January house cleaning checklist: Some tasks only need to be done once or twice a year. The problem is that we forget to do them once or twice a year.

Or else we tend to save it all for spring cleaning, which makes spring cleaning such a daunting chore that it doesn't occur, either.

I've found the best plan is to break down annual and seasonal tasks by month and tackle them daily or weekly. Nothing gets too backed up, and things eventually get done.

I've also found that concentrating on one room or area each month is more rewarding because you can see the results.

Here's the January house cleaning checklist schedule that works best for me.

These garage storage solutions can help organize and store lights, decorations, and more until next December.

The party's over... so clean your holiday linens and put them away till next year - dito - for those festive reindeer plates. Box them all up carefully, placing cardboard between the dishes so Blitzen doesn't wind up with a chipped antler.

Sanitize hard surfaces such as counters, telephones, laptop computers, the washing machine, etc. (It's the cold and flu season, after all).

Clean your pantry. Toss foods your kids will never eat; foods that have long since expired; spices that have lost their oomph.

Clean all the electronics: the CD player, the remotes, the HDTV, wipe down your video camera. iCloth Lens and Screen Cleaner Pro-grade Wipes can help you do this quickly and inexpensively.  Read the directions (finally) for your digital camera.

Try storing all warranties and manuals in one file, so you'll know where they are in the new year ahead. January house cleaning checklist complete - Happy New Year!