I don’t enjoy housecleaning. Unfortunately, I have to clean the house whether I like to or not, so over the years I’ve come up with hacks to make it as painless as possible.
One of my tricks is to break cleaning chores into sub-tasks, and tackle one of those smaller jobs whenever I have a few moments to spare. For example, the other day I noticed that my bathroom sink was in need of a wipe-down. So I grabbed a rag and set to work. A few minutes later the bathroom countertop was clean and I went on my way.
[gasp!]
I can feel some of you having a fit of apoplexy over that statement. I hear you muttering axioms like “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”
Please calm down and let me explain.
I am aware that just wiping the countertop is not enough to keep the whole bathroom clean, but it’s one step in the larger process. If I clean the countertop one day, and the toilet the next, I can keep the dirt at bay without spending a big chunk of time dealing with the whole mess at once.
Those small sub-tasks add up over time, and I for one prefer tackling jobs I dislike (such as cleaning the bathroom) in short bursts rather than larger blocks of time. It requires less planning, takes fewer minutes away from what I’d rather be doing, and leaves me feeling less grumpy.
I’d call that a win.
If you love cleaning, then this method might not be for you. However, if you struggle to keep up with housework, my five-minute cleaning strategy might help you succeed.
15 housecleaning sub-tasks you can probably complete in 5 minutes or less
- Wipe down a bathroom counter and sink
- Fold and put away a load (or two) of laundry
- Wash a window or two
- Dust the baseboards in a room or two
- De-cobweb several rooms
- Sweep the front porch and/or sidewalk
- Clean fingerprints from the most-used kitchen cabinets
- Scrub the exhaust hood over the stove
- Wipe down several refrigerator shelves
- Dust the tops of picture frames and other wall decor
- Clear off the kitchen island (or wherever incoming mail and clutter lands in your house)
- Straighten and declutter a bookshelf or toy-storage shelf
- Scrub the mildew from a hard-to-reach spot
- Snip dead leaves from 3 or 4 houseplants
- Collect an armload of out-of-place items and return them to their designated space
Small steps add up. What small housecleaning task can you complete today, no matter how busy you are?
Hi Lisa! This blog caught my attention! I often do the same thing – I notice something like the bathroom sink or a dusty bookshelf, and I dig in for 5-10 minutes to get it done. Then the next time I walk into the room I smile :-). The kitchen is a good place for small tasks – emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the microwave, polishing the stovetop. None of this replaces deep cleaning, but, goes a long way toward keeping a tidy house.
Thanks for sharing!
Yes, it is good to be able to walk into a room and smile even when you don’t have time to do a thorough cleaning job. Thanks for your tips.
What a great idea!!
Sometimes cleaning can be a pain so breaking it down into smaller chunks, would make it more bearable 😀
Exactly! I am not a big fan of cleaning, so facing it in little chunks works well for me.