The busiest spot in your house, the bathroom is also the place almost every guest visits. These tricks will get the room looking freshly scrubbed in 15 minutes or less.

To start, hang a plastic sack on the doorknob for tossing the cleaning cloths you're about to use and emptying the wastebasket -- the easiest insta-tidy trick. Next, grab some bleach. Pour a cup into the toilet bowl; brush around the sides and under the rim. Then move on to the next task for five minutes.

While the bleach is working, fill a spray bottle with equal parts water and white vinegar (or better yet, keep a bottle stored nearby for just this occasion). Spritz onto paper towels or a microfiber cloth, and zero in on those telltale soap drips and toothpaste spatters on faucets, mirrors, countertops and in the sink -- a definite dirty-bathroom giveaway.

An optional step, and only if you really care what your visitors think: Give spotty shower doors the same spray treatment. Flip over one of those same vinegar wipes and run it across the back of your dusty toilet tank, then over, under and around the seat. Flush the bleach that's been sitting in the bowl, toss the wipe into your doorknob bag and move on.

Next, instead of scooping up all the used bath towels, just put out fresh hand towels -- those are the only ones short-term guests use anyway. Leave the others on the bar; just straighten them. If you have linen spray, mist the towels. If you don't, a lightly scented body spray or perfume will do the job.

Now it's time for the floor. Shake out your rug or bath mat to fluff it up so it looks recently vacuumed. Next, with a dampened paper towel, swoosh the corners of the room, where most of the hair and dust collect. And don't forget to take the plastic bag with you when you leave!

These tips will make your bathroom sparkle in a hurry, but if you want to keep your bathroom really clean for unexpected occasions, Good Housekeeping recommends taking these preventative measures: Pour a mix of ¹₄ cup ammonia and 1 quart boiling water into bathroom drains every few months to dissolve grease and loosen clumps before they become a problem. Ward off pesky soap scum and water spots on the shower door by wiping down the glass or fiberglass with Rain-X Original Glass Treatment ($5 for 16-ounce bottle), which is used on car windshields to keep them clear.

And initiate a house rule: Last one out of the shower wipes down the tiles. This routine will keep mildew and soap scum at bay for weeks, maybe months. As long as you provide a good squeegee, this job is so simple, even the laziest member of your family might comply. Try Casabella's Clip-on Silicone Squeegee ($11), which clips to the showerhead for easy access.

Quick cleaning solutions

Your bathroom's not the only place you might have cleaning problems. Here are some other fast fixes recommended by Good Housekeeping.

Wrinkled clothes in the laundry room Spritz them with Niagara Wrinkle Releaser and Odor Eliminator ($3), then smooth out creases and hang up the garments.

Missing socks in the laundry room Snap up a Sock Cop ($9 for 20), a plastic gripper that "handcuffs" socks together and keeps them secured when doing the laundry.

Splattered stove in the kitchen Protect neighboring burners with pot lids. When you've finished cooking, pop the dirty tops in the dishwasher.

Sloppy condiments in the kitchen When you open a new bottle of syrup or honey, wrap it in a paper towel and secure it with a rubber band. This will prevent your pantry from becoming a sticky flytrap.

Filthy oven Every few weeks, fill a small glass bowl with ¹₂ cup ammonia, place in a cold oven and close. Let stand overnight. The next day, wipe loosened grime with a wet sponge.

Recalls alert

The following products and vehicles were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Priddy "Trucks" Shaker Teether Books, sold at Barnes & Noble and other retailers from January 2006 to June 2007 for about $7. Small pieces of the teether can break off, posing a choking hazard to young children. Consumers should take toys away and contact St. Martin's Press to return product for a free replacement product. For more information, call St. Martin's Press at (800) 347-9411 or visit priddybooks.com/recall.

2003 Volkswagen Passat; 2003 Audi A4 and A6 (certain models) Fuel flow to the engine might get interrupted, causing vehicle to stall and increasing risk of a crash. Dealers will install new fuel pumps free of charge. For more information, call VW at (800) 222-8987 or Audi at (800) 822-2834, or visit safercar.gov.