16 Super Simple Tips to Help You Clean Your House in Less Than 30 Minutes
Cleaning your entire house can feel overwhelming, especially when it’s messy, cluttered, and you have no idea where to start. Most of us don’t have the time or energy to clean all day, but ignoring the mess only makes things worse. Luckily, spending just 30 minutes a day tackling these 16 simple tasks can transform your space without completely draining your time. These tricks are all quick, doable, and will leave your home looking fresher and more organized before you know it!
Clear Out Countertops
The fastest and easiest way to make a serious difference in your home’s appearance is to clear up all tabletops, countertops, and shelves. Declutter everything you can, shove the “extras” into your (less visible) cabinet storage areas, and use a scented wipe to make the tabletops shine.
Clear Up The Floors
Your countertops and tables are not the only place to get clean, fast. Pick up stuff off your floors, shove it in a closet, and then give your floors a quick mopping or vacuuming. If you want to give your floors and extra spiffy tweak, use a cleaning agent or a vacuum dust that smells fresh.
Close Doors Left Ajar
Another major (but surprisingly easy) way to make your home look cleaner is to close the doors in your house. This is true for both cabinetry and your closets. It helps keep everything looking put-together, especially after you’ve unceremoniously shoved clutter into your closets.
Sort Your Clutter Fast
If you have a ton of clutter, walk through each room with a trash bag and remove all the trash. Then, do the same with recycling. Put both of those bags at the curb or in your building’s trash room. Next, grab your laundry bin and toss in all your clothes that are currently on the floor. If you have time, shove the laundry in the washing machine.
Then, if you find stuff that has no “place,” shove it in a cabinet until you can figure out what to do with it. Finally, place anything out-of-place back where it belongs.
Swap Those Towels!
Next, take a look at your kitchen towels and bath towels. They probably look a little sloppy, don’t you think? A quick fix can make a huge difference. Grab some fresh towels from your linen closet or cabinet and replace the current ones with fresh ones. Spray them down with fabric refresher.
If you want to look extra fancy, arrange the towels in a nice basket like the one above.
Open Those Windows
Did you ever go into a home where you could just tell the air was stale? It’s a gross feeling often accompanied by equally gross smells. Thankfully, there’s a quick fix for this: open up every window that you have. Obviously, this can’t always be done if you have extreme heat or cold.
If you’re dealing with inclement weather, turn on the air conditioners and run your air purifiers. It’s a quick way to cover up aromas.
Arrange Those Pillows
Most sofas and couches have pillows that they come with. These decorative pillows are great for covering up stains in a pinch, but they also can signal how well-kept the home is. Give your throw pillows a quick fluff, use a lint roller to remove pet fur, and then place them nicely on the couch.
Speaking of pillows…
Do A “Quick Make” Of Your Bed
Really making the bed can take a while. You have to swap all the sheets, tuck in the fitted sheet, and also make it all look ship-shape. A “quick make” is simpler. You keep your old fitted sheet on the bed, remove the other sheet, and then carefully spread your comforters on the bed in a tidy manner.
Then, you fluff the throw pillows and replace any pillowcases that are mismatched. In other words, this style of making the bed is more about appearance than function.
Do A Quick Toilet Scrub
You can always give your bathtub a quick rinse. The same can be said of your sinks. Toilets, on the other hand, need a light scrubbing at the very least. If you notice a ring around your toilet or see stains, take two minutes to put on gloves, spray some detergent, and scrub the inside lightly.
Wipe down the underside of the seat, and then you’re good to go. It’ll look lightyears better.
Dish It
If you have dirty dishes lying around in your sink, place them in your dishwasher. If you don’t have a dishwasher, don’t panic. Just give them a quick scrub by hand and place them on the rack to dry. Then, just rinse off the sink for an extra nice clean.
Lighten Up
Did you know that people tend to assume well-lit areas to be cleaner than they really are? If you have a dark or dimly-lit home, don’t rely on natural light from outside when guests arrive. Turn on the lights and maybe add a couple of accent candles to the mix.
Focus On Aromas
It’s important to remember a little thing about cleanliness: odors matter. If you have smelly garbage or an odiferous litterbox, you need to clean those out and toss the trash outside. To keep things extra fresh, use scented candles or a fabric refresher spray throughout your home.
Nothing feels as good as the smell of cleanliness!
The 17 Items Rule
Have you ever heard of the 17-item rule? It’s very easy. Pick up 17 objects scattered around your room and return them to their right place. This should take less than ten minutes but will completely change your room, creating plenty of space. Plus, once you’re on a roll, you’ll be more likely to continue tidying things up, so try to use the 17-item rule once a day.
Don’t Accumulate Task
If it requires less than 15 minutes, do it right away. Why would you leave the dishes in the dishwasher when you can easily empty it while your dinner is cooking? Why would you leave crumbs on the table after dinner to attract animals when all it takes is a quick swipe? Fight your lazy urges and never postpone something that can be done in less than 15 minutes.
Get Bins
Organizing your mess into bins is extremely helpful. Not only does this make it easy to find things when you need them, but it makes it very easy to clean up at the end of the day. Have a bin for mail, a bin for shoes and even one for books. There are plenty of pretty, decorative bins you can buy that will instantly make your house look neat and organized.
Declutter the Bathroom
We all have multitudes of bathroom products that we use on a daily basis. Keeping them all out on our bathroom counter will make the bathroom feel messy and chaotic. Rather than lining your products up for all to see, consider putting them in the cabinets, in the drawers of your vanity, or neatly in a decorative bin. Make sure all your products are still accessible, as you will still need to use them every single day. But, when you are done getting ready in the morning or when you are heading to bed at night, put all your toiletries back where they belong. This daily routine will help keep your bathroom looking clean and decluttered.
