The last step in your house-cleaning routine, after you've dusted, disinfected, and scrubbed. The surfaces are clean, and now comes the fun part, the reward for all your hard work: a little polish and the whole house sparkles.

The Basic Tools

Dishwashing liquid. "A dollar's worth of Joy will clean your windows for the rest of your life," says cleaning authority and author Don Aslett Don Aslett.

Microfiber cloth. The all-purpose, reusable wonder cloth does more than just dust. It buffs and shines, too.

The Basic Rules

Work from the outside in. On appliances, mirrors, and windows, clean around the edges, and work toward the center.

Dry thoroughly. Surfaces will shine more brilliantly if you dry them immediately after you clean them.

Avoid abrasives. Steel wool and gritty cleansers, such as Comet and Ajax, can scratch stainless-steel and chrome finishes.

Safeguard your surfaces. Many of your cleaning standbys, such as ammonia, bleach, and vinegar, can dull and even corrode chrome and stainless steel. Olive oil and WD-40, however, do double-duty as shining agents for stainless steel, according to Paul Leuthe of the Sub-Zero/Wolf Appliance Company. To bring a renewed shine to wood furniture, try Earth Friendly Products furniture polish ($5, ), which contains olive and orange oils.

Polishing Stainless Steel

Regularly: A streak-free stainless appliance is the gold standard of a clean kitchen. When you're polishing one, you're really oiling the finish. Wipe with the grain, which typically runs vertically (up and down) on refrigerators and horizontally (left to right) on smaller appliances. While many scratches aren't removable, you can wipe away fingerprints with a stainless-steel cleanser and a microfiber cloth.

When Needed: Sometimes kitchen cleansers don't take care of tough corners, like where the edge of the sink meets the counter. Marla Cilley, author of Sink Reflections (Bantam, $10.50, www.amazon.com), suggests taking a blunt blade, such as a butter knife, and cleaning around the rim of the sink "just like you would clean dirt from under your fingernails."

Polishing Chrome

Regularly: Dab bathroom and kitchen fixtures dry daily with a microfiber cloth to prevent water and mineral deposits. "The best way to keep chrome shiny is to blot it dry," says Mirjam Lippuner Konsek of Kohler, which makes bathroom and kitchen faucets and sinks.

When Needed: Use the soft side of a wet 3M sponge (the abrasive side can scratch chrome) or a microfiber cloth. Rinse using a spray bottle. Wipe dry with a microfiber cloth. For the ultimate shine, try a mixture of cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide on a clean rag. Rinse and wipe dry as usual.

Shining Mirrors

Regularly: Using a circular motion and a microfiber cloth or paper towels, wipe down mirrors with Perfect Glass cleaner ($5, ), which doesn't leave streaks behind.

When Needed: "To remove sticky substances like hair spray and toothpaste, use hot water and a microfiber cloth," says Tara Tan, director of house-keeping at the W Times Square Hotel, in New York City.

Shining Windows

Regularly: A microfiber cloth easily lifts dust and fingerprints. You can also vacuum window frames and moldings with a brush attachment.

When Needed: Since annual window-cleaning is such a monumental task, you'll want to economize wherever possible. Instead of using a specialty glass cleaner, fill a bucket with water and add a few drops of dishwashing liquid. Dip a microfiber cloth into the solution and work from the outside in. Begin where the glass and the window frame meet, removing dirt from the corners, then move to the center of the pane. Dry immediately with a separate microfiber cloth. (For many people, prohibitive heights and busy weekends make professional services an attractive and worthwhile option.)