Things You'll Need:
- A timer
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Step 1
Do a 5-Minute House Check
Before you leave home in the morning or jump into your schedule for the day, make a quick sweep of the house. Set a timer for five minutes. Grab a cleaning rag. Start at the front door. Move quickly through the entry, hallway, living/family room, dining area, and bathroom. As you go, gather up out-of-place items, make quick adjustments to the room, straighten pillows, blankets, books, and the like, and swipe any really dirty surfaces with your cleaning rag. Don't stop and don't get distracted by details. When the timer goes off, quickly deposit the out-of-place items where they should go, return your cleaning rag to the closet. You're done, and now your house is presentable. -
Step 2
Do a 5-Minute Bedroom Sweep
Set a timer for five minutes. Start in the master bedroom: make the bed, put clothes in the laundry basket, grab out-of-place items, and turn off the lights. If your children are very young, then continue by repeating the pattern in their bedrooms, throwing toys back in the toy box as you go. If bedrooms are very messy in the morning and you can afford the time, give yourself 5 minutes for each one. If you don't have the time, just do what you can and close the bedroom door on your way out. -
Step 3
Do a 5-Minute Dinner Prep
Set a timer for five minutes. Open the refrigerator and see what needs to be used before it spoils; check the produce bins, pull out what needs to be cooked, and put it in the sink. Check the freezer for meat or fish to accompany the vegetables of choice, and put it in the refrigerator to thaw (inside of a pan to catch drips). Check the pantry for additional sides, and set out the primary ingredients (box of pasta, bag of rice). Run cool water over the vegetables in the sink and put them in a colander to drain. If you still have time, go ahead and peel, slice, or chop the vegetables and return to the refrigerator. Otherwise, just leave them in the sink. -
Step 4
Do a 5-Minute Closet Cleaning
Set a timer for five minutes. Grab a cardboard box or garbage bag. Open your closet and start at the far left side, then quickly skim the hanging clothes and remove any that you haven't worn in 3 months. Put into the box or bag. Scan the folded clothes and do the same with any that haven't been worn recently. Straighten one shelf (refold the clothes and stack neatly). Straighten one row of shoes; put any you don't wear from that row into the bag. Take the bag to the car with you and drop it off at the nearest donation box on your way to work. -
Step 5
Do a 5-Minute Paper Sort
Set a timer for five minutes. Get three manila folders and pull up a garbage can. Sit down at your desk or kitchen table with your stack of mail and papers. Label one folder FILE and one folder PAY. Pick up one piece of paper/mail at a time and put it in the FILE folder, the PAY folder, or the garbage can. If the mail is for someone else, stack it neatly on the table. Go quickly through each piece; do not stop to read any more than is necessary to determine where it needs to go. Stop when the timer goes off. Put the unsorted papers in the unlabeled folder, and place it with the FILE and PAY folders on your desk, put the mail for others in their bedrooms or on their desks, and replace the garbage can where it goes. -
Step 6
Do the 5-Minute Five every day
Repeat steps 1 through 5 every day for the best results. You'll quickly see improvement; your house will look better, your evenings will go smoother, your morning routine will be simpler, and your paper stack will get smaller, day by day.
