Cleaning guru Don Aslett proved years ago that spending a few minutes each day tidying up can reduce time spent on housework by 75 percent.

Likewise, if you develop a regular household-maintenance routine, not only will you save time and money and limit damage, but reduce stress as well.

Concern over mold and its effects on health has made moisture the great enemy and narrowed the focus of home-maintenance efforts.

If left unchecked, moisture not only contributes to mold growth, but typically results in rot and infestations by various kinds of bugs and rodents.

Though some may argue this list is far from complete, the National Association of Home Builders Research Center has pinpointed many ways homeowners can keep moisture at bay.

The list was part of "Durability by Design: A Guide for Residential Builders and Designers," published by the research center. Here are some of the most important ones:

• Inspect/replace caulk every two or three years. Although some high-end caulking compounds are formulated to last 25 years or longer, every situation is different. The caulk in your house might not have been applied during ideal conditions, or applied correctly. Or it might not have been allowed to cure properly before paint was applied.

  Or the location of the caulk might be subject to a greater degree of weathering than the manufacturer would consider normal -- a high salt content in the air near the shore, for example, or intense heat.

  Hence, the need for regular inspection. Before new caulk is applied, the old caulk should be removed and the surface cleaned thoroughly to create a solid bond with the new caulk.

  Check the directions on the tube for proper drying time and whether the caulk is paintable. Some new caulks have ingredients that deter the growth of mildew on the caulk surface.

• Maintain gutters/downspouts. If your previously bone-dry basement develops a water problem, experts say the first place to look is the roof-drainage system.

  Clogged gutters and downspouts typically will redirect water to the lowest point in your house, the foundation. The point at which the water finds its way into your basement, even a tiny crack, will grow wider if the source of the moisture is not stanched.

  Not only might the leak eventually undermine the foundation, but it might encourage mice and other rodents and provide a continuous source of food for mold.

  The most obvious reason for clogged gutters and downspouts are leaves, pine needles, dirt and sediment, as well as slow erosion of the asphalt from your shingles. Gutters need to be periodically adjusted, to compensate for settling.

• Adjust sprinklers so they do not water the house. With in-ground lawn-watering systems that are relatively low-maintenance, there is a tendency for sprinklers under pressure to redirect the water where moisture should not go -- foundations or painted surfaces. Have the installer come back to look at your system periodically.

• Repaint every five to seven years. No exterior paint lasts forever, so repainting periodically is important. The wood surface of a house needs to have a solid protective covering to deter moisture and rotting.

  To avoid painting at all, many people choose vinyl or aluminum siding to cover their houses. Too often, however, the siding hides water problems that should be corrected first.

  You can extend the life of an exterior paint job if you make note of the places that react to the weather more than others.

  Areas of the house on which the sun shines most of the day may suffer from fading or cracking, and those problems should be addressed regularly.

• Maintain the exterior grade near the foundation. Even when the roof, gutters and downspouts work properly, you need to make sure that water that drains from the roof flows away from the house rather than toward it.

  Too often, homeowners plant trees and shrubs too close to the foundation. Continued erosion from heavy rains also can affect the exterior grading.

• High humidity encourages mold growth. If you have a dehumidifier in a damp basement, you defeat its purpose unless you empty the collection tank and clean the filter to make sure the appliance is operating properly.

  Inspect/replace HVAC filter monthly; check the system annually. Manufacturers have made filter replacement simple and replacement filters readily available, and still homeowners do not seem to have five minutes every month to do this.

  Use exhaust fans. Ever take a long shower on a warm day? Feel the walls of the bathroom when you do. If they are wet, so are all the things you cannot see or touch -- behind the baseboards, the ceiling, the grout lines in the tile.