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20-Minute Home ‘Clean-Ups’ for Better Family Health

Don’t be daunted by the mountain of clean-up tasks in your home. Try these 20-minute cleanups that make the most of your time.

By Gina Shaw
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

Doing a thorough, deep clean of your whole home can take several hours. How often do busy moms have several hours? Instead of being daunted by the mountain of clean-up tasks in your way, try these 20-minute mini-cleanups that make the most of your valuable time while tackling some of the areas in your house where germs, dust, and allergens lurk.

20-Minute Bathroom Blitz

Once your children are old enough to sit safely in the tub and play for a bit, you can toss in a variety of bath toys and get the bathroom sanitary -- if not sparkling -- during 15 or 20 minutes of tub time. You’re still within arm’s reach should any water mishaps occur. All you need is some distilled white vinegar to clean and kill most bathroom germs without worrying that the kids in the tub will inhale harsher chemicals.

Your action plan should include:

The toilet. Toilets are where most of our bathroom germs come from -- urine is actually sterile, but feces are decidedly not. Flushing can aerosolize all kinds of bacteria, germs, and fungus. Pour about two cups of white vinegar or disinfectant into the bowl, then spray more from a spray bottle onto all the hard surfaces of the toilet (including rim and handle). Let it sit for about 10 minutes while you handle one of the other tasks. Then wipe down the outside and scrub the bowl with a toilet brush.
The sink. Spray with vinegar and wipe thoroughly. Don’t forget the handles and faucet.
The shower. If you have a glass shower door, spraying it with vinegar regularly prevents residue from building up.
The blinds and vents. Dust builds up on bathroom vents and blinds like crazy, and it’s a major allergen. Dust these areas with a moist rag to be sure you pick up more particles rather than sending some flying into the air.
The floor. Spray white vinegar on the floor. When the kids are done, let them stand on their bath towels and “skate” around to wipe and dry the floor. Then toss the towels in the laundry.

20-Minute Kitchen Cleanup at Breakfast or Lunch

If you’re like most busy moms, your kids eat at least one meal right in the kitchen -- at the counter or island -- or in a breakfast nook or dining area nearby. During the 20 minutes it takes them to eat, you can tackle a fast kitchen clean-up that will leave everything more healthy and hygienic.

Spray all hard surfaces -- countertops, sink, cupboard fronts, taps, and faucets -- with a disinfectant cleaner (or distilled white vinegar) and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Do a fast purge of the refrigerator. Dump leftovers that are more than 2 days old and other foods that are past their expiration date. Check the crisper drawers and toss withering lettuce and moldy strawberries.
Replace old sponges.
Take out the trash. Before you put a new bag in the trash can, spray down the sides with cleaner and wipe. Bags often leak or overflow and bacteria can collect on the bin.

When the kids are done eating, ask them to put their dishes in the dishwasher (or help them, if they’re little). Then spray down the kitchen floor with disinfectant cleaner or distilled white vinegar, and let them use dirty dish towels to wipe it clean. Toss the dishtowels in the next load of laundry.

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