13 Cleaning Tasks That Take Less Than 1 Minute

House cleaning is one of the least favorite chores for many people.  The number one reason people give for why they can’t (or don’t) clean their homes is that they don’t have enough time.  Understandably so, since we live in a world where more is expected of us than ever before.  We’re required to balance home, family, work and personal tasks every day.
Luckily, cleaning your home doesn’t have to take a lot of time.  Check out these quick cleaning activities that deliver big return for the minimal time investment of one minute or less!

13 House Cleaning Tasks That Take Less Than 1 Minute

1.  Put dirty clothes in the hamper.  Dirty clothes strewn across the floor create the appearance of chaos.  In under one minute, dirty clothes can be thrown into a hamper, decluttering the floor.
2.  Put away clean clothes.  Stacks and piles of clothes may be clean, but if they aren’t in their proper homes they contribute to messy bedrooms.  Do other family members know which piles are clean, or do clean clothes sometimes end up in the dirty laundry?  Save the confusion and the mess!  Hang up clothes that belong in the closet and put others in dresser drawers as appropriate.
3.  Dust the TV screen.  If your TV has the finger-written words “wash me” on the screen, it’s time for a dusting!  Using a used dryer sheet as a dusting cloth, wipe down the screen, sides, and top of your television to eliminate dust and keep it from resettling as often.  Watch how quickly a tv can be dusted.
4.  Dust the computer monitor.  Watch how to clean a computer monitor.
5.  Empty food stoppers in the sink.  Old food sitting in the drain can make the sink one of the nastiest places in the house.  It takes mere seconds to pick up the stopper / strainer, drop the food into the trash, and replace.
6.  Make the bed.  Pull up the blankets, smooth them out, and put the pillows in place.  Making beds is a fast and easy way to create a cleaner looking room in under a minute.
7.  Empty the trash.  An overflowing trash can doesn’t lend to the visual of a clean space.  Take out full trash bags and replace with empty bags for a quick cleaning task that takes less time than a commercial break.
8.  Put on clean pillow cases.  Quickly and easily toss the dead skin and oil trapped on your pillow case in favor of a fresh case.
9.  Clean the mirrors.  A quick spritz of glass or window cleaner and a cleaning cloth will get rid of the spots and provide a clean reflection.
10.  Replace burned out light bulbs.  Brighten up a dark room by replacing burned out light bulbs.  Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) wherever possible to save energy and cut down your utility bill.  With a lifespan of 10 times longer than a standard incandescent bulb, changing a burned out bulb to a CFL ensures that you won’t be changing the same light bulb for a long time!
11.  Wash counter tops.  A few quick sprays of antibacterial cleaner or vinegar and a sponge can restore a spotless, germ-free surface in under a minute12.  Wash the stove top.  Just like in number 11, a quick cleaning job on your stove top is possible and will eliminate food and germs in no time.  Plus, such an easy cleaning task will make your whole kitchen look cleaner in a snap.
13.  Wash off the dining room table.  Antibacterial cleaner or vinegar and a sponge will get your dining room table ready for meal time with minimal effort.
The good news is that any of these tasks that take less than a minute to do will provide enormous return in keeping your home clean and maintained.  Keep up on these little tasks when you only have a few minutes to spare, and you’ll be saving big time in the housekeeping department that you can spend doing the things you love instead!
Originally published August 7, 2008.