How to Create a 15 Minute Daily Cleaning Routine that Really Works

The key to keeping a clean house is to do a little bit each day. Here’s your guide to create a 15 minute daily cleaning checklist and a free printable PDF to get you started!

“I wish I had more time to clean my house” wasn’t a phrase often uttered from my lips as a young mom, but I also wasn’t crazy about my house constantly looking like a tornado had ripped through it. 

Maybe you can relate? 

As moms, we’re constantly balancing multiple plates at any given moment  – potty training, full-time jobs, kids’ sports, dance recitals, laundry, meal planning – just to name a few. And when you throw in trying to find a workable cleaning schedule into that mix, one or more of those plates might just come crashing down. 

I’m here to tell you that it’s OK if you don’t have a tried-and-true daily cleaning routine nailed down. When you’re running a mile a minute, you don’t realistically have hours to clean your home throughout the week. 

That’s why I’ve created a daily cleaning checklist with 15 minute tasks you can accomplish each day to help you build a routine, tackle those chores in small increments, and help you feel better about the state of your household at the end of the day!

This free daily cleaning checklist PDF is fully customizable, allowing you to rotate different cleaning tasks each week according to your schedule. 

My 15 Minutes (Plus 5) Daily Cleaning Routine

To give you an idea of how to incorporate these 15 minute tasks into your schedule, I thought I’d provide an example of my daily cleaning routine. 

I have a pretty packed schedule between school and activities for our daughters, my husband’s business, and my own work. However, there are a few jobs that I do every single day of the week, usually before I go to bed at night. 

I complete one 15-minute cleaning task plus 5 minutes of my non-negotiables as part of my daily cleaning schedule. My non-negotiables are certain jobs that must be completed every day, no matter what. You can include these in your own daily cleaning checklist; it really depends on personal preference as to what they are. 

For example, I can’t go to bed at night knowing that there are dirty dishes in the sink, so I load the dishwasher or hand-wash the dishes. This task is on my daily to-do list. Here are all the tasks on my 5-minute daily list: 

• Wash leftover dishes in the sink (there are usually just a few random dishes from late-night snacks, etc.), so it doesn’t take long
• Fold all of the couch blankets and fluff the couch pillows
• Sort any mail from the day 
• Clear random stuff from the kitchen counters and wipe them down

Once I’ve checked these jobs off my daily cleaning checklist, I complete a 15 minute task and head to bed! 

Here are a few other 5-minute tasks you could work into your daily cleaning routine: 

• Disinfect all phones/tablets
• Empty toaster crumb tray
• Sweep the kitchen floor
• Wipe down the light switches on one floor of the house 
• Water house plants 

Tips for Creating Your 15 Minute Daily Cleaning Schedule

Creating your 15 minute cleaning routine is easy peasy! Here are a few helpful tips: 

• Schedule specific cleaning jobs when it makes the most sense for your family’s schedule. If you host a Bible Study every Wednesday night in your home, you might want to vacuum the house or quick-clean the guest bathroom on Tuesday. 
• Some tasks will take less than 15 minutes (like cleaning out the dishwasher), so you can group shorter jobs together to equal 15 minutes per day. 
• Set a 15-minute timer on your phone – everyone is more focused on a job when a timer is going!
• Use time-saving cleaning products like Clorox wipes, Swiffer dusters with extendable handles, and shower cleaning spray. 
• Keep all your cleaning supplies in one spot or store them in a cleaning caddy so you can easily grab them and go. 
• Print the free downloadable 15 minute daily cleaning checklist PDF and laminate it to add different jobs with a dry erase marker. That way, you can change jobs each week so that you can rotate through different cleaning tasks and create a more fluid schedule instead of doing the same 6-8 jobs every week.

30 Cleaning Jobs You Can Do in 15 Minutes

Here is a list of 15 minute jobs you can add to your daily cleaning checklist to help you feel better and improve your home in the process!

Just pick one of these shorter jobs each day to keep your home clean, even if you’re short on time.

• Dust the bedroom furniture 
• Clean one bathroom – mirrors, sink, toilets
• Declutter surfaces in the kitchen/dining room 
• Dust surface areas in the kitchen, dining room, and living room 
• Sort through a mail or paper pile 
• Empty and wipe out the utensil drawer
• Wipe down kitchen appliances with an antibacterial cloth or multisurface spray 
• Clean out the microwave 
• Go through the fridge and pantry and throw out expired food 
• Wipe down kitchen cabinets
• Take a quick inventory of your fridge’s contents and make a quick list of meals you can make before the food spoils 
• Fold a load of laundry and put a new one in the wash 
• Put away a load of laundry  
• Vacuum the carpet/rugs in 1-2 rooms 
• Wipe down baseboards in the kitchen/dining room 
• Sweep front porch/sidewalk 
• Clean mirrors in bathrooms 
• Clean out under the couches
• Set a timer for 15 minutes and declutter as much as you can 
• Change sheets on one bed and vacuum the mattress
• Clean out trash/clutter from vehicles 
• Vacuum out the car 
• Clean out and organize the glovebox in at least one vehicle 
• Empty and load the dishwasher 
• Disinfect doorknobs and light switches 
• Clean out and declutter your purse and checkbook  
• Clean the glass on your front door/wipe down door 
• Wipe down windows in one room 
• Clean out and organize the junk drawer 
• Vacuum the sofa and recliners in living room area 

Free Printable 15 Minute Daily Cleaning Checklist

Looking for more cleaning tips for busy parents? Check out my other posts below!

A Realistic Cleaning Schedule for Working Moms (Free Chart) – If you’re searching for a cleaning schedule for working moms that you can actually stick with, you’ve found it! This free chart breaks down cleaning routines into manageable tasks that you can reasonably fit into your schedule.

52 Small Household Jobs to Get Your Home Clean and Organized  – Even if you have a solid cleaning routine in place, there are still those small tasks that fall through the cracks. This free printable checklist can help you tackle those hidden corners and dust bunnies!

15 Minute Cleaning Tips for Busy Moms – These helpful cleaning tips for busy moms are perfect for moms in every situation – whether you work full-time, stay at home, or something in between!