This Weekend: 20-Minute Household Tasks to Do Before Monday Morning
The idea of spring cleaning is daunting — a whole season devoted to ambitious housework. So this week we’re breaking up home maintenance into a bunch of workable parts. Try combining everyday chores with these 20-minute tasks: things you only have to deal with occasionally. The best news is that they really only take minutes each: it’s spring cleaning for people who hate spring cleaning.
This Weekend’s Assignment: Pick a handful of do-able chores from this list and knock them out one afternoon.
Sanitize Your Shower Curtain Liner: Go take it down, throw it in the wash and feel fresher during your next (several) showers.
Dust Your Living Room: Start with your main living space, then move on to the rest of the house if you’ve got the time.
Clean All Reflective Surfaces: Take care of bathroom vanity, hallway and floor-length mirrors.
Straighten Your Coffee Table: Take any dishes into the kitchen, wipe down the top, and rearrange books, magazines, and knick knacks.
Deal with a Single Drawer: Fold and/or organize everything in that one place: t-shirts, cutlery, or socks.
Change HVAC Air Filters: Remove the old furnace filter and throw it away. Slide the new, clean air filter into place.
Deal with a Pile of Unopened Mail: File away what you need to keep, recycle what you don’t.
Clean Electronic Screens: Wipe down your computer, tablets and mobile phones.
De-Clutter Your Staircase: Take all that stuff that’s lingering on the steps upstairs and put it away where it belongs.
Clear Off Your Bedroom Dresser: Put away your loose jewelry and accessories, dust off the surface, and replace your stuff.
Wipe Down Your Ceiling Fan & Vents: Dust the blades and surfaces. Reverse the direction of the fan if you’re ready weather-wise.
Wash Windows: Pick a room and clean all the glass.
Toss Expired Foods: Take a pass at your fridge and deal with all the old condiments and mysterious Tupperware.
Like this quick method of getting things done? Sign up for ourRemember, as with all of our Weekend Projects, just do what you have the time and energy to do. This is a marathon, not a sprint!
- Help motivate others by letting the rest of us know how things are going! Share your tips and photos of your Weekend Project work on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #ATweekendproject.
- Check out 2017’s entire Plan for a Healthy & Happy Home to access all Weekend Project ideas, so you can pick and choose what to do this weekend.
- Download our April Home Checklist. It’s a free, downloadable, low-pressure list of things to try this month if you want to keep your life and home running like a well-oiled machine. Pick and choose what and how much you want to tackle, and have the satisfaction of crossing them off the list!