15 Spring Cleaning Tasks You Can Do in Under a Minute

In need of some quick spring cleaning ideas? We’ve got you covered! Instead of writing a lengthy spring cleaning checklist, we’ve rounded up more than a dozen easy tasks that take less than a minute. This way, you can tackle your spring cleaning chores in a more manageable way rather than overwhelming yourself by trying to finish it all in one weekend.

1. Use your dishwasher to clean hairbrushes, flip-flops, and pet toys.

You know all those annoying bits and bobs you don’t know how to clean — like hairbrushes, keys, and your son’s mouthguard? Instead of tossing them all in a pile and saying, “I’ll get to them later,” load them in the dishwasher and hit start. Plastics and metals are usually dishwasher-safe, but you may want to do a quick Google search before you set them in the rack.

2. Go over furniture with a lint roller.

A lint roller is a genius alternative to a vacuum when you’re short on time. Just rub it over furniture and clothes and watch pet hair and lint disappear. Storing lint rollers strategically around the house will ensure there’s always one nearby when you’re covered in cat hair and guests are due in five minutes.

3. Ditch old receipts and other annoying pocket clutter.

Now’s the time to clean out crumpled receipts and empty candy and gum wrappers from your purse and coat pockets. This will make it easier to put these items in storage once it’s officially time to switch to spring and summer wardrobes.

4. Tackle a messy drawer.

Instead of refolding every piece of clothing you own, find a particularly messy drawer — maybe it’s the sock and underwear drawer — and reorganize it. This means finding matches for all your socks and tossing those that have lost their mate. It’s also time to throw out ratty undergarments and treat yourself to some new knickers. 

5. Wipe out your car’s cup holders.

Coffee spills and crumbs make for one sticky mess. Luckily, a Clorox wipe is all you need to wipe away months (or even years) of built-up gunk. Then, try out our no-vacuum hack to prevent messes in the future. 

6. Recycle old newspapers and magazines. 

It’s time to recycle the old newspapers, magazines, and coupons cluttering your coffee table. By removing these obvious eyesores, your room instantly looks more organized.

7. De-clutter the coffee table.

Over time, your coffee table becomes the center of clutter. Take 30 seconds to collect dirty glasses and move them to the dishwasher, put the TV remotes back in their proper places, and scrub away any stains and sticky spots.  

8. Unsubscribe from spam emails.

For many of us, the sight of a cluttered inbox is enough to send our hearts racing. Whenever you have a free minute, unsubscribe from junk emails and delete them to free up space and prevent future spam.

9. Get rid of weird sink smells.

There are plenty of things you should never put down your garbage disposal that may cause weird odors to emanate from your sink. The good news is you can rid of the stink by dropping a few lemon peels down the drain and then turning on your garbage disposal while running cold water.

10. Clean your fan blades with a pillowcase.

If dust from your fan blades is making your springtime allergies worse, it’s time to give them a good wipe down The best way to clean a ceiling fan without taking a dust shower is to place a pillowcase over the blades before wiping them. This will prevent the dust from getting everywhere, plus you can simply toss the dirty sheet in the laundry pile when you’re done.

11. Make your bed.

Something as simple as making the bed can instantly make your room look more organized. Plus, just think of how nice it will be to climb into a freshly made bed when you’re exhausted at the end of the day instead of having to pick up any blankets that have fallen off overnight or re-fluff your pillows. 

12. Wipe down light switches and door handles.

These are household items that everyone touches a lot, which means they get dirty quickly. You can get rid of sticky spots and fingerprint grease by taking a Clorox wipe and giving them a good polish. This will make a big difference if you have brass or silver hardware.

13. Clean your oven.

People think cleaning the oven takes hours, but all you need to do is stick the racks in the dishwasher and hit the self-clean button on your oven. Then, you can walk away and let your appliances do their thing.

14. Sanitize your kitchen sponge.

It’s no surprise that kitchen sponges are hotbeds for bacteria. Lucky for you, it takes less than 30 seconds to prepare a cleaning solution for your scrubber. Just mix one cup of water with ¾ cup of bleach and let your sponge soak in the concoction for five minutes. 

15. Sprinkle Tang in the toilet and flush away stains.

We knew you could clean your dishwasher with Tang, but it turns out you can also use it to clean your toilet. Simply sprinkle the orange drink mix directly on the bowl and let it sit for an hour. When you flush, you’ll see the citric acid in Tang has lifted any stains.