The Quick Kitchen Glow-Up: Tasks to Tackle Even If You Have Only 5 Minutes

Whether you invited friends over for a last-minute hangout or you’re trying to tidy up while the kids are occupied, cleaning on a time crunch is a must-have skill. But knowing where to start when it looks as if your kitchen is bursting at the seams can be more than overwhelming.

Luckily, these quick cleaning tips will help you get your kitchen in order when you’re tight on time. Starting with the highest priority and biggest impact, these are the kitchen cleaning tasks you can knock out when you have just 5, 10, 20 or 30 minutes.

When you have more time on your hands, tackle our kitchen deep-clean checklist.

Clean in 5 Minutes

Five minutes can pass in a flash! Your kitchen won’t become sparkling clean, but these minutes are focused on getting perishables put away. And just remember that a few minutes of cleaning is better than nothing.

• Put food away: Clearing counters of half-eaten snacks, moving ingredients you’re not using to the cabinets and packing up leftovers from the stove will do wonders for your kitchen. Start with perishables like cooked food and cut produce, then move on to packaged items and dry goods. Toss any foods that have dried out or are starting to turn.
• If you still have time, scrape dishes and cookware: If you have little to no food out, use this time to clean off any dirty dishes, silverware, cookware and cutting boards. You’re not washing these items yet, just scraping off and tossing any lingering food.

Clean in 10 Minutes

Once all the food is put away, turn your attention to clearing off surfaces in your kitchen. This will make a big visual difference and give you the space to start sanitizing.

• Put dirty dishes in the sink: Transfer any dishes, cookware and cooking tools that are on your counter or cooktop to the sink. If you haven’t already, toss any leftover food from the dishes and cookware before they make it to the sink.
• Store small appliances: If you pulled out your stand mixer, coffee pot, toaster or any other small appliance throughout the day, take a minute to put it back in its usual spot.
• Move non-kitchen items: Kitchens are often the center of the home, which means a ton of non-kitchen items end up on the counter. Gather any toys, paperwork, clothing or whatever else is clogging up your counters, and move them to the room they belong in. Don’t worry about getting everything in its exact place; a small pile of items in the proper room is plenty.
• If you still have time, empty the dishwasher: If the dishwasher is clean, empty it out to get it ready for the dirty dishes in the sink.

Clean in 20 Minutes

Now that the kitchen is relatively cleared out, it’s time to get cleaning.

• Spray surfaces: Use a multipurpose cleaner and a Swedish dishcloth or paper towel to wipe down your cooktop and counters. Do your best to capture any crumbs as you go! You can also wipe down your fridge with a multipurpose cleaner if it isn’t stainless steel. If it is, be sure to use stainless steel cleaners.
• Load the dishwasher: If you haven’t already, empty the dishwasher of any clean items, then load your items from the sink, add soap and run a cycle if it seems full enough. Just be sure to keep items that aren’t dishwasher safe in the sink for now.
• If you still have time, sweep the floors: Use any leftover time to do a quick sweep of the kitchen floors.

Clean in 30 Minutes

Your kitchen is already looking great. With these final minutes, finish up with the sink and tackle the floors.

• Hand-wash cookware: Use a kitchen sponge and dish soap to clean any non-dishwasher-safe dishes and cookware. If you need to clean burnt pans, make sure you give them time to soak for a bit. And if you don’t have a dishwasher, use this time to hand-wash your dishes.
• Sweep the floors: If you haven’t already, sweep the floors of crumbs, pet hair and dirt.
• Spot clean floors: Wipe up any spills or grimy corners with multipurpose spray and a towel. You can save a proper mopping for when you have more free time.
• If you still have time, spot degrease: It may seem like a spring cleaning task, but taking a couple of minutes to degrease around your stove and cabinets on a more regular basis will help prevent buildup. That means less time spent scrubbing in the future!

Now that your kitchen is on it’s way to being sparkling clean, it’s time to tackle kitchen cleaning secrets from people who always have a tidy kitchen. These tips are quicker and easier than you may think.