25 Areas You Can Clean in 10 Minutes or Less

Many times I don’t have 2 hours or even 30 minutes to get housecleaning done.  I am sure you feel the same way.  Over time, I have realized that even if we don’t have 2 hours or half of a day to clean our homes.  But, we do have 10 minutes here and there throughout the day.   This list of 25 Areas you can clean in 10 minutes or less has become my checklist that I select a task each day.

When you have had a busy day with work & family, you don’t have time to clean your home.  You just want to relax.  I get that.  I do too.  So I would love to share this helpful list of 25 areas that you can clean in 10 minutes or less. 

This is a detailed list, but I have included an easy to read checklist printable for you to have. 

25 Areas You Can Clean in 10 Minutes or Less

• Clean & Organize Silverware drawer:  This doesn’t take long at all.  You can do this while waiting on dinner to finish or when you unload the dishwasher.   I love to take everything out of the drawers and wipe them out.  But one of my favorite ways to clean the silverware and utensil drawer is to take the nozzle of the vacuum and vacuum the drawer out.  This is so fast and the vacuum gets into the corners great.   Place items back into the drawers neat and organized. 
  • I use a Bamboo tray like this one that is sold on Amazon.   But also love this Rubbermaid Organizer as well because you can actually wash it in the dishwasher.  
• Wipe Remotes, Light Switches & Door Knobs   This is an area in your home that gets forgotten so often.   But think about how many hands are touching these items.  You can clean this area in 10 minutes or less if you have the tools you need to zip right through it.
  • There are several options you can use to clean these items.   
    • Basic Clorox wipes– Wipe completely over all the surfaces of the Remotes, light switches, and doorknobs. 
    • EnviroCloth from Norwex.  I love using Norwex in my home.  Hot water and cloth are all you need.  You can read more about Norwex here.  It is an amazing product. 
    • DIY All-Purpose Solution that I use all the time in my business that is easy to mix together as well as clean completely.  Use a microfiber cloth and spray the solution on the surface then wipe.    * When cleaning remotes, spray solution onto a cloth and then wipe the remote. 
    • Essential oils such as Young Living Thieves is great when mixed with water.  It is a natural germ-killing machine. 

Hold on, there are 23 more things you can clean in 10 minutes

• Clear Stacks of Paper    Tackle the stacks of paper.  The old mail, notes from school, advertisements, bills, you know what I am talking about.  The stack that you really don’t want to deal with but keeps getting taller.  Take 10 minutes and sort, throw away and file.  You will be amazed at how fast you can do it when you put a time limit on the task.  
  • If this is a task that you can’t get to weekly,  you might want to purchase a basket or bin to put your items in, that way they don’t just sit out on the cabinet or table.  But don’t let the basket or bin be your filing system.  It is only a holding container for a week. 
• Collect the Clutter   Collect the clutter out of one room and put it away.   There are some weeks that clutter in one room might take 10 minutes but other times you can get a couple of rooms done.   
  • I use a laundry basket to collect the clutter and then distribute it to the areas the items go. 
• Start a load of laundry   Laundry is probably the worst task for me in my household.  I don’t mind to start a load, or even move it to the dryer.  The task I don’t enjoy is folding and putting up.  But we will get to that in another 10-minute segment.

Everyone has 10 minutes to pick up.  Maybe encourage everyone to take just 10 minutes. That is 4o minutes of cleaning for a family of 4

• Fold and put away a load of laundry    I told you this would be in another 10-minute segment.  (smiley face)    This is a task I try to fit in at least every other day.   If you let it get out of control it is hard to catch up. 
• Make a bed   This isn’t a hard task and probably won’t take the whole 10 minutes. But if your sheets have not been changed in a couple of weeks, this is the perfect time to get them changed and taken to the laundry room. 
  • Just a side note, we got some amazing sheets for Christmas that are Bamboo.  I really didn’t think there was much difference in the sheets but WOW, I am in love.   Invest in a good pair of sheets, your sleep will thank you.
• Load & Unload Dishwasher    This makes a huge difference in the way your kitchen feels.  It clears the sink and makes your kitchen look much nicer.  If you are not running the dishwasher immediately, be sure to rinse your dishes before putting them in.  That cuts down on any smells in your home. 

Did you know you have 24 ten minute blocks from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m? Use one of those blocks to end your night on a good note. 

• Collect all trash in the house.   Collect all the trash from all the trashcans in the house and get it taken out to the dumpster.  This will help you stay on top of your trash and get it out before the garbage truck comes to collect it.  
• Straighten & Wipe Bathroom    This is something that will make your mornings so much better or will take down the anxiety if you have last-minute guests drop by. 
  • Keep a small spray bottle solution in your bathroom for quick clean-up.   Here are some methods that are great for clean up. 
  • Basic Clorox wipes– Wipe completely over all the surfaces of the stink, toilet base, lid, and tank along with the handle. 
  • EnviroCloth from Norwex.  I love using Norwex in my home.  Hot water and cloth are all you need.  You can read more about Norwex here.  It is an amazing product. 
  • DIY All-Purpose Solution that I use all the time in my business that is easy to mix together as well as clean completely.  Use a microfiber cloth and spray the solution on the surfaces then wipe.   (16 oz hot water, 1 tsp Sals Suds & 10-12 Drops of Essential oils) 
  • Essential oils such as Young Living Thieves is great when mixed with water.  It is a natural germ-killing machine. 

