Cleaning blinds is open-and-shut case

Dear Heloise: We are a military family currently stationed in San Antonio and living in a home with 2-inch faux wood blinds that so badly are in need of a good cleaning. I am not keen on taking them down. I was wondering if you had any ideas or a solution to cleaning these while still hanging. Jenny M., via e-mail

Jenny, faux wood blinds actually are easier to clean than real wood or vinyl blinds. Here are a few hints for weekly and deep cleaning:

•Faux wood blinds can get wet without warping, unlike real wood blinds! Mix up a solution of mild liquid soap and warm water. Use a microfiber cloth and dip in the solution, wring out, then wipe up and down and side to side.

•Turn blinds and clean in one direction, then change and clean in the other direction.

A reminder: October is National Window Covering Safety Month! According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, “more than 200 infants and young children have died from accidentally strangling in window cords” since 1990. Send away for a free kit on how to retrofit older string-style or “loop” blinds to the newer wand style. Just call the Window Covering Safety Council’s toll-free line at 800-506-4636 to order yours today! We all should do our part to make our homes as safe as possible. Heloise

Dear Heloise: My husband and I have been having bad ant problems lately in our kitchen, making a trail from the window to the pantry. We don’t want to use poison because we have two kitties that would definitely get into it.

We found that vinegar does the trick. We just dipped a cotton ball in vinegar and swabbed the areas the ants would go. We haven’t had an ant since. The bonus is that it’s nontoxic to us and our kitties. Gretchen Kennedy, Chantilly, Va.

Yes, wiping the ant trail with vinegar will help “erase” their scent. Vinegar is an item that should be on every pantry shelf! It has zillions of money-saving uses around the house. Don’t know what it can be used for? Just send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (61 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001 to receive a copy of my six-page Fantabulous Vinegar Hints and More that will save you so much money! You can use vinegar to clean chrome fixtures, clay pots and glass, and as a drain cleaner. Heloise

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate