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Feel like you lack the time, patience, desire, or motivation to clean, even when you really need to? Then check out these 75 simple 2-minute chores, which can be ideal for those with busy lives as well as people who might be prone to procrastination or find it hard to know where to start.
2-Minute Cleaning Chores
1. Clean kitchen counters.
Believe it or not, you can easily clean counters in your kitchen in less than two minutes. And if there’s not a lot sitting out or to move, you should be able to get it done in less than one minute.
2. Speed clean a bathroom.
Hate cleaning the bathroom? Try daily maintenance or partial cleaning, which can be as quick or as detailed as you want.
You can typically get a lot done in the bathroom in under two minutes, from tidying up and wiping down the counters, spot-cleaning the mirror, and even giving the toilet a quick wipe down.
Example of 2-minute Maintenance Bathroom Cleaning
- Tidy up your counters and anything left sitting out.
- If it’s been a few days since you’ve cleaned the toilet, check to see if there’s lint. If so, try to dust it away using a piece of dry toilet paper or paper towel before spraying anything onto the surface.
- Take a few seconds to spray down your counters, sink, and faucet with your favorite spray cleaner.
- Spray the toilet tank and seat underneath the seat, rim, and inside the bowl (optional).
- Clean the counters, faucet, and then sink.
- Follow up by cleaning the tank, handle, lid, seat, under the seat, and around the rim. Make sure to work your way from top to bottom to avoid contamination.
- Spot clean mirrors using a lightly damp microfiber cloth alongside a polishing cloth (option).
- Check trash and empty it if necessary.
- Change any used hand towels.
- Check toilet paper.
Psst… Also, don’t forget our post 14 Easy Tips on How to Clean Your Bathroom Faster in order to speed up the bathroom cleaning process.
3. Wipe down your kitchen appliances.
Take a minute or two to wipe down the exterior side of your kitchen appliances. You can do this with a lightly damp microfiber cloth and a polishing cloth, or something like a stainless steel polish if you happen to have stainless steel without the fingerprint-proof feature.
4. Clean the stovetop.
Cleaning your stovetop can easily join the 2-minute chores list, providing things are kept up on and spills and debris are cleaned up sooner rather than later.
Try to aim for lint-free cleaning cloths and try to experiment to get a feel for what works best for your particular stovetop type.
5. Maintenance brush your pet.
Take a minute or two to brush your pet. You don’t have to be super detailed; just do what you can do in that amount of time.
Every bit counts, and it’s something you can do off and on throughout the week if the idea puts you off to do a full-blown brushing session, otherwise.
More Pet-Related Cleaning Tips
6. Dust and clean the light fixtures.
Cleaning your light fixtures is another great task from our 2-minute chores list that you can do pretty much whenever. However, we usually recommend dusting directly before vacuuming—especially if you haven’t dusted in a while.
Cleaning your light fixtures may include simply dusting the items or dusting and following up with a lightly damp cloth afterward to wipe things down.
7. Empty the vacuum.
Most people hate cleaning out the vacuum, which is why it’s an excellent task to use as a 2-minute cleaning chore or challenge.
It’s also a good way of reminding yourself just how fast cleaning a vacuum out can be in reality, since many people tend to overthink it or cleaning tasks in general.
Tips and Helpful Habits
8. Deep Clean a Toilet
And in case you missed cleaning the toilet during Step 6, it can take less than a minute to deep clean your toilet, including the bowl. Who knew?
And the more frequently you do it, the less disgusting it feels and easier it will be to clean. After all, there’s less lint and dust involved and just less of the other mess in general if you keep up on it.
9. Clean some cabinet doors or drawer fronts.
Cleaning the kitchen or bathroom cabinet doors and drawer fronts may seem pointless, but a lot of gunk, grease, and stuck-on dust can accumulate on them over time which can be difficult to clean after a while.
Wiping them clean on a consistent basis can save you a lot of cleaning trouble later. Plus, it only takes a few minutes and can help keep your kitchen looking clean, fresh, and inviting.
Best of all, you can usually get the job done with a microfiber cloth that’s been barely dampened with warm water.
NOTE: Always test first to make sure that your cabinets can handle a small amount of water or refer to the cabinetry manufacturer’s instructions.
10. Wipe down the interior of your microwave.
Taking two minutes or less (usually less) to clean the inside of your microwave on a consistent basis throughout the week is a great way to maintenance clean your microwave and minimize the need for any heavy-duty cleaning.
All you need is a lightly damp microfiber using warm water. Or use a slightly soapy sponge or cloth first if there’s some stuck-on mess involved before wiping clean.
