Your Ultimate Cleaning Playlist

When you can draw your name in the dust on your coffee table, it's time to grab the old feather duster or microfiber cloth and attend to some chores. Cleaning house doesn't have to be boring, though. Crank up the stereo (or pop in your ear buds) and clean to the beat of your favorite music. To make the most of cleaning time, prepare a mix tape with some inspirational tunes that will keep your spirits up and your toes tapping. Preparing a cleaning plan that hits the highlights like dusting the light fixtures and vacuuming behind the couch (let's call it a cleaning hit parade) couldn't hurt either. One nice thing about dirt is that it's predictable. You can usually anticipate housework projects from week to week.

Partnering with the vacuum cleaner (that handsome devil) to salsa your way through chores can be as good for your waistline as it is for your carpeting. Well-toned arms and a rounded backside are the new hallmarks of a great body, so feeling the beat while shifting the furniture to capture dust bunnies can net you multiple rewards beyond a cleaner house, like improved muscle tone and up to twice the calorie burn of a sedate cleaning session. Oh, and you don't have to pay a membership fee to use the equipment. What a bargain.

When you put some energy and passion into your moves, you're likely to stick with your cleaning routine longer and get more out of it. Think about a musical playlist as a means of inspiration -- and perspiration.

When you pump up the volume for a cleaning session, choose high-energy numbers that inspire an endorphin rush early in your dust busting workout. Mix it up. Throw in some oldies you remember from the good old days to add variety -- it works in exercise videos, and it will work here, too.

Let's start this rousing playlist with none other than Cyndi Lauper's, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." This oldie has entertaining lyrics and a strong beat that will get you moving. Any song that can help create a subliminal association between cleaning and fun is a winner worthy of a little airtime. Here are some other tunes you might want to consider: