2 cleaning questions

[MommyofSeven]

These aren't really kitchen questions, but I didn't know where else to post them!

 

Because I've always had kids, whenever I've moved into a place with mini blinds, I always take them down immediately, put them into bags, and put them on top closet shelves, then put them back up when we moved out, to avoid them being damaged. I've never had to clean them. Here, because the rules are so strict, we have to keep the blinds on the windows. Today, while cleaning windows, I sprayed a blind with glass cleaner. The dust/dirt/gunk liquified, then when I tried to wipe it off, it wouldn't go anywhere. HELP?!?! How do I clean these?

 

Second question...The inside big door has screws in the window frame. The window gets condensation on it in winter if I so much as boil a small pot of water. I now have rust over interior latex paint. Any idea how to get this off without damaging the paint? Bleach didn't work.

 

Don't get me started on the condensation issue. When I brought it up to management, I was told I must be doing something wrong to have so much condensation. Apparently I need to stop cooking. I can't put plastic on my windows because mold grows on the window sills. Boy, I can't wait to move LOL.

 

Thanks, Ladies!

 

Mo7

[Nana]

I clean my mini blinds in a bath tub in straight hot water, vinegar & baking soda. A scrub brush and a kid should be able to handle it once they soak a bit.

 

Once they're clean, open them up on old towels on the floor and dry them by hand. Other than that, I go buy new ones.

 

Good luck!

[Teaberry]

Mommy, I'm sorry I can't help much, but I can commiserate. I once lived in a house where condensation caused mold on the wooden window sills and it was a real irritating problem. The guy who built the house failed to use a vapor barrier underneath the concrete slab so moisture got in the house more easily. We lived in a really cold climate. I used diluted bleach on the sills which helped for a short time.

 

I wonder if you call one of those mold remediation companies if they could give some tips on this. It could be you've got a mold problem in your apartment in which case they should be able to tell to some degree. Rust forms when there is moisture and it sure sounds like there's a lot of moisture in the air of your home.

 

Also, if you check with other renters in your apartment it would sure be interesting to see if they have the same problems.

 

My hairdresser told me recently that she takes her blinds off her windows and places them in a tub full of water with some suds. She lets them soak a bit, swishes them and then takes them out to dry. I've not done it yet, but I may try it with one set of blinds next spring.

[MommyofSeven]

I will put them in the tub after dinner. Sure will be great to get them all done at once!

 

Moisture, yes. We live in a dry environment, high desert. However, due to the temp inversion once you get inside, mold is an issue if the wrong insulation is used. Because this is gov't housing, the gov't sent specialists in last year (they do this to a percentage of all of their apartment complexes each year, last year was our year) to evaluate our "needs" as far as energy issues go. I was PRAYING for a cold day so they would see the condensation issues. Sure enoug, I got my wish. They spent about an hour in my apartment. However, there has been absolutely no follow up. That could be due to a number of factors, the top one being that, if they do decide they need to go in and "fix" these multiple problems (yes, other renters have them, too), they have to house us somewhere. The closest available gov't housing is 30 mins away and in another school district. They would have to not only get us housed there in comparable cquarters, but also transport our children to school. Most of the families here work in the town where the housing is, so no one's work would be disturbed, but the transportation issue for the kids is a big one. If the waiting list there is as long as it is here, there is no way they can put us there. The other option is to put us up in a motel, but what they would probably pay for, I won't live in, and I'm sure others feel as I do. So, to be fair, they are between a rock and a hard place.

 

Thanks, Ladies!

 

Mo7

[Teaberry]

Sounds like a quandary with some stress thrown in! I'll pray tonight that God opens a door for you and that this thing get fixed.

[MommyofSeven]

OK...I will say that soaking them in the tub loosened up a significant amount of the dirt, judging from what I scrubbed out of my tub. I put some ajax with bleach in there. The water was immediately dirty. However, I still had to take them outside and wash them down with a scrub brush, then rinse. So it helped. I won't be doing this again. Over the next year I will buy new ones that will be kept in the package and up, then put them on the windows just prior to inspection. Afterwards I'll put the old ones up again\, until we move out, at which point the nice ones will go up.

 

For the rust, I used the same ajax with bleach, mixed with water to form a paste, and one of those green scrubies. Not a brillo pad, but the scrubbie. I had to let it sit, and use some elbow grease, but I got it off without damaging the paint.

 

It was good to get one of the hardest and most dreaded jobs (the blinds) crossed off my list! Thanks, Ladies!

 

Mo7

[Phatkat1956]

I'm so sorry that I didn't see this post earlier, one thing I learned in the restaurant business was the power of a car wash. The screened vents are horrible to try an scrub clean, but a trip to the local coin operated pressure car wash does the job easily. It will also work on your blinds, but you need some help to hold them down flat and turn them over to do both sides, but it is the quickest method that I know of.

[Jamica]

I know I'm late as well on this post , but have you considered a dehumidifier.... I think I spelled that rite??? My mom is deathly alergic to dust and she lived in an old house with a basement that stayed moist. She had a bad problem with mold and she got one and she pulled out a gallon of water a day from the air. I know that the housing complex that you're at should fix the problem though, that could really make you sick. I only hope that they have fixed the problem by now, I know they take there time though. I have lived in low cost housing before, and getting them to do anything was like pulling teeth.

[MommyofSeven]

We live in the high desert in Colorado...in the winter we hover around 6% humidity...the humidity in the house is only an issue when I'm cooking...which, is daily, but I'm afraid if we plugged in a dehu when I wasn't cooking we'd end up cracking windows and such.

 

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

Mo7

[Lilly]

If it were Summer I would suggest you take the mini blinds outside, lay them across a lawn chair and use some of that windex cleaner that you attach to your hose. It works great on blinds. In the cooler months, I also clean mine n the tub. I use dishwashing detergent. To keep them clean after you clean them go over them with a Swiffer or microfiber cloth at least once a month.

 

As for the rust, I know lemon and salt take rust off of fabric, but I don't know if it would work on paint.