Psst… Need more tips on cleaning your microwave? Check out our posts on How to Keep a Microwave Clean Longer and More Easily and 7 Best Microwave Cleaning Methods for Quick and Easy Cleanup next (new tabs).
11. Clean and de-crumb the toaster or toaster oven.
It’s one of those tasks a lot of people skip out on as much as possible, but cleaning your toaster or toaster oven generally only takes a minute or so, assuming things have been allowed to build up or have become petrified.
You can save a lot of time and potentially prevent things like potential fires or ants by routinely emptying the crumbs and wiping things down before it gets too bad—especially if you have a toaster oven.
12. Clean and tidy a kitchen shelf or drawer.
Hate cleaning and organizing the inside of your kitchen drawers or cabinets?
Consider tidying, cleaning, decluttering, and reorganizing them more often. Doing so can make the process faster, especially if you do it on a consistent basis.
We generally recommend tidying up at least twice a year or every other quarter or season.
Best of all, you can typically clean and organize your shelves or drawers at whatever pace feels right for you–whether if that’s one or two at a time or all of them in one go.
Tip: It sometimes helps to schedule cleaning cabinet shelves and drawers around times when you plan to declutter your home and donate items. You can also set a timer to help motivate and keep you focused, regardless if it’s for 1 minute to a half hour.
13. Dust the top of your refrigerator.
It’s helpful to dust at least the top of the refrigerator every month or so since fridges tend to be dust magnets due to the amount of electricity involved.
The more often you do it, the less dust involved. The less dust involved, the less mess you’ll have to clean up later.
14. Clean the kitchen or bathroom sink.
Cleaning the kitchen or bathroom sink generally takes a few seconds, but it’s still something that people tend to neglect, leading to more unnecessary work later on. And, luckily, you can easily add cleaning sinks to your routine.
Some people do this by adding it to their daily morning cleaning chores or evening routine chores, generally stacked with other small or must-do tasks.
Others may make it a part of their daily or throughout the week, even if they don’t do it at a specific time.
15. Clean the medicine cabinet.
Cleaning the medicine cabinet can sound tedious, but it can be really quick to do and usually only takes 2 minutes or so at best.
Just make sure to move at a reasonable rate and have a rough idea of how you’ll be doing things. Try to clean the mirror as well, if you can.
16. Empty expired foods from a fridge or pantry shelf.
Even if you don’t get to all of it at once, spending a minute or two during the week to clean out your fridge or pantry can be a great way to keep down on the clutter and mess.
It’s also great for keeping track of any food you might need to repurchase or maybe don’t want to repurchase in the near future due to it not being eaten soon enough.
Tip: You can even do this around times like Trash Day or before you go grocery shopping so that the fridge and grocery list are ready to go when you need them to be.
17. Speed clean a few windows.
Cleaning your windows can be broken down into bite-sized chunks if you struggle with doing them consistently.
Regardless if you plan to do one window, one floor at a time, or several in one shot, you can set a two or even 5-minute timer to bust through the task at your leisure. The neat part is the more you do it, the faster and easier it gets.
18. Clean some mirrored or glass surfaces.
Just as with cleaning your windows, you can also speed clean your mirrored and glass surfaces as 2-minute chores, even if you don’t get to all of it in one sitting.
Common Glass or Mirror Surfaces
19. Speed dust a room.
Speed dusting a room or floor can be a great way to keep up on the task on a weekly basis. You also don’t have to be super meticulous about it.
Do what you can and get to the rest later, whether you plan to work at it as a 2-minute chore or prefer to go for longer.
20. Empty the trash and/or recycling.
Emptying the trash and recycling are often easy 2-minute chores that you can get done at virtually any time.
Handling the trash and recycling are also easy-to-do tasks that you can do while multitasking on other things.
This might include cooking, talking on the phone, listening to a audiobook or music, cleaning out the refrigerator, or even emptying trash elsewhere in the house, such as bathroom trash, outdoor debris, etc.
Tip: You can further multitask with the trash and recycling by stacking it with related chores, such as cleaning out the fridge each week around Trash Day.
21. Clean a trash can or recycling bin.
One way to stay on top of cleaning is to clean things before they get dirty, and quickly wiping down the trash and/or recycling bins as you empty them.
Staying on top of wiping down the trash and recycling bins consistently can help you avoid having to deal with a bigger mess later, if were you to wait.
A good, consistent routine for this would be about every month or so, and all you really need to do is spray and wipe it clean or use a disposable wipe.
Tip: To avoid big messes, leaks, and stenches in your trashcan or recycling bin, make sure to properly rinse things out like bottles, cans, and plastics, and to allow them to dry completely before putting discarding them.
Tip: If you tend to forget to clean your trashcan, consider setting a reminder in your calendar, planner, or digital devices.
22. Tidy up a few refrigerator shelves.
Most people hate cleaning out the fridge, but you can lessen the load and sense of it being a burden by breaking it down into smaller tasks and/or by using maintenance cleaning methods.
For instance, each week, on Trash Day or grocery shopping days, you can clean out expired and/or near-empty items from your refrigerator and move around whatever is left on the refrigerator to wipe down the shelves with a lightly damp cloth.
Tip: If you don’t think you can clean out expired foods and quickly wipe down shelves in 2-5 minutes, you can split it up.
Tip: You don’t have to use spray cleaners or even soapy water and sponge when maintenance cleaning a fridge. Instead, try a good-quality microfiber cloth that’s been lightly damp with warm water and wrung out well for faster cleaning.
Psst… Curious about how to clean your microfiber cloths, towels, and mop pads? Then you might like our posts on Learn How to Wash Microfiber Cleaning Cloths and Towels and 14 Tips on How to Use and Maintain Microfiber Cloths, Towels, and Pads next (new tab).
23. Make the bed.
Making the bed can be pretty easy to do, particularly if you don’t kick around too much.
This is also something that can act as a motivational sense of accomplishment to rev up the rest of your productive day.
It’s also ideal for boosting your mood while helping you to relax due to less visual stimulation and other psychological benefits.
Psst… Want tips on how to speed up making your bed or more motivation to get you started? Check out our post on 18 Ways to Reduce the Amount of Time and Effort It Takes to Make Your Bed and Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Make Your Bed next (new tabs).
24. Speed tidy a room.
As mentioned previously, you can get a surprising amount of cleaning, organizing, and other household tasks done in 2-minute sessions, including when it comes to tidying up a room.
Even if you aren’t able to clean the entire room, every bit helps.
Two and 5-minute Tidy Ups are also awesome to incorporate in your morning and/or evening routines, or even through the rest of your day.
Ideal 2-Minute or 5-minute Tidy Up Areas and Tasks
25. Tidy a dresser or nightstand drawer.
It’s good to declutter and tidy up your dresser, nightstands, and other spaces at least twice a year, if not every quarter.
Tidying up a dresser, nightstand, or wardrobe drawer or two a day can be great for virtually any room and for those who cringe at the idea of doing the entire thing at once.
Note: We also cover cabinet shelves in Step #55, which is fairly similar but you may find it easier to do drawers and shelves separately in some cases.
26. Wipe Down the above-the-stove vent, filter, and/or hood.
Taking the time to regularly wipe down your above-the-stove vent, filter, or hood can potentially save you from a lot of stuck-on grease buildup and scrubbing.
This can be more so the case if you do a lot of cooking with oils and fats or do a lot of frying.
Preventing grease buildup within the home as well as cleaning stove vent filters regularly can also be the ideal way to prevent or reduce household odors.
27. Water plants.
One of the easiest tasks on our 2-minute chores list that takes just a few minutes is watering your plants.
And if you’re in the habit of forgetting to water plants, try to set a recurring reminder on your phone, habit tracker, to-do list, calendar, or planner.
28. Dust some plant leaves.
While watering your plants is obviously important, many people tend to forget or neglect to dust the leaves ever so often.
Routinely dusting the leaves of plants won’t just make the plant look better, but it will also help the plant receive those vital sun rays it relies so heavily on in order for it to flourish.
Tip: Don’t forget to rinse of water-safe artificial plants ever so often since they tend to accumulate dust that can stick onto the surface of the plan, especially in humid conditions.
29. Empty the litterbox.
It’s gross but someone’s gotta do it, right? Right.
No, seriously…clean your litterbox, folks. Every day, if not several times a day. It takes way less than two minutes, especially if you set yourself up for success.
Your cat will appreciate it, your nose will appreciate it, would-be guests will appreciate it, and your neighbors might appreciate it.
Tip: Consider getting a litter genie disposal systems or keep any necessary tools and litter disposal bags nearby—especially if you have a long distance to travel.
Tip: Feeling too lazy to clean the catbox? Consider a self-cleaning litterbox. Or, if you’ve got the cash, one of those spiffy nerd robot catboxes, which I not-so-secretly wish I could get for complete and utter nerd purposes.
30. Dust or clean a few baseboards.
With the right dusting and cleaning tools, you can clean the baseboards pretty quickly in a room.
This is more so the case if you consistently dust your baseboards at least once a month, if not weekly or biweekly.
When you stay consistent with it, you’ll be able to prevent dirt and dust from sticking to surfaces as a result of time and moisture in the air more.
Tip: Aim for a long-handled duster that actually attracts dirt rather. Our favorite duster pick: Swiffer 360 with the 3-foot handle or their newer retractable 6-foot option.
Tip: Separate dusting from wiping if you’re short on time and patience, such as by doing the dusting one day and wiping the baseboards down at a later time. Just don’t wait for too long in between steps or you might have to dust again.
Tip: If your baseboards are really filthy, it may help to break the process down if you’re lacking in motivation. Just go for 2 or more minutes at a time or until you feel like stopping.
31. Clean blinds or shutters.
Cleaning blinds can usually feel super tedious and boring, leading many people to procrastinate on doing the task.
This is where breaking it down into cute, bite-sized pieces can make a huge difference.
Regardless if you want to do one a day or several, take a few minutes or set a time and have at it.
Some of Our Favorite Cleaning Tools for Blinds and Shutters
32. Vacuum or sweep some stairs.
Hate vacuuming or sweeping the stairs? Remember that it only takes a couple of short minutes to do.
It also helps to make sure that you have the right and most efficient cleaning tools such as a reliable, cordless, and lightweight stick vacuum.
You can also find further motivation to tackle sweeping or vacuuming the stairs by setting a timer or playing one of your favorite songs.
33. Tidy the car glove compartment or center console.
Many people have the issue where their car compartments, glove box, or center console can make for the perfect hotspot for clutter, trash, and other questionable items to be hastily dumped and forgotten.
Because of this, it’s always helpful to make the routine habit of cleaning your car compartments out for a few minutes, whether it’s once a week or once a month.
34. Tidy the floor of your car.
Just as with your car’s compartments, it’s good to make the effort to pick up the car floor, too, if you happen to have trouble keeping it clean on a regular basis.
You can choose to do this daily, weekly, or biweekly, but try to keep the time in between to a minimum. This way it’ll be easier to maintain and will likely go by faster.
Tip: Keep a car trashcan or bag in the car so that things end up inside it instead on your car floor, seats, or compartments if this happens to be an issue for you.
Psst… Need more car-cleaning motivation? Check out our post on 26 Easy Spring Cleaning Chores for Your Car Interior—Plus Tips next (new tab).
35. Tidy the car trunk.
If your trunk or cargo space, or even truck bed, has a tendency to get messy, cluttered, or dirty, try to get in the habit of cleaning it out at least once a month.
36. Dust the car dashboard and controls.
Dusting your car’s dashboard and controls can be quick and easy enough to do, yet many people tend to skip out on it.
But if you happen to have a few minutes to spare while waiting for a family member to make it to your car, or even while waiting for that order of In & Out or Five Guys you couldn’t seem to resist, go ahead and give dusting your dash and controls a try.
Think of the calories you’ll burn! Ok, maybe not, but we’ll still count it.
Interested in a few 5-minute Car-related spring cleaning chores? Sure you are! Check out 26 Easy Spring Cleaning Chores for Your Car Interior—Plus Tips next (new tab).
37. Wet dust some furniture.
While there’s speedy dry dusting, which usually involves something like a Swiffer or microfiber duster, there’s also the more detailed “wet” dusting that’s good to do ever so often to get whatever the regular dry duster likely left behind.
Wet dusting is going around with a microfiber cloth or cleaning cloth, using anything from plain water to your favorite polishing product (i.e., Endust or Pledge).
Common Items to Wet Dust
It’s good to practice wet dusting once every month or two, or at least once every quarter. And then dry dust once a week for the fastest and most efficient results.
Tip: Just make sure to test the surface you plan to wet dust first, particularly when using something like Pledge/Endust. Also, try not to use too much product, even when using plain water.
38. Clean the tub or shower walls.
Ever find yourself in the shower waiting for your favorite conditioner or hair mask product to do its magic on your luscious locks?
Consider using that time to pause or temporarily shut off your water and wash some shower walls or tub.
You can clean with some delightful-smelling body wash or shower and tub cleaner of your choice.
We love using shampoo or body wash that maybe didn’t make the cut for our face and hair but still smell great.
And, if you’re feeling particularly daring, you could even don your favorite facial or deep conditioning hair mask at the same time. Cos, why not?
Before you know it, you and your bathroom can rejoice as you do have your 1990s Herbal Essence moment and bask in the fact that you’ve mastered productivity.
Psst… Hate the backbreaking, time-consuming act of shower cleaning? Then check out 17 Clever Ways to Make Cleaning Your Shower Easier to learn how to take shower-slaying shortcuts as any self-respecting, motivationally-challenged person should. Boom… And that’s the sound of you dropping your shampoo bottle like a boss in front no one in particular.
Tip: Keep in mind that bodywash and shampoo can help keep a shower clean while doing maintenance cleaning, but it’s not a mildew buster. You’ll want to clean your shower with the real-deal-shower-cleaning cleaner ever so often.
Tip: Also, avoid using bar soap to clean the shower since it will only cause more soap residue. Just in case you were planning to get your Irish Spring on.
39. Wash microwave, sink, stove, toaster oven, vent, and other appliance parts in the dishwasher.
If you really feel like motivating yourself to clean or just are looking for a warmup, consider tossing your microwave, sink, stove, toaster oven, vent, and other appliance components in the dishwasher, providing they’re designed to be dishwasher-safe.
Super-Quick Kitchen Items to Clean
As the dishwasher-safe appliance parts wash, you can set about cleaning those appliances by hand, and by the time the cycle’s done your kitchen will look that much cleaner. You didn’t even have to break a sweat! That’s right…
Note: While you can likely get away with putting the stove knobs in the dishwasher, we prefer to soak them if necessary and just wash them by hand. Sometimes the paint off, otherwise. When in doubt: handwash.
40. Clean the garbage disposal.
It’s always a good idea to be in the habit of cleaning your garbage disposal monthly or every other month—especially if you detect an odor and/or run a lot of food down it.
You can do this using various DIY hacks available online or by using popular storebought cleaners designed for garbage disposals in particular.
You can also try using a special garbage disposal cleaning brush.
41. Maintenance clean your dishwasher.
Spend a few moments every now and then to maintenance clean your dishwasher.
You don’t have to deep clean it every time, but it should be maintenance cleaned a month to keep the unit running properly and help keep odors and calcification at bay.
You can often find store-bought products for this as well as DIY options online, or refer to the instruction manual for your particular unit.
Psst… Find more monthly dishwasher cleaning tips here, as well as deep cleaning tips and our in-depth how-to guide here.
42. Maintenance clean your washing machine.
Your washing machine and dryer are also critical appliances to maintain regularly.
You can make sure that your washer continues to run smoothly, is free of mold, and stays smelling smell fresh by doing regular monthly maintenance cleanings.
You’ll also be able to ensure that your dryer continues to run efficiently and is free of potential lint build up, which can often become a fire hazard.
43. Declutter your purse, backpack, or wallet.
Items such as backpacks, pursues, workbags, and wallets can quickly accumulate a lot of unnecessary weight, clutter, trash, and redundant items that we often don’t even need to lug around with us.
This not only makes it hard to find what we need, but it can also take a toll on those items in question along with our joints and body due to the access or lopsided weight.
Because of this, it’s essential to clean these items out ever so often — ideally once a week.
Tip: You can quickly turn cleaning out your bag, purse, or wallet a weekly habit fairly easily, simply by stacking or incorporating it with another task you already do, such as to something on your weekly cleaning checklist.
Tip: If you’re in the habit of forgetting to clean your items out, you can set a weekly or even daily reminder.
44. Wipe down a door or two.
Dust can eventually start to stick to surfaces as a result of humidity and time. It’s at this stage where cleaning the doors will usually require more detail scrubbing, time, effort, and elbow grease to get the job done.
Due to this, it’s helpful to dry dust your doors and wood trim weekly or monthly to prevent buildup from accumulating.
You can then wet dust your doors and trim every quarter or so if not monthly. Either way, it generally takes just a few seconds per side when done consistently.
Tip: Dusting more often can mean less work later since there won’t be much to clean–meaning, less work involved. PS—Don’t forget to get the handles or knobs.
45. Clean the banister.
Got a minute or two? Try spending it on cleaning the banister, even if you have to dust it first to remove lint and other debris, and then wipe it down at a later time.
Tip: We love to use this duster lately, which isn’t as eco-friendly as some options but you can also recycle the replacement heads via mail if you live in the States.
46. Wipe down the mantel.
If you have a fireplace mantel and it’s been a while since you last cleaned it or decluttered it, try taking a minute or two to do so. As an incentive, consider decorating it with seasonal items.
47. Vacuum the floor in a room or small area.
You can generally vacuum the main areas of your home in just a few minutes.
Maintenance vacuuming the main areas of the home can be ideal for those who have kids, pets, a lot of foot traffic, or live in dirt-prone areas.
It’s also great for people who just want to practice vacuuming more regularly but without having to get too detailed.
You don’t necessarily need to move furniture unless you want to. Instead, try moving heavier pieces or items like ottomans or living room chairs once a month. Then try tackling dining chairs, barstools, and lighter pieces more consistently throughout the week.
Big, heavy items like refrigerators, couch, bed, and so forth can and should be moved and cleaned around at least twice a year, if not every quarter or season to help keep things under control.
Psst… Learn how to move large furniture and heavier items more easily while vacuuming with our post 5 Ways to Use Leftover Rubber & Felt Furniture Feet Pads next (new tab).
48. Clean your monitor, keyboard, mouse, or laptop.
If you find that your desk tends to look thrashed more often than not, you can start by adding small, quick, and easy cleaning or organizing chores into your daily or weekly routine to help break things up a bit.
One great way to do this is by taking the tip to dust and/or wipe down your monitor, keyboard, mouse, or laptop at least once a week or more often using a slightly damp cleaning cloth or cleaning wipe designed for electronics.
49. Go through mail.
Going through mail usually only takes a minute or two if you stay on top of it.
Regardless if you do or have a mountain of it to go through, sorting, tossing, or going through your mail is a great 2-minute cleaning chore that you can do in between other things (i.e., cooking, watching TV, gaming, etc.).
You can also add going through your mail as part of your daily morning cleaning chores or evening cleaning chores.
Psst… Want more cleaning routine tips? Check out our post on How to Benefit From a Good Cleaning Routine and Best Ways to Easily Improve Your Cleaning Routine and Habits next (new tabs).
50. Go through emails.
If you’re in the habit of letting your emails pile up into the hundreds or even thousands, try spending a few minutes each day throwing out, processing, or responding to emails that you have.
You can even make an effort to spend five days out of the week eliminating x-amount of emails each day until your spam, junk, and inbox folders are cleared.
Tip: Setting a specific time of day or stacking it around another habit or chore can also help.
Psst… Try to unsubscribe from them as you come across them during your email purge. That way, you’ll have a whole lot less coming through in the future. Read our 22 Effective Ways on How to Spring Clean Your Personal Life for more tips like this next.
51. Clean pet bowls.
Clean pet bowls is something that a lot of people skip out on or don’t do all that often, but they can get pretty nasty and relatively quick.
Because of this, it’s good to clean them at least weekly if not daily, or even just a few times a week.
Not only is it something your pet will appreciate, but you can even reduce unwanted household odors and the potential for ants and other critters.
Tip: Want to know about more pet-related chores that generally only take a few minutes? Read our 14 Ultimate Pet-Related Spring Cleaning Chores & Helpful Tips and 11 Easy Tips On How To Keep Pet Fur Under Control At Home post next (new tab).
52. De-Fur the furniture.
Fur being stuck to furniture is just another part of life when you own fur babies, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that fur has to become one with the couch all the time, even if it happens to be in the word furniture.
These days, there are plenty of options to removing it from upholstered furniture, such as vacuuming, using lint rollers, or running over things with an electrostatic clean, such as the ChomChom or similar.
While it can feel like a bit of a nuisance, staying on top of it can be essential, which is why it’s helpful to incorporate it into your daily routine.
You can also try to give your furbaby their own furniture or cozy spot to chill out, which can dramatically reduce fur on furniture and keep it designated to one space.
Psst… Curious how the ChomChom Roller works and how well it might tackle the job of removing pet hair? Check out our ChomChom Roller Review here.
53. Vacuum the furniture.
Pet hair isn’t the only thing that can get on or in your furniture or favorite couch.
Things such as dirt, dust, dander, food, and other bits of debris can as well, many of which can also lead to allergies.
Dander (a.k.a. dead skin cells) can also contribute to another allergy nuisance: dust mites–or, rather, dust mite feces.
Because of this, it’s always good to take a few minutes to vacuum your furniture at least once a week, if not more, to keep things in check.
You can even break it down into sections if you feel like doing it all at once is too much.
Psst… Worried about Dust Mites? See our post on 14 Easy Tips on How to Reduce and Prevent Dust Mites next (new tab).
54. Shake out and clean doormats and small rugs.
Shaking out your door mats can literally takes seconds at a time. This is why it makes for yet another awesome 2-minute-or-less chore that you can do virtually any time to keep your home looking and feeling neatish.
Tip: If this is something you forget to do, try setting reminders for yourself on your phone or other devices and organizing systems.
55. Declutter your bathroom cabinets and shelves.
Sometimes we avoid tasks when they sound overwhelming and time-consuming, and bathroom cabinet organizing and cleaning is generally one of those chores that tends to top most people’s list.
Fortunately, you can speed through it faster than you think, simply by breaking it down into smaller and more manageable 2-minute chores.
This can be done by doing one or two shelves at a time or even seeing how many cabinet shelves you can finish in x-amount of minutes.
Want more bite-sized cleaning challenges for the kitchen? How about trying a few of these 24 Simple 5-Minute Spring Cleaning Chores in the Bathroom as an appetizer, many of which you can easily do year-round?
