5-Minute Cleaning Ideas (Small Wins Make a Clean Home)
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Our comprehensive list of over 100 cleaning ideas can be done in 5 minutes or less each. Use the room-by-room checklist to make cleaning more manageable and less overwhelming.
Clean the living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, and general areas. You can set a timer or just use the ideas to form a cleaning plan for each room.
If you have a little more time, try these 10-minute cleaning ideas, or clean some areas that get overlooked. You can use this bathroom checklist, this living room cleaning plan, or this one for the kitchen, to create a deep cleaning plan for spring.
Make cleaning easier by breaking the rooms down into smaller tasks. You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference 5 minutes can make.
5-Min Cleaning Ideas
Kitchen
- Wipe down the countertops.
- Clean the kitchen sink.
- Clean the kitchen faucet.
- Wipe the stovetop.
- Wipe down the front of the cabinets.
- Clean the inside of the microwave.
- Wipe down the outside of the refrigerator.
- Clean the refrigerator door seal.
- Clean the backsplash behind the stove.
- Vacuum or sweep the kitchen floor.
- Toss three expired foods from the fridge or pantry.
- Clean the oven door.
- Wipe down 1-2 small appliances that are on the countertop.
- Tidy any cookbooks that are in the kitchen.
- Wipe the dining table.
- Empty the bins.
- Clean the top of the fridge (if not built-in).
- Wipe down the window blinds (or a section of the blinds).
- Wipe down the windowsill.
- Clean the refrigerator’s ice and water dispenser tray.
- Wipe down a couple pantry shelves.
- Clean crumbs out of the toaster tray.
- Wipe down the handles of a couple drawers.
- Wipe down the dishwasher exterior.
- Clean the coffee maker.
Living Room
- Wipe down the coffee table.
- Wipe down the end tables.
- Tidy the TV stand.
- Wipe down the top and back of the TV.
- Wipe down or dust the picture frames.
- Vacuum the couch cushions.
- Vacuum under the couch cushions.
- Wipe down the windowsills.
- Clean glass surfaces.
- Sweep or vacuum the floor (or around the coffee table and couch).
- Wipe down the door handles and light switches.
- Sanitize the TV remotes.
- Clean the ceiling corners (e.g., cobwebs).
- Remove a couple wall scuff marks.
- Clean the blinds from one window.
- Polish a piece of wood furniture.
- Open the windows and air out the room.
- Clean the baseboards.
- Dust lampshades.
- Dust lamp bases.
- Dust a couple of bookshelves.
- Wipe down the window glass.
- Dust a few decorative objects.
- Dust the ceiling fan.
- Tidy the throw blankets.
Bedroom
- Make the bed.
- Clean the tops of the nightstands.
- Dust the top of the bed frame.
- Vacuum around the bed.
- Straighten and fluff the pillows.
- Wipe down the top of the dresser.
- Put away clothes lying around (as many as you can in 5 min).
- Clean the ceiling fan.
- Clean the light fixtures.
- Clean the baseboards.
- Change the pillowcases.
- Change the bedsheets.
- Tidy one dresser drawer.
- Wipe down the closet door.
- Dust the lamps.
Bathroom
- Clean the toothbrush holder.
- Clean the bathroom sink.
- Clean and shine the faucets
- Wipe down the mirror.
- Replace towels with clean ones.
- Wipe down the cabinet fronts.
- Wipe down the toilet seat.
- Wipe down the exterior of the toilet.
- Apply toilet bowl cleaner.
- Scrub the toilet bowl.
- Wipe down the shower door.
- Wipe down the bathtub.
- Sanitize the light switches.
- Clean the shower head.
- Replace the rug/mat with a clean one.
- Empty the bin and replace the liner.
- Wipe down the counters.
- Dust the windowsill.
- Wipe down a wall.
- Clean the exhaust fan cover.
- Wipe down shelves.
- Clean the soap dish or dispenser.
- Clean the floor.
- Wipe down the towel bars.
- Wipe down the shower walls (or a section).
General
- Check and clean / change the air purifier filter if needed.
- Sanitize your phone case.
- Clean the mailbox.
- Wipe down the porch light fixtures.
- Clean behind one piece of wall art.
- Sanitize door handles.
- Vacuum the entryway.
- Straighten shoes by the entryway.
- Wipe down a dusty surface.
- Put away a couple of items left out.
- Clean a mirror.
- Vacuum a small area.
- Dust a couple windowsills.
- Remove cobwebs.
- Put away some dirty dishes.
- Shake out the entryway mat.
- Wipe down the front door.
- Wipe down stair railings.
- Dust the baseboards in a small area.
- Rinse and wipe the detergent drawer, if easily removable.
