spring or fall clean the whole house that way. She said she read this tip in a women's magazine and is so glad she started cleaning this way. It does make sense.

Recent replies reminded me of her cleaning methods.

My main problem is health related. My former energy level never returned after I had cancer 7 years ago. I seem to pick up colds easily and just drag a lot. Even though I take vitamins and get my rest, I just do not have the energy I once did. It is just gone! So I'd need a miracle (or my daughter's ADD meds, just kidding, don't worry I won't pull a Lynette from Desperate Housewives!!!).

Mary

[JenBayles]

I have china hutch that is about 75 years old - belonged to my grandparents and then went to my mother for many years. She and Dad were heavy smokers at the time and when I assumed ownership around 1989, I was appalled at what I was getting off the thing. I've tried various concoctions on it over the years and it still yields up tons of nicotine. Methinks I'll just need to have it refinished one of these days. It's solid maple so it's dark enough the nicotine isn't obvious, but I still know it's there. Thank goodness I learned to take the smokes outside way back when. Can't imagine what it would be like now.

[Lindaloo]

I inherited an antique Grandfather clock. The value of it today is almost 100,000 dollars. I would not part with it because of the sentimental value. I thought I was going to have to have it refinished too. I dilluted some bleach and Murphy's oil soap. The nicotine plus other embedded oils that was used in the past seemed to roll off that clock. I waited a day or two then repeated the dilluting. Nothing came off on my cloth. That thing was shining like a new dime. I then used Murphy's Oil to get some moisture back into it.

Now, no one told me it would cost so much to get it chiming again. lol. When it chimes (Westminster) I promise it sounds just like you are in Church.

[Stephanie]

I'm going to have to try the bleach and the Murphy's oil soap on my cabinets. They are not solid wood but they are that light oak that almost looks white-washed. I've used Murphy's oil soap on them and they just never seem to come clean enough. The areas around the handles are still darker than the rest, etc.

[JenBayles]

Lindaloo - what's the dilution ratio of the bleach and Murphy's? Do you add anything else like water to it? I've got 3 other pieces that I inherited from heavy indoor smokers that need the same treatment, and it sounds like you're on to something good. By the way, that clock of yours sounds absolutely gorgeous! I take it that it's a family heirloom type of thing?

[alicia-w]

we just took ours down, hung them outside, sprayed them with a solution of ammonia and water, let it sit a bit, hosed them down again and let them dry in the sun...

[Lindaloo]

Lindaloo - what's the dilution ratio of the bleach and Murphy's? Do you add anything else like water to it? I've got 3 other pieces that I inherited from heavy indoor smokers that need the same treatment, and it sounds like you're on to something good. By the way, that clock of yours sounds absolutely gorgeous! I take it that it's a family heirloom type of thing?

It is a family heirloom. Dates back to the early 1900's.

Fill a bowl with pure hot water. Add about 1/2 cup bleach and a 1/2 cup soap. You really have to judge that one by yourself, but that is what I used. Just do not use more bleach than that though because the wood wants to turn white and stay that way for a while. It is not ruined however.

Alice, I wanted to do that but the antique dealer said that the wood will swell if it is heavily watered down. It would be like baking it.

[JenBayles]

Oh Linda, that clock sounds just beautiful! I'm amazed you were willing to test the bleach solution on it, and very happy it worked so well. Next time I have a yen to do some deep cleaning, I'll give it a try. It amazes me how much nicotine just soaks into wood, and the elbow grease required to get it out.

[Lindaloo]

Do not use an off brand bleach either. Do you know that off brand bleach is stronger than Clorox? Use a rag to apply the mixture and do not soak it (the wood). Forgot to mention that.

[Cookiely]

I spread vinyl plastic on the driveway, take down all the blinds, mix some soap and bleach and scrub them. Then I take the hose to them and hang them on a fence to dry. Then rehang them. It sounds time consuming but its really easier than doing them hanging up and doing one slat at a time. Also, the strings don't get clean if you do them hanging up, but doing them outside the strings get clean and white. The downside is you get pretty wet doing this job, but the kid in me loved splashing and spraying with the hose. I also cleaned the garbage cans while I was at it.

[GalvestonDuck]

Now the real question is how to clean many blinds.

[Miss Mary]

Duckie - yep, mine are all a mess but they are 17 years old now. I need to replace them, room by room. Hopefully over the next 6 months I will be able to afford to. I just raised them when we hosted TG dinner. And since it was sunny and in the 50s, there wasn't a need to lower them. In fact, we had to open a few windows, it was so stuffy.

[Tennesseestorm]

We have a neighbor that used to clean hers with a pressure washer.... I think she blew one apart however.