56. Declutter counter space.
Seeing a cluttered counter can make a look kitchen look messy by default. It can also create a sense of visual overstimulation, which can naturally increase stress levels.
This is why many home designers and stagers go minimalist, whether with appliances sitting out or decorations out on display. Less clutter creates a more relaxing, less stressful, and more inviting environment. It may even encourage more productivity and a pampered-like feeling.
Some Counter Items to Declutter
Remember: The less you have sitting out in your kitchen, the easier it will be to spot messes and less time it will take to clean your counters.
57. Clean a Kitchen Backsplash or Wall
One way to keep your kitchen or bathroom looking new is to make sure that the backsplash is cleaned consistently
And if you do it often enough, it can be really easy to do, just using a slightly damp microfiber cloth or your preferred cleaning method.
This is something you can do when you have a spare moment—especially if you find that you struggle to do it as one bulk job.
You can do it while waiting on food to cook, whether on the stove, in the oven, or if you happen to be nuking something in the microwave.
Psst… Check out more ways to make cleaning your kitchen as you cook faster and easier with our post, 21 Easy Ways to Keep Your Kitchen Clean As You Cook next.
58. Clean a mirror or two.
Two minutes allows for plenty of time to clean a mirror or two, regardless if it’s in your bathroom or other parts of the home.
59. Clean the dining room table.
Many people neglect to clean their dining room table properly despite it being fairly easy to do and generally only takes 2 minutes or less.
This can also be an quick and ideal 2-minute chore that you can do while in the middle of doing other things, whether that’s waiting for your pot of water to boil or you happen to be talking on the phone.
60. Refill a kitchen bin, box, or similar item.
Spending two minutes or so to work on refilling bins or items in the kitchen or laundry room is a great way to stay on top of things. And you can typicall do it any time or when you happen to have a minute or two to spare.
Tip: Have a plan. Knowing what items you’ll be refilling before you get started will help save you time and ensure you get the job done faster so that you can see other things throughout your day.
61. Refill toiletries.
Taking a few moments to refill items in your bathroom to refill toiletries like Q-tips, cotton pads or balls, toilet paper, feminine products, and other essentials can easily be done in a few minutes.
You can incorporate refilling your toiletries into your weekly, monthly, or even quarterly routine so that you don’t forget.
62. Clean any door knobs and handles.
Cleaning door knobs, handles, or even switches and other points of contact is another thing you can do in just a few minutes, whether you stick to one room, prefer to do one level of the home at a time, or would rather go through the entire house in one cleaning session.
As with refilling items in the kitchen or bathroom, it helps to have a plan for what you’ll be doing and how you’ll be doing things before you actually get started.
Also, try to move in on direction through your home to help ensure things aren’t missed and to save steps.
63. Clean the light switches and around them
Cleaning the light switches can be done really quickly and just using a lightly damp cloth or cleaning wipe.
Just make sure to get around the switch, too, since people often end up missing and greasing up the wall over time.
64. Dust lamp shades.
Dusting lampshades is an easy task that many people have to talk themselves into, and I used to be one of those people.
It’s a really simple task that can actually make a big difference in a space and quite possibly for your allergies too.
Ways to Do It
Tip: While some folks will try to vacuum lampshades clean, our favorite go-to method for cleaning lampshades is to use a strong adhesive tape, like a tape-style lint roller or even packing tape.
Tip: You can also try a dry or barely damp cloth with some grip to it, such as microfiber ones. Just make sure that the cloth is color-safe or won’t bleed onto the shade.
65. Clean a faucet or showerhead.
One easy task out of these 2-minute chores that most people tend to blow off, making it harder to do later, is cleaning their shower head or faucet to help remove and prevent calcification, or mineral build-up, from occurring.
And, as with most things on the list, the more often you do it, the faster and easier the chore will be..
Tip: We love using this vinegar product by Mrs. Meyer’s, which does a great job of staying in place longer so that the vinegar and lemon can do their job.
66. Change a filter.
Changing filters throughout the home on a consistent basis can be essential for keeping things running properly—especially expensive items like air conditioning units, vacuums, etc.
Many filters are usually changed or meant to be cleaned within so many months or weeks. Luckily, you can set a reminder for yourself on your phone or other devices to stay on top of it.
Common Filters to Change
67. Spruce up a room.
Freshening up a room can help boost moods and motivate people to clean, and you can usually do it in a few minutes if not a few seconds.
This might be done using your signature scent, like a candle or spray, by diffusing your favorite essential oils or spritzing a popular air freshener.
