5 Simple Daily Cleaning Tasks for an Effortlessly Clean Home

Here’s a little secret….well, not so much a secret as a fact. I keep a relatively tidy home but I don’t spend tons of time cleaning on a daily basis. Reality check: life gets busy! Between work, family, and everything in between, keeping your home clean can sometimes feel like the last thing you have time for. But here’s the good news: you don’t need to spend hours scrubbing and organizing to maintain a tidy space. With just a few quick daily cleaning tasks, you can keep your home looking its best. A huge bonus of keeping your home tidier is it will also help you keep your stress levels in check. That’s a big win in my book!

These five quick and easy daily cleaning tasks take me about 20-30 minutes a day. Sometimes I listen to a podcast or music and sometimes I let my imagination run free during this time. Either way, I consider it time well spent because my home never has a chance to get out of control. So, let’s dive into five daily cleaning tasks that will have your home neat and tidy in no time!

1. Make Your Bed

Ah, the simple act of making your bed! It may seem small, but trust me, it’s a game-changer. Starting your day by making your bed sets a positive tone for the rest of your morning. It’s like giving your room a mini makeover in under five minutes. Plus, there’s something incredibly satisfying about crawling into a neatly made bed at the end of a long day.

When you take the time to fluff those pillows and straighten the sheets, you’re not just making your bed; you’re creating an inviting space that feels cleaner and put-together. I don’t use a lot of decorative pillows myself. Extra pillows are more stuff than I want to manage, but if you love the Pinterest-worthy bedroom look, fluff up those accent pillows and create your masterpiece! Even with a plethora of pillows, this chore should take you less than five minutes. So before you rush out the door, make your bed. Your future self will thank you!

2. Unload and Load the Dishwasher

If your kitchen is the heart of your home, then the dishwasher is its unsung hero. Mine is named Pete…no, that’s not my husband’s name. My dishwasher is named Pete, and he’s fabulous and I love him! Think about this for one minute: you use dishes and silverware daily, you put them in this machine, add some soap, press a button and an hour-and-a-half later you have clean dishes. Let’s not take the magic of this appliance for granted folks!

Unloading and loading the dishwasher might not sound like all that big of a deal, but it’s a crucial step in keeping your kitchen tidy. After all, nobody wants to stare at a pile of dirty dishes after a long day, right?

I run my dishwasher every evening and then unload the clean dishes in the morning. It takes about 5-7 minutes. Once that’s done, you (and everyone else in your house) can put your dishes directly in the dishwasher, throughout the day. This one simple chore means you should never have dishes piled up in your sink again.

It’s amazing how quickly you can tackle this task when you make it a daily habit. Plus, it keeps your kitchen looking neat and ready for your next culinary adventure. And let’s not forget the sweet satisfaction of opening a clean dishwasher every morning—it’s like a little victory every day!

Bonus Tip – I run my tap until the water runs hot before I start my dishwasher so that the pre-rinse cycle is more effective with hot water at the ready. I also add one tiny drop of liquid dish detergent to the inside of the door of my dishwasher to further encourage the first rinse cycle to do a good job of starting the cleaning process. My dishes come out so much cleaner and my dishwasher itself is much cleaner. Please read your dishwasher’s manufacturers information to determine if this could harm your machine or not. It works well for me!

3. Do One Load of Laundry

Laundry is one of those tasks that can quickly spiral out of control if you let it. You know the drill: one minute, you’re folding a fresh load, and the next, you’re staring down a mountain of clothes that seems to have multiplied overnight. I’m convinced the laundry hamper has a secret breeding program going on. But here’s the best way to stay on top of it: do just one load of laundry each day and your laundry problem is solved.

Committing to one load a day keeps your laundry manageable and your space clutter-free. Plus, it gives you a sense of accomplishment! You can even turn it into a mini self-care moment: put on a facial mask while you fold and put away your laundry.

