It's been close to half a century since Heloise began dispensing household tips to American housewives. Most everything about women's lives has changed since then, but the messy house is still with us, and luckily, so is Heloise's sage advice: Forget mopping, and forget that your windows haven't seen a squeegee since the Bicentennial. Concentrate on getting rid of surface clutter and you can skip everything else.

Grab a large basket and start tossing stuff in: stacks of newspapers, last night's takeout, the weekend's still-damp workout clothes. Then put flowers — or how about that bamboo? — on the table, straighten the pillows on the couch, and light a couple of scented candles.

For the bathroom, switch off the lights and plant another candle. No one will suspect you haven't washed the floor in a month. The Container Store's foldable mesh cubes ($3 to $10; Large size, $8; www.containerstore.com) are ideal for a quick pickup.