30 Easy Homemaking Tasks You Can Finish In Under 10 Minutes

What can you actually do in 10 minutes or less? This list of quick and easy homemaking tasks are all things that take 10 minutes or under to do. You can get more finished than you think in the small pockets of time throughout the day – so set that timer for 10 minutes and become more productive by getting things done!

Do you find that you have pockets of time throughout your day where there isn’t time to actually get anything done, but you feel like they’re wasted?

SO FRUSTRATING!

But it really needn’t be that way.

Having a plan for those pockets of time can make you go from wasting time to being an uber-productive Home Boss before you know it.

After all, if you can get a lot of the smaller homemaking tasks done in these gaps, then you will feel like you have less on your plate overall – and that can only be a good thing, right!

I get asked a LOT about what can be done in those few minutes – and as always, I wanted to put together a post that would help answer that for you.

It made me think about starting a list of things to do in those little pockets of time that we get throughout the day, and don’t often use to our advantage (when the kettle’s boiling, when we’re on the phone, when waiting for someone to arrive or someone to do something in the house, adverts on the TV, waiting for something to cook etc….)

This is my list of things that you can do in 10 minutes or under – so you can use it for inspiration next time you’ve got that gap in your day.

If you can start to do a few little things each day then you will drastically transform the way you live, and how you feel about your home and life – so why not give it a try!

QUICK TIP – We ALWAYS over-estimate how long tasks take us, which leads us to not doing them until the gap of time we have is much larger. It’s totally eye opening what you can actually do in a short amount of time. If you’re not sold, then test it out and set that timer!

Tasks That You Can Do In 10 Minutes Or Less

#1 – Try and fill a bin bag with items that are not required any more – quick walk through the house – things can be then sorted into CHARITY, RUBBISH, RECYCLE etc….

Related: 3 Bin Bag Challenges To Attempt Today!

#2 – Spare change – collect from around the house, count up and bag – then you can add to your errands list to take it to the bank next time you’re in that area.

#3 – Shredding – start a pile in your paperwork area, and when you have quite a bit you can do it all in one go (it’s always more time savvy to do things in batches)

#4 – Filing. As with shredding, start a pile in your paperwork area and when you have a decent amount you can do it all in one go – also, you could go through things that have already been filed and ensure that they are still needed (otherwise you’ll end up with too much stuffed into the file and won’t be able to find anything).

#5 – Email folders – are you REALLY going to need everything again? Try and work through one folder each time and only keep things that are crucial (ensure they are filed in the right folders as well for ease of finding again).

This is a great task to do on your phone when out and about in a queue or waiting for something.

#6 – Sort out the pens. We all have old pens that don’t work, so collect all that you can find and simply try them all out and get rid of those that don’t write any longer – that pen pot will thank you for it!

#7 – Go through your coupons and vouchers. If you have these in one place it’s an easy task – but make it a habit to go through them frequently so you can use them before they get outdated, or get rid of those that have already expired.

#8 – Declutter a drawer or cupboard – a really quick win that I often do when on the phone

#9 – Handbag / purse / wallet – throw out all old receipts and paper that collects there – and put everything where it should go.

#10 – Hall cupboard – check coats and shoes are there are suitable for the season and have non seasonal stuff in peoples rooms

#11 – DVDs and CDs – any collections should be in the right boxes. Or you could go box free with this storage saving idea.

#12 – Magazines – rip out any articles you want to read again, and if all in tact still, consider giving to someone else to read, or recycle

#13 – Quick purge of kitchen food cupboards to ensure things are in date still. Rotate those that will be going out of date to the front so they get used beforehand.

#14 – Writing a liked recipe into your family recipe book.  Over time you will have created a fail safe recipe book to use again and again.

#15 – Write a letter to someone. Whether it be a thank you, a card to say Hi,  or something else – then you can make someones day by getting it done.

#16 – Write 1 or 2 cards. If you are on top of your gift buying, then chances are you’ll have a pile of greetings cards that will be needed over the coming weeks/months.

If you know who each is for, then keep one or two in your handbag and write them when you are out and about and have some time to spare.

Related: Easy Way To Keep Track Of Gifts And Cards All Year Round

#17 – Social stuff. Create a simple checklist with all your friends names on.

You can then easily see that you have contacted all of them in a suitable time frame (everyone of these will be different, and may prefer different ways of contacting), but don’t let this contact slide (i.e. make a phone call, send an email, write in your diary to do this.

#18 – Check your diary for the upcoming few days to see that you have got everything you need for whatever you are doing

#19 – Put a load of washing in the washing machine – or hang one out to dry. Keep the laundry moving through the system you have, and you’ll never get a pile building up.

Related: How To Create The Perfect Laundry Schedule

#20 – Do a House Walk – A quick walk around the house to put things back where they should go. This keeps on top of the general tidying – and makes the whole house feel a little more finished.

#21 – Make a phone call. Whether it be booking an appointment, confirming with a friend, or changing something with a supplier – this is a really quick win.

#22 – Mend something. Have you got a pile of clothes that need a button sewn on them, or a tear repaired? Get one done now, and that pile will be gone before you know it.

#23 – Wrap a present. In the same way that you can get cards written ahead of time, why not get presents wrapped and ready to post or give to the recipient earlier than necessary?

You then avoid a last minute rush.

#24 – Water plants, and get rid of dead leaves. This is often something that’s forgotten when it comes to daily chores, but will help the plants thrive and look their best.

#25 – Write a cheque / Pay a bill. These are always building up in your paperwork piles – so tackle what you can in 10 minutes and enjoy the pile lessening….

#26 – Prep food. You could chop some veg for your evening meal ahead of time, chop fruit and veg for a smoothie mix for the freezer ready to grab, prepare tomorrows packed lunch, or do loads of other quick food prep tasks that can make your evenings a little easier.

#27 – Vacuum. A quick vacuum of the house can take just ten minutes – but will make the whole space feel a little fresher. Don’t try and get to every nook and cranny – just a quick freshen up will do wonders.

#28 – Online shop. Whether you have a present list to sort, something you need to buy for the house, or anything else really – why not spend ten minutes browsing for it?

Chances are, in those ten minutes you will be more productive and focused – and you’ll find what you need.

TIP – Avoid impulse purchase by adding the item to your basket and leaving it there for a while before you buy

#29 – Wipe the kitchen / bathroom surfaces. As with the vacuuming in point #27 – a quick wipe of the main surfaces in the house can work wonders to how you feel about the house as a whole – and takes just a few minutes.

TIP – Have wipes or a cloth and spray in each room ready to grab and go – makes the process as quick as possible

#30 – Take a walk. We all get busy in our day, and very rarely take time to ourselves. One of the best things we can do to be more productive each day and get more homemaking done(!) is to get some fresh air and a little exercise.

The habit of a 10 minute walk a day will help you feel great, and show you exercise can be added to the day without it being a huge thing.

Even if you can’t get out of the house, then you can use your stairs / walk around the garden etc….

Ten Minute Timer

I tend to use a countdown app on my phone or my oven timer – but you may prefer to have a proper timer so you can attach to your fridge or your clothes and know that you’re on track.

That’s a quick win if ever I heard of one!

…and if you want to grab a free TO DO list to write down all the things you are thinking about, then head HERE next.