Let's face it -- cleaning your blinds and windows is no fun. So the Good Housekeeping Research Institute has come up with "speed-cleaning" time-saving tricks to get the jobs done faster.

De-grime the blinds

Window slats are dust magnets, and you don't want all of that grime to fall onto your windows. You can give aluminum or vinyl blinds a bath -- first check that it's safe to submerge them, or follow these easy (enough) Good Housekeeping steps:

1. Lower your blinds all the way and close the slats.

2. Grip the bottom rail, and wipe slats from side to side with a cloth dampened in a mild detergent solution. Rinse the same way with a clean damp cloth. Reverse the slats, then stand behind each blind. Angle it out in front of you and repeat wiping. Open the slats and allow to dry.

3. What's even faster: Just "dust" them with the soft-brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner. Or try Swiffer's 360 Dusters ($4.29), which you can pass between the open slats to clean both sides at once.

4. To keep blinds cleaner longer, wipe them with a new fabric softener sheet to help repel dust.

Clean windows -- quick

Now that your blinds are clean, you're ready to tackle the windows. Put away the ladder and try these fixes:

The challenge: Dirty sills and frames

The solution: Before going at the glass with the cleaner, pull back the blinds or curtains and open the window. Inspect the sill, frame and tracks for obvious crud and cobwebs. Sweep out debris using the small-handled brush that comes with your dustpan. (Skip this step, and you risk a mess later, since the loose dirt can stick to your wiping towel and smear the glass.) Also handy: a cloth-wrapped screwdriver for flicking out dead bugs or hard-to-reach gunk.

The challenge: Dusty, grimy screens

The solution: If you leave your screens in year-round, give them a once-over now. Otherwise, all that dried-on dirt may blow into your house when you open the windows for ventilation. The good news: You don't need to take down the screens and hose them off. Just run your vacuum with its dusting-brush attachment over the side that faces in. (Side to side, top to bottom is the speediest method.)

The challenge: Spotty, smeared glass

The solution: For windows that tilt in, washing both sides is a cinch. Spray your cleaner on the inside of the glass until it's heavily misted but not drippy. Then, with a clean lint-free cloth, wipe horizontally until dry. Tilt the window the other way; repeat on the outer panes. But this time, wipe vertically, since cleaning in opposite directions makes streaks obvious and easier to zap.

For double-hung windows that don't fold in, slide the bottom pane up about eight inches -- so you can reach out and up. Clean what you can, then slide down the top panel to get it from above.

Windows crank out or don't open at all? Clean the insides, then rinse the outsides with a hose.

Which window cleaners are best?

The Good Housekeeping Research Institute recently tested six popular store-bought window cleaners and one homemade solution to find the top performers. Products were ranked based on soil removal, number of strokes, cleaning speed, linting, price per use, and ease of use. Hope's Perfect Glass was the winner, followed closely behind by Windex Original.

Hope's Perfect Glass $5 for 32 ounces

Windex Original $3.30 for 26 ounces

Mrs. Meyers window spray $5 for 20 ounces

Method window wash $4 for 28 ounces

Glass Cleaner (Sprayway) $2.50 for 19 ounces

Clean Shield $5 for 25 ounces

On another matter

A pool alarm can alert you before an accident turns fatal. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute tested seven pool alarms (they tell you when the water is disturbed) and six gates (installed around your pool, they sound when the gate is opened). The gates all passed, but only four alarms did:

MC International Sensor Espio ($699), RJE Technologies AquaGuard ($495), MG International Swim Alert ($299) and Poolguard PGRM-2 ($260). The remaining three gave false alarms and didn't always register water disturbance: SmartPool PE22 ($180-$200), Driven Designers Pool Patrol PA-30 ($200), and Allweather Pool S.O.S. ($58). The full results are at goodhousekeeping.com/pools.

Recalls alert

The following products and vehicles were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Unless otherwise indicated, discontinue use of the products immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a refund. For more information about the products, call the manufacturer or CPSC's toll-free hotline, (800) 638-2772. Only some cars or trucks recalled are affected. Contact a dealer for your model to see if it is included in the recall. The dealer will tell you what to do.

Little Tikes Chit 'N' Chat Toy Cell Phones (selected models) made by Kids Station Toys Intl. Ltd. and sold at department stores, juvenile product stores and drugstores from June 2006 through March 2008 for about $8 (individually) or $20 (set). The hinge cover can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. Consumers should take the phones away from young children and contact Kids Station Intl. Ltd. to get a free replacement. For more information, call Kids Station at (888) 620-0930 or visit kidsstationtoys.com

2006 Jeep Commander with 4.7L V8 engines The powertrain control module's software may let the engine stall, potentially causing a crash. Dealers will reprogram the software. Call Chrysler at (800) 853-1403.