Start with the sofa — as long as it's in disarray, your living room will never look tidy. Once you've fluffed the pillows and folded the throws, you're halfway home. If you pop in a CD while you dust, you should be able cover the whole room by the end of the third track.

Supplies to Keep in the Living Room

Pledge mitts or Swiffer cloths: for dusting tabletops, chair and table legs, bookshelves, and knickknacks.

Unger Total Reach Duster: for cobwebs and for tops of furniture and other hard-to-reach corners.

Microfiber cloths: the no-chemical alternative for dusting.

Handheld vacuum: for cleaning crumbs and lint under cushions and on the floor.

Clorox ReadyMop: for cleaning floors.

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes: for spot-cleaning switch plates, phones, and doorjambs.

Windex Glass and Surface Wipes: for windows.

Timesaving Tips and Techniques

Make Dirt Unwelcome

Take off your shoes every time you enter the house. "Eighty percent of dirt in the home comes from people's and pets' feet," says cleaning expert Don Aslett. Encourage your family and guests to remove their shoes by keeping an assortment of house slippers by the main entry.

Make Sure You Have the Right Doormat. The Clean Machine Original mat (shown above, about $8, www.astroturfmats.com for store locations), made of Astro Turf, traps dirt more effectively than other matting materials and can cut cleaning time in half, Aslett says.

Go with the Flow
Let gravity work for you. Dust from top to bottom, and save the vacuuming for last.

Clear Results
Clean one window at a time (preferably during commercial breaks). Remember: You don't have to do the whole room in one shot.

Over Easy
Flip cushions only when company comes over. That way you'll always have a spotless sofa for guests to sit on.