Some days we’re just too busy to do any serious cleaning, or maybe we just don’t have the energy. Believe it or not, a minute here and a minute there can really make a difference in how your home looks.
One-minute chores are easy enough for kids to do, too, so keep this list handy throughout the summer!
30 Second Chores
- Empty a trash can.
- Change the hand towels in the kitchen or bathroom.
- Dust your coffee table.
- Rinse the kitchen sink.
- Wash your pet’s food or water bowl.
- Water a plant.
- Toss the junk mail.
- Straighten magazines.
- Wipe down a room’s light switches and door jambs.
- Shake out your Welcome Mat.
- Sweep the front step.
- Wipe fingerprints off of an appliance front.
- Polish the window over the sink.
- Clean a bathroom mirror.
- Dust a room’s picture frames.
1 Minute Chores
- Take magazines or newspapers to the recycling bin.
- Wipe the sinks and fixtures in a bathroom.
- Wipe down a bathroom vanity and toilet tank.
- Scrub a toilet.
- Dust the horizontal surfaces in a room.
- Pick up shoes near the front door.
- Empty one rack of the dishwasher.
- Run hot vinegar down a drain to degunk it.
- Dust some mini-blinds.
- Wipe down the kitchen table.
- Treat a clothing stain.
- Wash your coffee pot.
- Wipe the front of your kitchen cupboards.
- Straighten sofa pillows.
- Do a quick clutter patrol.
- Get the trash out of your car.
- Clean your cup holders.
- Microwave your wet kitchen sponge to sanitize it.
- Dust your entertainment center.
- Dust your computer monitor and keyboard.
- Scoop the cats’ litter box.
- Wipe up spills in the fridge.
- Change the box of baking soda in your fridge.
- Empty the paper shredder.
- Sweep the entry way.
Of course, no one is saying that you have to fill every minute of your day with housework. Where’s the fun in that? But by using free minutes, like when you’re on the phone or waiting for the kids to finish breakfast, you can tackle some of the little chores that make a big impact on how clean your home feels.
Have more time on your hands? Check out 30 more One Minute Chores and Yet Another 30 More One Minute Chores!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
That should be a 4 star rating. Damn touchscreen. BTW, the bathroom mirror takes way longer than a minute, but I am short and the mirror is pretty big
I’m short, too, and I despise doing mirrors because of that. But since I buff away spots during my daily routine (like you do, right? riiiiight???) it’s usually pretty quick to do them now.
In fact, if I’ve kept the water spots buffed away, all that’s left to do is go over it with a duster to get rid of anything that’s settled on the glass.
Does the hot vinegar down a drain really work?
Do you follow it with a hot water flush or is the vinegar meant to sit a while?
It works! I’ve busted up a few nasty grease-based clogs with it in my kitchen. Let it sit about 10 minutes and follow with hot, almost boiling water for best results.
Thanks! I can hear a drain calling.
Love this list! Pinning!
Thanks! I’ll be following it up with another list of 1-minute chores in the next few days, so be sure to visit again!
This is brilliant, I’m definitely going to link to it!
Thank you! Don’t miss the follow-up: 30 More One-Minute Chores.
Oh no, it’s definitely not supposed to talk!
What a terrific tip this is.
Tonight a have a perfectly clean kitchen drain.
I wonder if this would work to keep other household drains clean, or is it just meant for kitchen debris..hmm.
I’m glad it worked for you! It works in most drains. The acidity in the vinegar will help cut through hair clogs in a bathtub drain, for instance. They’re often caused by a buildup of soap or shampoo that turns stray hairs into a nasty mess. Since the vinegar dissolves that soap, the hairs usually swoosh away. The hot water rinse helps that along, and removes any additional conditioner/soap/shampoo mess in the drain.
It’s actually a really good practice to do this monthly, just to keep your drains running clear. I have a nasty-smelling one in our basement wet bar where food debris builds up in the trap and starts reeking. Every couple of weeks I flush the trap using this method to keep the sink at bay. (Telling my family to stop rinsing dishes in the wet bar sink hasn’t worked, unfortunately.)
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