Can’t find time to clean out bulging closets, organize drawers, or purge the freezer of UFOs (unidentified frozen objects)? Large blocks of time to accomplish such tasks are few and far between, but fortunately you can get them done working five minutes at a time.
You’d be surprised how how many 5-minute segments you can grab here and there. Granted, you won’t unload the basement of ten years’ worth of clutter in a few minutes, but you’ll make progress every time you work on it—and eventually the project will be finished!
And, while your kids are home this summer get them involved in housework. If they have time for TV, computer games and playing with friends, they have time to help with housework in age-appropriate ways. Read a list of age-appropriate chores here.
In five minutes, you can:
- Sort through a junk drawer.
- Clean out a couple of shelves in your medicine cabinet.
- Sort children’s clothing one drawer or shelf at a time.
- Purge through a basket of magazines and catalogs; toss old ones.
- Remove clutter from one surface area.
- Wipe fingerprints off a few doorjambs and light switches.
- Check the batteries in your smoke detector.
- Throw in a load of wash.
- Fold a load of laundry.
- Sew on a button.
- Empty waste cans and take out the trash.
- Vacuum a room.
- Sweep the front porch.
- Water plants.
- Check the air pressure in your tires, or check the oil.
- Call to make an appointment.
- Sort mail.
- Pay a few bills.
- Answer an e-mail or two.
- Purge your e-mail in-box or clean up computer files, five minutes at a time.
- Add new contact information to your database
- Make a Daily Hit List.
- Put DVDs or CDs back in their cases.
- Do some crunches, push-ups, and leg lifts.
- Take vitamins and drink a big glass of water.
- Moisturize your face.
- Write a thank-you note.
- Throw away some UFO’s from your freezer.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Love these tips! I have found that I quite often waste 5 minutes checking email or whatever, when I could have even emptied the dishwasher in that same amount of time.
Life is so much nicer without clutter, that is for sure!
This is how I get most of my things done, it doesn’t take as long for some things as we sometimes think it will.
Angela
You are so right! Our estimates are not accurate and it then keeps us from completing things!