Another way doing daily laundry can help you stay clutter free is by examining your clothes as you fold them. If you find yourself staring at a shirt with a stubborn stain, treat the stain and run it through the wash again. If the stain still doesn’t come out, maybe it’s time to throw it away? Just remember: life’s too short to keep clothes that aren’t in tip top shape. Let it go!

4. Clean the Bathrooms

The bathroom—the place where cleanliness is not just a goal; it’s a necessity. I kind of dread cleaning the bathrooms, ugh. But cleaning the bathrooms doesn’t have to be a gigantic chore In fact, with a quick daily routine, you can keep them fresh and inviting. Aim to spend just 5-15 minutes each day on this task. The amount of time that you spend will be dependent on how dirty your bathrooms are to start with. If you have more than one bathroom, rotate through a different one everyday or you can quick clean each one daily. If you never let them get very dirty, this chore will not take you very long. Grab your favorite all-purpose cleaner, a cloth, and maybe even some rubber gloves if that’s your thing.

Start with the mirror and then move on to the sink and countertop; a quick wipe-down can make a world of difference. It helps to have the items you keep on the counters to a bare minimum. What you do have out should be kept in baskets or on trays that are easy to move when you wipe down the counters.

Don’t forget to tackle the toilet—give it a spritz of cleaner and a quick scrub to keep it fresh. You’re out of toilet cleaner?! No problem, did you know that you can use any liquid soap to keep your toilets fresh and clean? I’m not a fan of unnecessary cleaning chemicals so I just use some Bonner’s liquid soap everyday, give it a swish and move on.

I keep a scrubby sponge in the shower and about once a week or so, while I’m taking a shower, I put a little shampoo or body soap on the sponge, scrub everything down and rinse it. This super simple cleaning hack helps it to stay very clean so I never have to use harsh chemicals on it. Trust me, keeping on top of this weekly will save you from those deep-cleaning marathons that nobody has time for. Plus, you’ll enjoy being in your bathroom more if it’s clean and organized.

Bonus Tip – I usually wipe down my bathroom counters every night when I’m done with my nighttime personal routine. It takes less than one minute and gives me a head start for the morning cleaning routine. I Also get a bit of a mental boost from starting my day with a tidy bathroom.

5. Vacuum High Traffic Areas

Last but definitely not least, let’s talk about vacuuming those high-traffic areas. If you have kids, pets, or just a lot of foot traffic, you know how quickly dirt and crumbs can accumulate. A quick vacuum can work wonders, and it doesn’t have to take up a lot of time.

Set aside a few minutes each day to vacuum the areas that see the most action—think hallways, living rooms, and entryways. It’s amazing how much cleaner your home can feel with just a little daily effort. Plus, you might find some forgotten treasures under the couch (or maybe just a few stray socks). And if you have kids, get them involved! Turn it into a fun family activity—who can make the neatest vacuum lines in the carpeting or is it possible to vacuum a checkerboard pattern into the rug, just for fun? Just remember, the goal is to keep those floors looking fresh and inviting.

Bonus Tip – Robot vacuum cleaners are the bomb!! Be realistic about what you can expect from them though. It won’t pick up as much dog hair or dirt as your regular vacuum but it works great for an everyday run around the house. I have a lot of tile in my house so my Robot vacuum, named Hairy, works extremely well for me. I still vacuum my entryway rug and living room rug with my Dyson almost everyday because of the dog hair…..ugh, but Hairy does a great job on the rest of the house!

It’s a great time to be alive: robot vacuums, washing machines, dishwashers! I’m so grateful for ALL of these appliances!

A Little Every Day

There you have it! Five quick and easy daily cleaning tasks that can transform your home from chaotic to cozy in no time. By incorporating these simple routines into your day, you’ll create a clean and welcoming space that you can truly enjoy. Remember, it’s all about consistency. Even the smallest efforts can lead to big results.

Comment below and tell me what tasks you do on a daily basis that help you stay on top of your house cleaning chores.