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If you’re struggling with your spring cleaning motivation, or want a great place to begin, try this checklist for 14 spring cleaning chores you can do in the dining room, generally within 5 minutes or less.
We also offer tips, how-to instructions, and insight on habits you can develop to make things easier long term.
- Pick at least one out of these 14 spring cleaning chores for the dining room and try to complete it in 5 minutes.
- Plan ahead and have a good idea of what you’re going to work on and how you plan to do it.
- Prep the area with whatever tools, cleaning products, or other items you might need, such as a donation box or step ladder.
- Set a timer for five minutes or for however long you wish.
- Clean without stopping.
- Clean as quickly as you can and try to finish on time.
- Allow enough time to clean up after you’re finished, or opt to go 5 minutes longer before you begin.
- Whatever you don’t finish can be moved to the next day or even later in the day.
- If you set the timer for longer than 5 minutes, try to avoid going too long since we’re breaking things down into manageable timeframes.
- Try stacking sessions on top of each other. For example, you might clean a few drawers for 5 minutes and then do the microwave and whatever else for another five minutes.
- Whatever items you’ll need to clean with.
- A timer.
- Things to help prevent extra trips or steps (i.e., trashcan or bag).
- A donation box or bag (optional).
1. Make It Entertaining!
If you plan to do several 5-minute spring cleaning dining room tasks in a row, make it entertaining by joining it with other things you enjoy and can do simultaneously. However, make sure you won’t get distracted by whatever that entertainment is at the time.
Popular choices typically include Podcasts, music, YouTube videos, the news, or audiobooks. You can also use songs, videos, or programs like Audible’s timer feature to time sessions.
2. Pay Attention to How Long Cleaning Jobs Take
Keeping track of your time will give you a more accurate idea of how long things take to finish in the future. Especially since we tend to overthink how long or how hard chores will take in reality. This can really be helpful for people who hate cleaning or tend to procrastinate.
3. Don’t Hesitate to Combine Spring Cleaning Chores
If you finish before time’s up and don’t mind doing several sessions at once, it may help to do other similar chores if you have the time. For example, if you plan to clean the sink, try to clean the garbage disposal first to avoid a potential mess. And if you’re going to run the dishwasher, why not toss those grates, microwave parts, or washable filters in there too?
Have fun with it, experiment, and get creative. I love turning it into a game to see how much I can really get done in x-amount of time.
! If you missed the start of our spring cleaning 5-minute cleaning series, where we cover 21 easy chores you can do in the kitchen within just a few minutes, click here.
5-minute Spring Cleaning Tasks
Quick Tips
Take a few minutes to declutter the space.
You should be able to get this done in a session or two, depending on how much stuff you have to work on. If you need more time or want to work on it throughout the week, or even the month, feel free to adjust accordingly.
Decluttering Tips
- Donate or give away whatever items you don’t use or love.
- Throw away or repurpose whatever isn’t being used, can’t be donated, or is broken.
- Put away whatever items don’t belong in the room or find a home for them.
Tote-ly useful hack: Consider using laundry hampers, baskets, or bags for decluttering rather than setting them in a pile to deal with later. This will help you cart items to their proper places faster.
Prep ‘n’ Go: It’s always a good idea to prep the space before setting out to clean it. If you think you’ll have some stuff to throw away, bring a trash bag or bin with you. It can also be helpful to have a donation bag or box nearby as well as any cleaning supplies.
KonMari: If you find that getting rid of or donating items is difficult for you, I highly recommend giving The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo a read. You can also catch her on her new Netflix series, though we’ve not watched it yet.
Set the timer for 5 minutes and work on dusting the vents.
Since you’ll likely have time left over, don’t hesitate to combine this task with other types of dusting, such as the walls, furniture, ceiling fixtures, baseboards, wood trim, window treatments, etc. Or you could opt to clean all the vents in the house if not just the same floor.
You can use a filter subscription to keep you on track and to ensure that you always have a filter on hand.
I loved this during peak seasons, back when my ex and I gave Filterjoy a try (not affiliated). Or set your phone or other smart devices to remind you to check your filter, which is what I like to do.
Tip: Dust your vents, including the AC-Furnace return vent, at least once a month to prevent buildup and to ensure that your unit runs as best as it can.
Take some time to dust your ceiling, walls, wall decor, and light fixtures.
This can be done with a regular 360 duster, such as many microfiber dusters on the market. There are also options like the Swiffer 360.
I sometimes use a floor dust mop, such as this one by E-Cloth. They’re easy to use to reach the ceiling and cover a lot of space in one go.
Tip: To avoid lint issues and unnecessary extra work, try dusting the surface before cleaning.
It’s usually a good idea to clean your painted walls at least once a year, and if safe to do so on the type of paint that you have.
Doing so can help make the paint and home look brand new and a whole lot cleaner.
De-marking
Demarking the walls can sometimes be done using a cloth, but do so carefully to avoid removing too much paint.
Light scuff marks can also sometimes be removed using something like a Magic Eraser, which you should generally do before cleaning your walls since these products can sometimes rub off onto surfaces.
Washing By hand
To do this, you can use a barely damp, lint-free cloth (microfiber is recommended) to clean the walls if that’s your preference.
You’ll also likely need a step ladder or something safe to stand on. I sometimes try to attach my microfiber cloth to something for better reach, such as our OXO Tub and Shower Scrubber.
Wall Mop Method
In Part One of our 5-Minute Spring Cleaning Kitchen Chores posts, we discussed de-marking walls and how some people, myself included like to use microfiber mops with a swivel head to “mop” walls.
There are also actual wall cleaners on the market, which are essentially the same thing. It’s a much faster and more efficient method, and it can make cleaning the walls a breeze.
Disclaimer: Regardless of which method you use to wash or de-mark your walls, always spot-test an inconspicuous place first to avoid damage.
If you haven’t done so already while dusting or cleaning the walls, give your baseboards and other wood trim some TLC.
This would include anything from baseboards and doorframes to mantels or window frames and sills.
Feel free to break things down into manageable chunks.
Tips & Tricks
Tip: I personally have the best luck so far using my O-Cedar Spin Mop on baseboards, but I’m still on the lookout for other options. However, if your baseboards have been neglected for a while, it’s best to do it by hand initially so you can see better.
Spend a few minutes dusting off the furniture to remove loose dirt, debris, and lint. Then clean your dining room furniture pieces.
Some people prefer to do this with products Pledge or Endust. I like to use a barely-damp microfiber cloth.,but do what’s best for the type of furniture you have or that suits your preference.
If need be, split the dusting and cleaning into separate 5-minute sessions or however long you think it will take—especially if you have a lot of furniture. Clean any decor items in the order you feel is best.
Tip: Always make sure to dry dust before you use any wet method of cleaning. This helps to avoid loose lint and debris from smearing all over the surface, and it takes just a few seconds to do.
Replacing worn or missing bumper pads isn’t a crucial task to get done, but it can soften sounds within your home as well as protect your cabinetry and can help protect your floors.
It’s also super quick and easy to do, and you likely won’t have to do it again for a long while.
Tip: Check out our post on 5 Ways to Use Leftover Rubber & Felt Furniture Feet Pads for more valuable hacks that you can use leftover rubber or felt pads for in just a few minutes.
Make sure any textile-type items are appropriately washed or cleaned if they haven’t been in a while.
This is also an excellent time to go through and declutter what you don’t use or need.
You can also include faux plants that can be cleaned by hand or according to the manufacturer’s care instructions.
Typical Items to Clean
Take a few minutes to use a barely damp cloth to wet dust any knickknacks or decor pieces in the room (when safe to do so). How long this takes may vary and depend on how much stuff you have in the room or how long it’s been since you’ve cleaned.
Feel free to take as much time as you need and feel comfortable doing it in one sitting. Or work at it gradually in 5 to 10-minute increments or as you have the time.
! Less stuff = less work. While we love our decorations, they can create a lot of visual stimulation and distraction, potentially increasing stress levels, and give us more work than we might have bargained for.
Give your window treatments a little love and a good cleaning.
If you have blinds, shades, or shutters, give them a thorough wipe-down. If you have curtains or valences that need to be cleaned, follow the care instructions they came with and shake them out outside well before cleaning.
Tip: Certain types may require delicate handling through methods such as dry cleaning. Some individuals like to freshen their curtains in the dryer, which is also great for removing fur and other types of debris, or they might wash them in the washer first.
Clean the interior side of your windows—especially if it’s been a while. However, feel free to get the outside too or make windows into a separate category.
Don’t forget to clean any rugs and doormats according to their care instructions.
Some types may need to be professionally cleaned or done with a non-commercial carpet cleaner, such as our Bissell Pet Revolution 2x, which we hope to review soon.
Other, often smaller rugs can often be washed in the washing machine or even hosed off outside, depending on the material involved.
Rug Cleaning Tips
If you haven’t already, make sure to clean any points of contact.
These are typically high-traffic areas or items that we touch regularly, many of which get their fair share of bacteria, grime, grease, and other unmentionables over time.
And since there can be a lot of areas to cover in the average home, it’s often easier to go room-by-room instead of all at once.
Common Points of Contact
Tip: Clean around areas such as doorknobs and light switches too. Whether we can see it or not, they get a little bit of abuse and gradually get dirtier over time. It just may not be as noticeable until things start looking pretty filthy from a distance.
Cleaning the furniture is pretty straightforward and relatively easy to do. Again, you can use your favorite furniture cleaner or polish, such as Pledge or Endust, or a slightly wet cloth or microfiber product.
Tip: Make sure to get all the detailed nooks and crannies, not to mention the back. You may also need to have a vacuum and duster on hand if you haven’t dusted or vacuumed the area for a while.
Conclusion
Getting your spring cleaning tasks finished in the dining room can be relatively quick and easy. In many cases, you can get a lot of small jobs done in 5 minutes or less.
You may even be able to finish in one day, simply by following some of the tips we covered. And the more you stay on top of it, the faster seasonal cleaning, or even just spring cleaning, becomes.
- Declutter the room.
- Clean and dust the vents.
- Dust ceiling, walls, wall décor, and light fixtures.
- Clean and demark walls and ceiling.
- Dust and clean baseboards and other trim.
- Dust and clean furniture.
- Replace worn or missing furniture pads.
- Wash fabric or textile items.
- Dust and clean knickknacks and other décor pieces.
- Clean window treatments.
- Clean inside windows and doors.
- Clean area rugs and doormats.
- Clean points of contact.
- Wipe furniture clean.
- Give yourself a set amount of time to finish a task. It will help you get things done in a faster and more efficient manner.
- Set a timer, make a timed music playlist, or listen to x-amount of pages or chapters of your favorite audiobook to pace yourself.
- Treat it like a game and move as fast as you can.
- Prep your space before starting.
- Don’t hesitate to stack more than one session or task on top of other ones if you want to clean for a longer time period.
- Feel free to break jobs that might take you longer than five minutes into smaller sessions or continue later on if you need to.
- Make things entertaining by listening to distraction-free music, Podcasts, audiobooks, or shows and videos that you won’t feel the need to watch.
Happy Spring Cleaning 🙂
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