How to clean if you only have five minutes?

ONE MINUTE

You can find a minute while you wait for coffee to brew, or your shower to get hot.Throw away a few pieces of trash. Wipe down a counter or surface. Make the bed.

TWO MINUTES

You can find two minutes while you let the dog outside (in your fenced yard, of course!)Sweep/swiffer the floor in one room. Put away a few items of laundry. Put ten things away that aren’t where they belong.

FIVE MINUTES

You can find five minutes while you fill the tub or wait for the water to boil for dinner. Or, while you’re binging Netflix, as the intro plays.Clear off one shelf, counter, or table top. Empty the dishwasher or dish drainer. Clean the toilet or shower/tub.

10 MINUTES

You can find 10 minutes in between binging episodes (bonus, it gets you up and moving!). Or, plan to take the time right after work, before changing into your comfy clothes, or maybe in those few minutes while you wait for your partner to finish getting ready before you go out.Collect and wash dishes Vacuum one room. Put a load of laundry away.

20 MINUTES

This is a time to actually schedule, Hoffman said. Set it aside at, say, the beginning of weekend. “Saturday mornings are great,” she said. “Do it early so it’s not looming over you.”Deal with the “floordrobe” (or “chairdrobe” or “bedrobe”) and put all clothes away Clean the bathroom Do an in depth clean of one room.

Inspired to do more after that 20 minutes? I know I usually am, once I get going. It’s just as important to take time in between the 20 minute sessions, Hoffman said, lest you spin back out into a marathon session. Sit down with a cup of coffee or, hey, no judgment, scroll through Instagram for five minutes. If you’re still motivated and find yourself looking for things to do (stranger things have happened!) check out Hoffman’s Ten Things You Forget to Clean checklists for inspiration. But if you don’t feel like going back to cleaning after your break, no worries. You’ll find a few minutes somewhere else today.