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Housekeeping. The beginning of the word is lost in the origins of time. The end is nowhere in sight. The middle is going on and on. And no matter how much you try - you know your home is never going to be spic and span. How do you deal with a house that refuses to stay clean?

The best thing you can do is - to accept it. Feel comfortable that your home looks and feels like a home. Get the mess off your conscious. And get ready to live life normally.

But - the key word is always `but` and it keeps popping up to spoil our fun - all play and no work makes home a pigsty. So lets think of a few simple ways in which we can keep the mess down to normal levels.

• Throw out what you don`t need. The less you have - the less you need to clean. A lot of knick-knacks are just dust collectors.

• Keep your housekeeping simple. Make sure each person does their bit to keep their things tidied up. You could reward your children for helping you clean up.

• Buy yourself a few large baskets. Dump things in the basket -depending on how they need to be dealt with. Clothes that need to be washed /clothes that need to be ironed/ things that need to be put away/ things you need to think about. Till you get down to doing the needful, dump them in the required basket and try to keep the baskets behind locked doors - and lo! half your housework is done.

• If you`re not at home for most of the day - keep your windows closed. It`s easier to keep the dust out.

• Put aside just 20 minutes a day to pick up and dust. Start with areas that are more obvious to visitors. Use a simple three-point formula - pick up, throw, or dust.

• If dirty dishes are your Waterloo - use disposable ones. This is applicable when you`re living alone and not with a family.

• If nothing works - hire a housekeeper. Or - just move house.