It often feels like there’s not enough time in the day to keep things clean around the house, but there are plenty of cleaning tasks that don’t take a lot of time. In fact, some of those quick tasks only take a minute to do!
To help prove my point, I’m sharing 13 one-minute cleaning tasks with you in this post. This is not an exhaustive list of fast cleaning tasks, but rather a sampling to get you thinking about how you can better utilize those spare minutes you find throughout the day.
Devoting even a minute to keeping things clean can make a real difference, and save you time and effort down the road!
13 Things You Can Clean In One Minute
1. Your Phone
With how frequently we use them, our phones are exposed to a LOT of germs and bacteria. (A distressingly large amount, in fact!) The next time you have a minute to spare, why not give your phone a much-needed cleaning?
Start by turning off your phone and removing it from its case (if it has one). Clean the sides and back of your phone with a clean cloth and rubbing alcohol, and wipe down your phone case inside and out.
Finally, polish your phone’s screen with a dry microfiber cloth. (If your screen needs a more thorough cleaning, try this ultra-inexpensive DIY screen cleaning spray.)
2. Make Your Bed
Smoothing out your sheets and blankets only takes a few seconds, but it makes a huge difference! The simple act of making your bed can make the whole room look cleaner and tidier.
3. Your Fridge
Cleaning out your entire fridge will certainly take longer than one minute, but even a one-minute cleaning effort can help! If you have a minute to spare, take a look at the contents of your fridge and toss out anything old or expired.
If something has spilled or splattered, dampen a paper towel with warm water and wipe it up. Even those two steps will make your fridge look much cleaner!
4. Makeup Brushes
Cleaning your makeup brushes is a job that seems like it will take longer than it does. But even if you only have one minute to spare, you have plenty of time to clean a makeup brush! (Then the next time you have a spare minute, clean a different brush! You’ll work through your whole collection in no time.)
5. TV Remote
The next time you’re catching up on your favorite shows, take a minute to clean your TV remote! Add equal amounts of water and rubbing alcohol to a small dish, dip a soft cloth into it, then wipe down your remote (without getting it too wet.) A cotton swab can help you get into those tight spaces between the buttons.
6. Coffee Table
If your coffee table is anything like mine, it’s often a gathering place for empty cups, junk mail, and dust. But it only takes a minute to get it cleaned up! Clear away dishes, toss out trash, and wipe up dust and grime. Much better!
7. Kitchen Sink Drain
No matter how clean the rest of your sink is, the drain is often a different story! It can get really gross and even start to smell after a while, but you can clean it up in under a minute!
Use an old toothbrush (or a small scrub brush) and a few drops of natural dish soap to scrub both sides of the rubber drain guard. While you’re at it, clean your garbage disposal by tossing in a few lemon and vinegar ice cubes!
8. Light Switches
If you have a minute to spare, grab a disinfecting cleaning wipe (or spray a cloth with an all-purpose cleaner) and clean the nearest light switch. Take a quick lap around the house and hit all the other light switches along the way too.
9. Doorknobs
Another quick whole-home cleaning task you can do in one minute is wiping down all your doorknobs! Doorknobs are notorious for harboring germs, so taking a minute to wipe them clean can go a long way toward keeping you and your family healthy (especially during cold and flu season!)
10. Entryway
Take a minute to tidy up your entryway. Hang up coats, hats, and bags, put discarded shoes where they belong, and sweep up any stray dirt or debris that has gotten tracked inside.
11. Laundry Baskets
I don’t know if this bothers anyone else, but I hate seeing the dust, hair, and other debris that tends to collect at the bottom of an empty laundry basket. But cleaning that debris out makes a great one-minute cleaning project! :-) Just dampen a cleaning rag and make your way around the house, wiping out the bottom of each basket.
12. Unload The Dishes
The worst part about seeing a sink full of dirty dishes is realizing that the dishwasher is still full of clean dishes. So if you have a minute to spare, go ahead and unload those clean dishes! It doesn’t take nearly as long as loading the dishwasher, and you’ll be thanking yourself later when it’s time to load it up again!
13. Your Purse
If you have time for a one-minute cleaning project, why not clear some of the clutter out of your purse? Toss out any trash and anything you don’t need, and put things back in an organized manner. (In the future, a purse organizer can help you keep things organized!)
What would you clean or tidy up if you only had one minute to do it?