1. Are there papers on your table? Is this table a collection spot for things you want out of your way and then forget about? If so, take the bite out of the Law of Flat Surfaces! Use the “laundry basket” method we talked about in the family room here: if there are things that don't belong in this room, put them in baskets and take those baskets to the appropriate rooms.



2. Do you have a china cabinet or other means of storing fine dishes? If so, how does the cabinet look? If it's stuffed to the gills, start by taking a hard look at what you have, how many place settings you have, and how many you need. If you want a guideline, take one from the line in “Sleepless in Seattle”: “12 is too many, 8 is too few. 10 is just right.” How many creamers, sugar bowls, and teacups do you have? Are they collecting dust and never getting used? Pare down and give them a quick dusting with your duster. When you open the doors to your cabinet, do you grit your teeth and wonder what's going to jump out and kill itself at your feet? Consider giving your surplus to a newly-married couple that can use it, or donate it to a women's shelter or other worthy charity. Dust down (or use furniture polish—whatever is applicable here) the front of your cabinet.

3. What about your lighting source? Dusty? Grab your duster—hit the table, the chairs (rungs and bottom of the table, too!), and the lighting source. You don't have to take it down and scrub it clean—just dust it, and if necessary, shake the dead bugs from it.

4. As the final step, run the vacuum in here—not the edges, just the “middles” where you walk. Move the chairs but not the table—don't even think about pulling out the china cabinet! If there are things behind there, they're small and no one else is going to see them.

Congratulations—your dining room is done! Happily, it's often one of the easiest rooms to keep looking nice and neat!