Speed Cleaning: 15 Cleaning Tasks That Take Under 5 Minutes

Speed cleaning! 15 Cleaning Tasks That Take Under 5 Minutes

15 Cleaning Tasks That Take Under 5 Minutes© Carolyn Franks/Dollar Photo Club

First, let me say this: I hate cleaning. Despise it, really. If you told me to go vacuum my entire house right now, I’d probably throw a tantrum to rival my toddler’s.

The problem, however, is that I equally despise a messy house. I feel like I can’t think straight when I’m surrounded by clutter.

Cleaning: Hate to do it, equally hate when it doesn’t get done.

I’ve discovered that one of the reasons I hate cleaning so much is that it always feels like such a monumental task.

Sweep the floors? There goes my whole afternoon! Dust the bookshelf? It will take all of nap time! And under no circumstances am I willing to sacrifice all of nap time.

But of course that’s not really true. There are actually tons of cleaning tasks that can be completed in under 5 minutes. I can think of 15, to be exact. Some only take a matter of seconds.

Speed Cleaning: 15 Cleaning Tasks That Take Under 5 Minutes

Kitchen

1. Load or unload the dishwasher.

2. Wipe down countertops, stove, and table.

3. Clean microwave, inside and out.

4. Clear out and wipe down sink.

5. Take out the trash.

6. Sort through the stack of mail.

Living Room

7. Tidy up the sofa (arrange pillows, fold throw blankets).

8. Clear any clutter (books, magazines, or the sea of Mega Bloks, in my case).

Bedroom

9. Put away a load of laundry.

10. Make the bed.

11. De-clutter (clothes on the floor, jewelry on the dresser, glass of water on the nightstand).

Bathroom

12. Clean spots off the mirror.

13. Wipe out the sink.

14. De-clutter sink area (contact solution, hair ties, random mascara tube).

15. Empty wastebasket.

Waiting for your kids to come downstairs for breakfast? Do one of these. Got an extra fifteen minutes after dinner? Pick three. Sure, it won’t make your house rival Martha Stewart’s or anything, but you’ll probably feel a little more sane.

What cleaning tasks did I miss? What’s the one chore you absolutely detest and will avoid at all costs?


16 responses to “Speed Cleaning: 15 Cleaning Tasks That Take Under 5 Minutes”

  1. Heh- I thought speed-cleaning was when you stuffed all the clutter into the closet and then quickly closed the door before everything started spilling out.

  2. YUCK! Dusting – hate it! I’m in the same dilemma of truly not thinking well amidst clutter, much less dirt. But the only way I can get to it (like the kitchen floor that’s on this Sat. afternoon’s list) is to combine it with something else like listening to NPR or doing breathing exercises.

  3. I read this and thought it was great, but I didn’t think I’d be able to use it practically. And then, I did! Over the weekend I did a few little chores around the house and they inspired me to do more. I love this list! I am sharing with everyone!

  4. I hate dusting. However, if I wipe off a couple of end tables in the living room, a couple of side tables in the bedroom, or perhaps the fireplace mantle when I have a few spare minutes, then the task doesn’t seem so bad.

  5. When all the tasks are facing me, I get so overwhelmed! Just reading this reminder of one at a time, I got my dishes put away and the washer loaded. Thanks for this!

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