When cleaning the kitchen always start with the sink. "Keep it empty and shining," says Marla Cilley, author of Sink Reflections (Bantam, $15) and creator of www.FlyLady.net, a housekeeping website.

A sparkling sink becomes your kitchen's benchmark for hygiene and tidiness, inspiring you to load the dishwasher immediately and keep counters, refrigerator doors, and the stove top spick-and-span, too.

Every Day

Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).

Wipe down the stove top (one minute).

Wipe down the counters (one minute).

Sweep, Swiffer, or vacuum the floor (two minutes).

Every Week

Mop the floor (five minutes).

Wipe the cabinets, backsplashes, and appliances (10 minutes).

Wash the dish rack (four minutes).

Wipe the switch plates and phone (one minute).

Wipe the inside of the garbage can (one minute).

Every Season

Empty and scrub down the inside of the refrigerator (30 minutes).

Empty and clean the insides of the utensil drawers (15 minutes).

Scrub down the cupboard exteriors (30 minutes).

Clean the stove-hood filter (10 minutes).

Perform "Shiny Sink 101"