When you can complete a task, even if it is just 10 minutes a day, you feel more accomplished and your outlook is better. 

• Clean the floors in one room  Pick one room and get the floors cleaned.  Sweep, Vacuum, and mop the floor.  Add a hallway if you have time.  This will keep the carpet fresh, the hardwood floors shiny, and your socks clean.  I have both of these vacuums and use both of them all the time. 
  • If you don’t have a vacuum and looking for an inexpensive one that has amazing suction?  I have fallen in love with this little one, Bissell Zing.  It is not heavy and it works great.   It is not great on carpets but does amazing on hard surfaces. (Rugs too)   This is the vacuum that I use to clean drawers and corners as well. 
  • If you are looking for a vacuum for carpets and hardwood floors,  you will enjoy this Shark Rocket.  
• Organize a shelf in your Bathroom.  Take time to organize one shelf in your bathroom.  Throw away items that you have not used in 3 months or more.  Most likely you will not even miss it.   You can do the other shelves one at a time in another 10-minute cleanup. 

Spending 10 minutes working on cleaning in your home helps take the anxiety away when someone knocks on that front door. 

• Organize a shelf in the hall foyer closet.   In our house, the hall closet is a catch-all for everything that we don’t know what to do with.  Take 10 minutes and organize a shelf in the closet.  Be sure to items things in their places and not just back into the closet.  If you have not used the items, consider getting rid of them. 
• Organize one shelf in the kitchen pantry.   Take time and tackle the overstuffed shelf that is in your pantry.  You will be surprised what you might find.   Get your shelf nice and organize and move your food to a different shelf that doesn’t belong there.  
  • I use these little bins from the Dollar Tree to put my Sauce packets in like gravy, taco seasonings, etc.   I also use these bins for my spices.  Once I have the spices in the bin, I stack the bins on top of each other.  They work great and I am not paying a large amount of money to organize.   You can order them online but you have to order so many,  I just find my nearest Dollar Tree and grab them there. 

When you just dream of a clean home, it doesn’t clean itself.  By being intentional to clean up10 minutes a day gets you closer to your clean home. 

• Organize the Cup shelf in the Kitchen.   We collect so many cups, I feel like I am constantly weeding out coffee mugs, or stadium cups.  
• Organize the Spice Shelf in the Kitchen.    I have already shared with you the bins that I like using in my kitchen for my spices.  These fit the tins great and then you can stack them on your shelf.  When I take 10 minutes to organize my spices, I also combine my spices.  I always end up somehow with 2 cinnamon containers 1/2 empty or 2 salt containers 1/2 used.  Combine them and save space. 
• Deep Clean on Countertop Kitchen Appliance   These appliances are probably the last thing to get deep cleaned in my kitchen.   Take 10 minutes to deep clean your kitchen aid mixer or your air fryer that we have all grown to love.  
• Declutter Kitchen Countertops and wipe down.   Take everything that doesn’t belong on the kitchen countertop and put it where it belongs.   Then wipe down the countertops and get them clean.  It will make your kitchen feel refreshing. 
• Pick up Dirty Clothes   Take your laundry basket and walk through the house, room by room and pick up all the dirty clothes.  Socks that are left in the family room, underwater that is thrown to the side of the bathroom laundry basket, a shirt that has been taken off and left hanging over a chair.  Pick them all up and carry them to the laundry room to be washed. 

10 Minutes a day of cleaning is 10 minutes that you didn’t lose vegging on the couch. 

• Wipe and dust surfaces in one room.  Dust furniture and wipe down door frames, window frames, and baseboards.  Don’t forget to dust that fan as well. 
• Pick up toys  Grab that laundry basket and go through the house gathering toys.  Maybe it is your children’s toys, your dog’s toys, or your husband’s toys.  Gather them and return them to their proper places. 
• Empty Frig of Expired Food   Pull the garbage can, the compost bin & recycling bin over to the refrigerator and clean out any food that has expired.   That hummus has been hiding for a few months way back in the back.  
• Clean out the Junk Drawer.  Don’t be embarrassed, we all have a junk drawer.  It is an essential part of a home.  But it does need to be cleaned out every once in a while. 
• Match that basket of socks.  The basket of socks tends to multiply every time you do a load of laundry.  Spend 10 minutes matching socks. 
• Clean the Desk in the Home Office.   Straighten, remove items that don’t belong, and dust the home office desk.  Don’t forget to dust the chair legs too.  They get so dusty. 

Bonus task that can be done in 10 mins or less 

• Sort and Organize the Medicine Cabinet   Take 10 mins and take inventory of what you have in the medicine cabinet along with discarding expired medicines.  Organize the cabinet to where it will be easy to find what you need when you are not feeling well. 

Whew,  25 (plus 1)  things you can clean in 10 minutes (or less).  You can do this!  

I have created a printable with these 25 areas that you can clean for you to print and hang in a place that will remind you, encourage you and challenge you to spend a little time each day Making Your Home A Place of Refuge.  

Click the button below to get your printable

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