68. Freshen up throw pillows and blankets.
Taking the time to freshen up pillows and throw blankets can help reduce odors, bacteria, and possibly even dust mites.
You can do this with a variety of store-bought products and DIY treatments commonly found on sites like Pinterest and depending on your goals.
Some people may have their pillows and throws dry cleaned if they’re more delicate, while others prefer to wash them on their own, following the care instructions.
Tips and Helpful Habits
69. Schedule a donation pickup or do a drop-off.
Have a bunch of stuff to donate but haven’t gotten to it yet?
Consider spending a few minutes scheduling for a pickup. You can typically do this online or by stashing donations in your car until you have the time to drop them off.
Keeping donations in the car keeps them out of sight, and you’ll be one step closer to getting them donated.
Good job!
70. Banish some cobwebs.
If you have a couple of spare minutes, grab a broom, vacuum, or long-handled duster to banish any cobwebs around them home, including ones on the outside.
This can be great for helping to keep spiders away since they don’t like their homes disrupted—especially if you’re consistent. Just be mindful of venomous ones and use caution.
71. Update your bank register.
I was always bad about this myself, but if you happen to be too, try to get in the habit of updating your bank register, even if you rely on your online banking to keep track of things for you.
This will help you ensure that everything is correct (even banks mess up) and it may help you plan for future expenses too.
Want more personal 5-minute-or-less tasks? Check out our post on 22 Effective Ways on How to Spring Clean Your Personal Life, which you can do year-round.
72. Descale the coffeemaker or kettle.
Some coffeemakers may require a little more time to clean, while others may only require a few seconds of effort.
Either way, it’s usually pretty easy and fast to descale a coffeemaker or tea kettle—or to at least get it going.
Kettles can usually be descaled using an equal parts vinegar-water solution. Some people may do similar with their coffeemakers, generally by running the vinegar-water solution or a specialized descaling product through the machine.
73. Declutter an area of your closet.
Two minutes can go a long way when cleaning areas of the home that might otherwise seem daunting if done in one lump sum.
The same can be said for decluttering or tidying up your closet, whether in your bedroom or hallway, as well as your dresser drawers.
74. Tidy and declutter some bathroom toiletries, hair accessories, or makeup.
Just as with closets, you can spend a minute or two tidying up areas like your bathroom, particularly any toiletries, hair products, or makeup.
75. Pickup after yourself.
Even though we covered specific ways to clean areas of the home in manageable chunks, sometimes spending 2 minutes just to pick up after yourself can make a world of difference in your everyday life and cleaning habits, not to mention your mood.
Learning to pick up after yourself before you leave a room, even if it’s just for a moment, can also be a great way to start your cleaning journey if you’re trying to get into better cleaning habits.
The more you do it, the faster and easier it will become.
Tips Before You Get Started
Below are a few tips to get you started or that may help you out along during your 2-minute cleaning session.
- Have a game plan before you start.
- Consider setting a timer and turning it into a timed challenge or game.
- Don’t dawdle. Try to move quickly but without compromising on how well you clean.
- Turn on some tunes or other entertainment.
- Don’t feel like stopping? Keep going! Sometimes, working on a task for 2 to 5 or even 10 minutes can be a great motivator to get more cleaning done, and it may even boost the rest of your otherwise productive day.
- If you do decide to keep going, try to stack related chores on top of one another.
- If you don’t finish in time, no worries! You’ll get faster over time the more you do and the more consistent you are at it.
- Multitask. Cleaning on its own can feel tedious, boring, and like a burden. However, when you make it entertaining and try to multitask when you see an open opportunity, you can get things done in a more pain-free way and free up more time in your day to do more important or entertaining things.
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Reward yourself. Sometimes a little reward goes a long way, but rewards don’t have to be expensive or even involve money.
- Try to use timed challenges to your advantage in the future. Timed challenges can be ideal for when you don’t feel like doing something but probably should. You can also use learned timeframes in the future to estimate and plan for how long a chore might take. Just make sure you stay focused and make the most of that time once you get started.
- Try to stay consistent with your cleaning.
- 2-minute chores work best if you clean before you really need to.
Conclusion
In this post, we covered 75 simple 2-minute chores you can easily squeeze in through various parts of your day, mood, schedule, or even when you have a spare moment.
These shorter tasks can be especially great for those who struggle with cleaning and individuals who feel they hate cleaning altogether.
Best of all, you can work on these tasks in 2-minute, 5-minute, 10-minute, and 15-minute bursts or as long as desired.
72 Quick 2-Minute Cleaning Choores
We hope you found this in-depth list and tips helpful. If you’d like to see more, don’t forget to check out our 5-minute spring cleaning chores.
Happy Cleaning 🙂
