5 Minute Cleaning Tips for Moms Who Hate Cleaning

Alessandra | Posted on November 21, 2024 |

As moms, we know the house can get messy quickly and sometimes it feels silly to clean when you know your house is going to get messy again instantly. In this blog, I’m sharing cleaning tips for moms to help you keep your house tidied up in just a few minutes a day!

If you’re looking for some realistic cleaning tips for moms, you’re in the right place! Being a mom comes with a never-ending list of tasks, and cleaning often feels like the most daunting one of all. I totally get it because it seems when you do clean up, it’s immediately messed up again, which can feel like a total drag. Which can also lead you to think, “what’s the point?” For moms who hate cleaning, the idea of scrubbing, sorting, and tidying can be overwhelming, especially with kids running around.

But here’s the secret: housework doesn’t have to take hours of your day! With bite-sized cleaning tasks that only take five minutes, you can chip away at the chaos without feeling like you’re stuck in an endless cycle of chores. Below are simple, quick cleaning tips to keep your home in check without dreading it. And I know this works because I use these tips myself for my family of 5!

While my home is nowhere near perfectly clean, it is tidied up and decluttered. The sink is typically cleared of dirty dishes, the laundry is always folded, and the crumbs are at a minimum. Keep reading to learn how, plus get my morning routine checklist to help you start each day off on the right foot so you can feel calmer each day.

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5 Minute Cleaning Tips For Moms

Cleaning isn’t exactly anyone’s favorite activity, and as a mom, it’s often the last thing you feel like doing after a busy day. But keeping your house somewhat tidy doesn’t have to mean hours of scrubbing and folding. Sometimes, all you need are a few quick, manageable tasks to stay on top of the chaos. These 5-minute cleaning tips are perfect for moms who hate cleaning but want to maintain a livable, less overwhelming space.

I truly believe the best way to go about cleaning is to just do it. One quote I live by is “if it takes 5 minutes, just do it.” And the thing is, most tasks do only take 5, maybe 10 minutes at a time. Yes, even that load of laundry sitting on your bed will take only a few minutes to fold! 😉 Keep reading for easy, bite-sized cleaning tips for moms to help you keep up with housework without feeling overwhelmed.

1. Swipe Down the Bathroom Sink

Keep disinfectant wipes or a microfiber cloth in your bathroom. In under five minutes, you can wipe down the sink, faucet, and countertop to keep things fresh. Do this each morning or at the end of the day as a little daily reset. Bonus points if you quickly wipe the mirror, too!

2. Tackle One Small Surface

Pick a single surface, like the kitchen counter, coffee table, or a nightstand. Put away stray items, wipe it down, and enjoy the satisfaction of a clean spot in no time. Pick one spot everyday to tackle. It’s way easier to keep up with smaller messes than a bunch of huge ones!

3. Speed-Sweep High-Traffic Areas

Grab a broom or vacuum and give the entryway, kitchen, or living room a quick sweep. Focus on just crumbs and visible dirt, there is no need to get every single corner. This isn’t a deep clean, it’s just about maintaining so everything is in order. Do this every other day or after dinner time to keep the crumbs and dirt at bay.

4. Toss Laundry into the Machine

Pop a load of laundry into the washer each morning. It only takes a minute (literally) but it’s one less thing to worry about later! Even better, set a timer to remind yourself when it’s done so you can throw it in the dryer. Follow my Ultimate Laundry Routine to learn how to keep up with laundry for good so it’s never sitting in piles, unfolded in your house again!

5. Do a Toy or Shoe Round-Up

Have toys scattered about or shoe piles at every door? I get it! Grab a basket and scoop up stray toys, shoes, or clutter from the floor. Deposit the items where they belong or in a designated “to-be-sorted” bin. Also include your children in the clean up. Have them put their shoes in their specific places. My kids each have a $5 Target bin that they store their shoes in. This has truly helped the shoe clutter in our home!

6. Clean as You Cook

While waiting for the pasta to boil or the microwave to beep, wipe down the stove, load the dishwasher, or even organize a drawer. You’ll stay productive without adding extra time to your day. This has become a game changer for me. I love throwing a casserole in the oven then cleaning the dirty dishes and cleaning up the table so we can sit and eat.

7. Wipe Door Handles and Light Switches

Don’t you love sticky door handles? HA! Me either. Weekly, use a disinfectant wipe to clean commonly touched spots like door handles, light switches, and remotes. It’s insanely quick and keeps germs at bay. Definitely do it this at the start of an illness and at the end of it!

8. Quick Bathroom Declutter

Set a time and then open your bathroom drawers and/or cabinets and toss out empty bottles, expired products, or old products you just haven’t used in the last few months. Five minutes later, you have a completely decluttered space and it’s one less mess to face!

9. Sweep or Mop a Small Area

Use a Swiffer or mop to quickly clean one small area of your home, like under the dining table. It doesn’t even have to be the whole floor if you’re not up to it. Just focus on what you see most often and what gets the dirtiest. Once you get the momentum going, you mind find you want to keep going.

10. Tidy the Couch

Before you sit down to snuggle and watch tv with your kiddos, do a quick couch clean! Fluff the pillows, fold the blankets, and pick up crumbs from the couch. In minutes, your living room feels more inviting and less chaotic. Seriously, how come when the pillows are put across the couch nicely you instantly feel less overstimulated? Try it out and see how it feels.

11. Clear Out the Fridge

The night before trash day, do a quick fridge clean out. Spend a few minutes tossing old condiments and outdated leftovers from the fridge. This small task is quick and instantly frees up space to keep your fridge fresh so you have room for the next grocery haul. If you’re feeling up to it, you can even wipe the shelves down real quick and wipe the top of your fridge!

12. Sort Mail or Papers

I’m not sure about you, but piles of papers quickly grow in my house. It’s like the grow out of thin air if I’m honest. To keep them at bay, grab the pile of mail or papers on your counter and sort it. Toss out the junk mail, file important documents, and shred sensitive materials, if needed. This quick task will help you declutter instantly, leaving your counter spaces neat!

13. Declutter One Drawer

We all have “that one drawer.” The junk drawer haunts us all! Take time every once in a while to sort through your junk drawer. Get rid of things you no longer need, put some items where they actually belong, and organize it all. This will help you feel productive and a little bit less overwhelmed by the clutter.

14. Clean the Microwave

Is it just me or does the microwave suddenly become dirty and disgusting overnight? I swear it’s completely clean until it’s not. Fill a microwave-safe bowl with vinegar and heat it in the microwave for 5 minutes. This will make it way easier to wipe out all the stuck on food. Wipe it all down with a sponge or paper towel and voilá, you have a sparkling microwave in under 10 minutes!

Now that you have these quick 5-minute cleaning tips for moms, put them to work by getting into the best routine! Grab my FREE Morning Routine Checklist below and take your mornings from chaos to calm in just a few days.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, cleaning doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing! Take it a day at a time. By tackling these small, manageable tasks in just five minutes, you’ll make steady progress without feeling overwhelmed or burnt out. Remember, your home doesn’t have to be spotless! A lived-in looking home is completely acceptable. You just need (and probably want) it to be functional for you and your family. Embrace the small wins, and over time, you’ll notice how these bite-sized tasks add up to a cleaner, calmer space. And that’s a win!

What’s your favorite quick cleaning hack? Share it in the comments below.

The Motherhood Burnout Guide

Are you feeling completely overwhelmed and burnt out by motherhood? If the daily tasks, lack of routines, and guilt of motherhood is daunting and exhausting to you, then the Motherhood Burnout Guide is for you! Click the image below to learn more.

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