Dusting your blinds and shades is probably chore that you don't often check off your list. But it really only takes 30 minutes a month to clear your conscience — and your view. Here's how to keep all kinds of window treatments looking their best. (Just one caveat: For shades in delicate fabrics like silk, contact the retailer or manufacturer. Some should be professionally cleaned.)1. Honeycombs (cellular shades) These insulating window treatments are a hot pick for their energy efficiency, but they have a secret cleaning advantage, too. "Honeycombs are so easy to clean. Just use the dusting tool on your vacuum," says Carolyn Forte, the director of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute Home Appliance and Cleaning Products department. "Give them a once-over on low suction, and you're done." After dusting, most stains can be lightly blotted with a sponge, lukewarm water, and mild dish detergent.2. When you buy Romans — whether they're flat, pleated, or draped with swags — clean as our experts do.

Use your vacuum's soft dusting brush attachment on low suction, or gently go over the shades with a handheld vac fitted with the brush attachment. If necessary, spot-clean any stains with a cloth dipped in mild suds. rinse and blot dry.3. Trendy translucent window shadings (which you can adjust to diffuse the light) look delicate but are fashioned from sturdy, knitted polyester. Vacuum with the brush attachment on the lowest suction setting.RELATED: 10 Things You're Forgetting to Clean »4. The classic roller shade now comes in a wide range of fabrics and textures. All most need is a light once-over with your vacuum's soft brush tool and maybe a little spot cleaning. To clean classic vinyl roller shades, use a well-wrung cloth or sponge dipped in a solution of mild dishwashing detergent and lukewarm water and wipe the shade in sections. Start at the bottom, and continue working (washing and rinsing) upward until the entire shade is clean. Leave the shade fully extended to dry.You can also give really dingy vinyl shades a bath.

Cover them in warm water in the bathtub and add several squirts of mild dishwashing soap. Using a soft brush, clean the shades on both sides. Rinse, allow to air-dry, and re-hang.5. Dust these with a hand-held vacuum brush on a low setting and spot-treat dirty areas with lukewarm water and a mild dish detergent. Dab, don't rub, the fabric.6. Durable panels for large doors or windows are low-maintenance — glide your vacuum dust-brush tool over the panels to keep them fresh.7. electrolux cordless vacuum cleaner reviewsWood and faux wood blindsvacuum cleaner mini attachment kit Treat these blinds like wood furniture. consumer magazine best vacuum cleanerDust with a soft, clean cloth, chemically treated dust cloth, or dusting glove.

Lower the blind to full length, tilt the slats to an almost closed position, hold the bottom rail, and dust. Then reverse the slats and repeat. You can also dampen (don't saturate) a microfiber cloth with warm water and wipe the slats to get rid of stubborn dirt. Then, open the slats and allow to air-dry.NEXT: Win the Battle Against Mildew » Your laminate may resemble hardwood planks or natural-stone tile, but you still need to care for it as a laminate. The good news: Very few things will harm a laminate floor, says Bill Dearing, president of the North American Laminate Flooring Association. After all, the planks are constructed in sun- and light-resistant layers to maintain a like-new appearance for years. That said, it’s important to keep water from getting underneath the planks. Dearing recommends dry mopping or vacuuming the floor, making sure the machine is on tile mode (as opposed to carpet) so the beater bar is raised. Spot-clean with a slightly damp mop (or a wet Swiffer, since they aren’t sopping wet) when necessary.

Dearing’s last bit of advice: Never polish a laminate floor. If the finish of a plank looks damaged, it’s best to replace it. 2Cleaning a Cork Floor The same quality that makes this natural material so beautiful—its porosity—makes it very susceptible to water damage. Because it’s so absorbent, most cork flooring is sealed, but you still need to proceed with caution. “Vacuum often to prevent scratching, wipe up spills immediately, and wash cork floors once a week,” says Leslie Reichert, the Green Cleaning Coach. Reichert suggests skipping commercial cleaning products in favor of a vinegar-and-soapy-water solution: Place 1/4 cup vinegar in a spray bottle with 1 drop of dish soap and warm water. Naturally acidic vinegar works with the soap to break down dirt, cut through build-up and disinfect. Don’t shake the solution (that would create suds), just gently combine the ingredients in a spray bottle by rocking it back and forth. Spray the floor a section at a time and wipe with a damp microfiber mop as you go.

3Cleaning a Hardwood Floor Hardwood floors typically have one of two finishes: polyurethane or wax. Not sure what you’re standing on? Rub your finger across the surface, says Meg Roberts, president of Molly Maid. If a smudge appears, the floor is likely waxed. Sealed wood floors typically have a urethane, polyurethane, or polyacrylic coating. This protects them from stains and water damage, says Roberts. To clean, simply mix ¼ cup of mild or pH-neutral soap (try Seventh Generation All-Purpose Natural Cleaner Concentrate) with water in a bucket. (Steer clear of acidic vinegar solutions, which can dull wood floors over time.) Then damp-mop (be sure the mop is wrung out very well), using a dry microfiber cloth to wipe up any excess moisture. Clean high-traffic areas like the kitchen once a week; for less-trafficked areas, mop once a month. If you have waxed wood floors, you’re off the hook—sort of. Since this type of flooring can be damaged by even small amounts of water, keep damp mops away from this surface, and instead sweep, dust mop or vacuum regularly.

Bamboo is sustainable, beautiful—and in some cases, softer and more prone to nicks and scratches than hardwood floors. Unless you have strand bamboo flooring—the hardest, most durable type available—be extra vigilant about regularly sweeping up dirt and debris. “Especially with the expense of bamboo, extra care should be used,” says Roberts, who uses a tennis ball to gently buff out marks. She uses the same cleaning solution on bamboo as on hardwood: mix ¼ cup of mild or pH-neutral soap in one bucket of water. Swipe across floor using a barely-damp mop, wiping up excess moisture with a dry microfiber cloth. 5Cleaning a Linoleum Floor We’re not talking nearly-indestructible vinyl flooring (see the next section for tips on cleaning that surface). True linoleum is made from linseed oil, resin, limestone, wood fiber and cork dust, and colored with mineral pigments. Treat this resilient, natural flooring as you would cork, advises Reichert: Mix up a spray bottle of just a few drops of dish soap and hot water, then spritz a section of the floor at a time and wipe with a damp microfiber mop.

The floor should air-dry almost immediately, but if it feels slightly sticky to the touch just swipe it with another clean, damp microfiber mop or cloth. 6Cleaning a Vinyl Floor For weekly cleaning, use Reichert’s spritz-and-dry mop technique to keep tile floors looking fresh: Gently mix 1/4 cup vinegar in a 16-ounce spray bottle with 1 drop of dish soap and warm water. Spray the floor one section at a time and wipe with a damp microfiber mop as you go. For periodic deep cleans, she likes to use a steam cleaner to clean both tile and grout—the steam does the work of removing stains (and bacteria!), so you don’t feel like you got an extra workout right there in your kitchen. 7Cleaning Natural Stone Flooring Whatever you do, leave the vinegar in the pantry, warns Kris Koenig, CEO of eco-friendly cleaning company Natura Clean, in Middleton, Wiss. Even a small amount of the acidic liquid could damage stone floors, as could bleach and ammonia. Instead, mop sealed stone floors with a pH-neutral, non-chelating cleaner that won’t react adversely to the minerals in natural surfaces.