Dust is public enemy number one when it comes to a home office. It seems to pervade everything, including computer screens, keyboards, bookshelves, and desktops. Of course we all know that leading killer of dust is pledge and a dustcloth, but here are a few tips you may not have known.

To keep your computer and keyboards from getting dusty, purchase plastic covers for them. You can also make your own out of trash sacks, or, if you have a creative streak, by sewing custom covers from fabric or old curtains.

If neither of those options work for you, there are other ways of keeping computers and their equipment dust-free. The keyboard dusters you can purchase are ideal for this. They are an aerosol can that sprays intense bursts of air, and be used for more than just a keyboard!

The reason for this is mostly because of all rooms in a house, kitchen alone has position of having most traffic, use, and just plain dirt!

To start yourself off, it can be extremely helpful to have a checklist handy of all possible things you can do so that you can mark them off as you go. It also helps to have a distraction to make time go by faster, such as your favorite music, book on tape, or TV show playing in background.

When cleaning, always clean from top of room, and work your way down (which saves a lot of time), except in case of washing walls, where you work from bottom up to avoid streaking.

So let's start at highest points. Each household is different in layout, so be sure to adjust these hints to specifically fit your particular dwelling. Begin with tops of any cabinets, that top of refrigerator that's been needing wiped down forever, and any "higher ups" that you see (except walls...those are next to last)

Next lets get to hardest parts. The mid-range, and mostly places that are hardest to clean, such as oven, dishes, sink, countertops, ect.

It is sometimes easiest to start in one corner and work your way around in a circle. For an example, we will start with oven. It will make things go by easier and faster if you do hardest things first, and save easiest things for last. Using an all-purpose cleaner, clean off top of range, and if you have a gas stove, take burner grates off, and soak them in a solution of water and oven cleaner, before rinsing and replacing. If you have a self-cleaning oven, now is time to turn it on and clean itself while you skip to next item. If you are not so lucky, then best cleaner to use is either a commercial oven cleaner, or a paste of baking soda, borax, comet, and water. Rub this paste into walls, and wipe clean with a damp rag. It may take a bit of elbow grease in places, but will be worth it in end. Be sure to clean window in oven if you have one, and wipe down outside with an all-purpose cleaner.