20 Quick Cleaning Tasks {Each Will Take 5 Minutes Or Less}

If you've only got a few minutes you can still accomplish a lot by doing some of these quick cleaning tasks around your home, each of which take 5 minutes or less.

Sometimes our days are incredibly busy, and it feels like there's no time to clean anything up like we should. When you feel like that here's a list of 20 cleaning tasks, all of which take five minutes or less to do each, that can make a huge impact in your home without a lot of time and effort.

So if you do find yourself with just a five minute block of time look through this list, choose one of the four main rooms to tackle, and do a quick cleaning session.

Kitchen Cleaning Tasks

I often start in the kitchen if I want to clean something that will make a big impact, and quickly see results.

1. Clear out and wipe down your kitchen sink. A clean sparkling sink can get you feeling like you've really accomplished a lot!

You can get tips for cleaning your kitchen sink here.

2. Load or unload the dishwasher. I know this one seems like it takes forever, but I timed myself once to show myself it didn't take long at all, and I was right. I love listening to a song or two while doing this task.

Check out these 6 strategies to help motivate yourself to empty the dishwasher if you still are trying to work yourself up to get this one done.

3. Wipe down the kitchen counters and stove. Get rid of crumbs and spilled on messes with just a few minutes of effort.

It helps for this task if your counters are already relatively clear, so check out these tips for decluttering and clearing your kitchen counters, on the sister site, Home Storage Solutions 101.

In addition, here are tips for cleaning and disinfecting your kitchen countertop.

4. Wipe down the kitchen table and chairs. Crumbs and sticky spills are no match for a few quick swipes with a clean damp cloth.

Just like with the counters, this task is easier when you already have your kitchen table clear of clutter. Here are tips for decluttering your kitchen table.

5. Freshen your garbage disposal.

If you smell something a bit funky coming from your kitchen drain first take an old toothbrush and gently scrub around the rubber flap around the drain to remove any stuck on gunk, and then drop a few ice cubes and citrus peels down the drain and grind them up in your garbage disposal. These two actions instantly freshen the disposal in no time flat.

You can learn about even more home remedies for garbage disposal smells here.

6. Clean the inside of your microwave.

Microwaves themselves are a great time saver, but splatters and spills can make them yucky. To loosen up this gunk get a microwave safe bowl, fill it with 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Keep the door closed after its finished and let it steam for another minute or so, and then carefully wipe out all the loosened up gunk with a clean cloth or sponge.

You can get even more tips for cleaning your microwave here.

7. Throw out old or expired food from your refrigerator. It doesn't take long to dump out these containers, but it sure makes for a cleaner fridge.

Here's a Declutter 365 mission about decluttering old food from your refrigerator with more details on this task.

8. Wipe down one or two shelves in your refrigerator. In another five minutes you can clean up any spills or leaks, or crumbs that are making your refrigerator a mess.

Get more information on how to clean your refrigerator here.

Bathroom Cleaning Tasks

Everyone appreciates using a clean bathroom, and fortunately many cleaning tasks in this room don't take too much time.

9. Clear your bathroom counters. Take a few minutes to put all the stuff you and your family have gotten out to get ready in the morning or evening back into drawers or onto shelves. It makes such a huge difference to have a clear counterspace.

You can get more tips for clearing your bathroom countertop and sink space here.

10. Wipe down the sink and counters. Bathroom sinks and counters need a quick wipe down to get rid of toothpaste splatters and other nasties that seem to appear on them, but fortunately a quick wipe down fixes the problem.

Here are tips for cleaning and disinfecting bathroom counters and sink areas.

11. Clean your bathroom mirrors. A quick spray with glass cleaner and a wipe with a non-linting cloth can quickly transform water spotted, grungy mirrors back into their sparkling clean selves.

Here are two homemade window cleaner recipes, either one of which you can use to clean these mirrors, if you'd like to make your own cleaning products.

12. Scrub the toilet. Squirt some toilet cleaner in the bowl, wipe down the outside, lid and seat, and then when you're done with that it will be time to give a quick scrub with your toilet brush inside the bowl, and voila, a nice clean toilet.

Bedroom Cleaning Tasks

I know guests can see your kitchen, and they might need to use your bathroom, so that's why those quick cleaning tasks are important.

But you see your bedroom daily, so make sure you're cleaning up for your own comfort as well.

13. Change your sheets. It feels so good to climb into a bed with clean sheets to fall asleep, and fortunately it doesn't take hardly any time to strip off the old sheets and put on a new fresh set.

14. Make your bed. This task is obviously not mandatory. No one has ever actually been harmed by a bed not being made, but somehow making it can make the whole room feel so much cleaner and inviting.

15. Clear your nightstand. We all put a glass of water, or our latest book, or a box of tissues, etc., by our bed on the nightstand in the evenings, but soon, if we don't deal with these items they start to clutter up the space. Take a few minutes and put everything away again.

You can get more tips for decluttering your nightstand here.

16. Put away a load of folded laundry.

Laundry takes a lot of time, and it can be tiring, so somehow after gathering, sorting, washing, drying, and then folding it seems we run out of energy and all the clean folded clothes stay lying in the basket, ready to be put away.

Well, don't quit the laundry race when you've almost finished. Take those last few minutes and put away the clothes from the load and complete the task.

You can get more tips for setting up a system to more consistently put away laundry here.

If you find you have more time, make sure to do these bedroom deep cleaning tasks!

Living & Family Room Cleaning Tasks

I've called these the living and family room cleaning tasks, but they can apply many places around your home.

17. Dust one to two rooms. Dusting can seem daunting if you're thinking of doing the whole house, but you can easily knock out one or two rooms in five minutes time.

18. Clear dust from ceiling fans. This is an often forgotten task, since you can't see the top of the blades well, but once you turn on your fan, yep, you notice how dusty it can get up there.

Do yourself a favor and clean off the dust quickly using an extender duster that helps extend your reach, so it is an easy task. If you do it relatively frequently it won't make a huge mess and is quicker and easier each time.

Here are some extender dusters that are available:

Ceiling Cleaning Extendable Dusters {Referral Links}

19. Take out the trash. Emptying one or more of the trash or garbage cans in your home and taking the trash out can help you clean a room, and then keep it clean, since trash won't be piling up.

20. Clear off your sofa, and fluff your couch cushions. Last but not least, the couch is the focal point of activity in many people's family room, and it gets piled with stuff quickly, such as throw pillows, blankets, toys, and more. A few minutes to put away this stuff, and to fold up blankets and fluff up the cushions makes it much more comfortable for everyone in the room.

Related Pages You May Enjoy

Lots Of House Cleaning Tips & Tricks

How To Clean Anything {A Room By Room Guide}

Go From 20 Quick Cleaning Tasks {Each Will Take 5 Minutes Or Less} To Home Page

There are affiliate links on this page, and if you purchase a product through them I receive a small commission. Purchasing through my links costs you nothing extra, but helps support the free information provided on this site and my family. To learn more please see my product review disclosure statement.

CAUTION: This website is provided for informational purposes only. It is provided as is, without warranties or guarantees. Some stains and messes just won't come out, and are permanent. Further, some cleaning methods can harm your item, so if what you want to clean or launder is sentimental or expensive call a professional. See disclaimer of liability for more information.