I have this fear that installing an bunch of programs because it will make windows dirty: slow, take up a bunch of space, etc, et al. So even if i uninstall them, run cclearner and check what is starting up am i still get a dirty windows?
What you said will do just fine. When you are done trying out programs just un-install, run ccleaner, and then delete any traces manually (ie program files folder). Dont forget to run a good defrag utility every once in a while too.