Starting at the top — top-down order

Steps

1. 1

   Gravity decides the order: everything you disturb falls downwards.

2. 2

   In a house: upstairs rooms first, then downstairs, then the hall floor last.

3. 3

   In a room: ceiling and high fixtures, then mid surfaces, then low furniture, then floors.

4. 4

   On stairs: top tread down, so you never carry dirt back up.

5. 5

   Break the order and you will clean the same surface twice.