My all time favorite house-cleaning trick is to have the kids out of the way when you are cleaning. This way my work gets done in half the time. When my daughter is down for her nap, I start with the kitchen because having a clean kitchen makes me feel better. Load up the dishes, swipe the counters, sweep the floor and then you are done.

After you are done with the kitchen, take a laundry basket and go through the house picking up things that do not belong in the room they are in. When you have placed them where they go, then just make a quick pass through each room quickly straightening up. With the kids out of the way, I can do this routine in about twenty minutes.