Housework is not my favorite thing in the world, especially when I’m overwhelmed with other responsibilities. With 3 boys in our house, it’s a race whether or not I can clean faster than they can mess up and the entire experience is frustrating, especially since housework is largely made up of unfinishable tasks.

Rather than spending hours cleaning, I prefer to break things up into smaller tasks by keeping a running list of simple, 5 minute jobs that can be done when I have a spare moment. This not only makes household chores more manageable but it helps me stay on top of the messes as they happen rather than playing damage control after the fact.

Get Your Kids Involved

I started using 5 minute jobs around the house to get myself motivated but it had a pleasant side effect. My kids are much more willing to help if they know they have a easily reachable end point in sight. I may not always be able to convince them to go in and clean their room until it’s perfect, but I can get them to go in and round up all their laundry for 5 minutes or pick up all the Legos that I keep stepping on.

Set a Timer

The beauty of the 5 minute job is that progress can be made, dramatic progress, even if it doesn’t feel like you’re working hard enough to make a difference.

I like to set a timer to keep myself on task because I can be tempted to keep going longer than 5 minutes. You’d think that would be a good thing but it will burn you out and you’ll be less likely to start your next 5 minute job when you have some free time and I’ve found that frequent 5 minute jobs throughout the day are much more effective than one longer cleaning session.

For my kids, I like to use the Time Tracker Mini from Learning Resources because they love the visual and auditory cues. When it’s just me, I like something with a nice big display and simple controls so I can set it quickly.

Keep a List

I’m a big list-maker. I tend to forget things as quickly as they come into my head (I blame it on my kids) so I have to write everything down. When I find myself with an extra 5 minutes, I’m much more likely to do a task if I have a list of quick tasks available.

You’ll want to cater your 5-minute job list to your own needs. Here are some ideas to get you started:

In the Kitchen

• Load the dishwasher
• Clear the kitchen table
• Sweep the floor
• Take out the trash
• Clean one shelf in the fridge
• Organize a drawer
• Wipe the outside of your cabinets
• Throw away expired food
• Create a weekly menu
• Make a grocery list

In the Living Room

• Vacuum the floor
• Clean up any trash (don’t forget to look under the couch)
• Fill a laundry basket with things that belong in other rooms
• Dust flat surfaces
• Wash the windows
• Organize a shelf

In the Bedroom

• Gather up any dirty laundry
• Put clothes away
• Make the bed
• Strip the sheets and put clean ones on
• Vacuum the floor
• Clean up any trash (don’t forget to look under the bed)
• Fill a laundry basket with things that belong in other rooms
• Pull odds and ends out from under your bed
• Declutter the flat surfaces
• Dust flat surfaces
• Wash the windows
• Organize a drawer

In the Laundry Room

• Start a load of laundry
• Fold a load of laundry
• Wipe down the outside of the washer and dryer
• Clear away clutter
• Wash the floor

In the Bathroom

• Wipe down the counter
• Clean the mirror
• Wipe down the toilet
• Gather up dirty laundry
• Disinfect high traffic areas (facets, door knobs, toilet knob)
• Throw away empty bottles
• Take out the trash
• Wipe the baseboards
• Wash the walls
• Wash the floor
• Put the bathroom mats in the wash
• Put the shower curtain in the wash

Printable List

Keep this list (or the one you’ve created) somewhere visible so it can act as a reminder. I like to keep mine on my fridge because we practically live in the kitchen so I know it will get seen.

Here is a copy of my printable 5-minute job chart if you want something fast to get you started.