How to Clean Your Room in 20 Minutes

Cleaning your bedroom in 20 minutes requires a quick and focused approach. Here’s how to get your room clean in just 20 minutes.

 

1. Gather Supplies (~2 minutes)

First thing first: gather your supplies. Doing this at the start of the cleaning process means you won’t run back and forth to grab the necessary stuff, wasting valuable time.

Here are the cleaning essentials you should take up to your bedroom before you begin:

• Empty rubbish bag or bin
• Laundry basket
• Multipurpose cleaner or disinfectant wipes
• Two microfibre cloths
• Vacuum cleaner or broom
• Air freshener (optional)

 

2. Declutter Your Bedroom (~5 minutes)

Next, spend around five minutes quickly picking up and putting away any out-of-place items. Focus on decluttering visible surfaces like dressers, bedside tables, and desks, as you’ll be dusting these surfaces in the next step, and clearing the floor so that you can vacuum.

To speed up the process, throw any dirty clothes in the laundry basket and any rubbish in the bin bag.

Also, don’t worry about returning your belongings to their perfect spot. If your room is a big mess, chuck all the non-laundry or rubbish items in a basket or box and put them in their rightful homes around the house later.

 

3. Dust Surfaces (~3 minutes)

Grab your microfibre cloth and dust as many surfaces as you can in three minutes. Aim to include bedside tables, shelves, window ledges, chests of drawers, and desks.

As you’ve only given yourself 20 minutes for the entire clean, don’t worry about perfection—just get the visible dust.

We’d usually recommend moving all items from these surfaces, dusting the surface, and replacing each item rather than dusting around them. This is the preferred option if you only have a few items on the side and have time.

However, dusting around them will be sufficient if you have lots of décor and ornaments.

 

4. Wipe Surfaces (~3 minutes)

After dusting, go back over these surfaces with a disinfectant. You can use your all-purpose spray cleaner and second microfibre cloth or your disinfectant wipes, chucking used wipes in the bin bag.

Make sure you focus on cleaning up any noticeable stains or spills and straighten the surfaces once you’ve finished for a polished finish.

In addition to wiping all the flat surfaces in your bedroom, you’ll want to pay attention to frequently touched areas like doorknobs and light switches. Quickly give these areas a once-over wipe to ensure they’re clean and hygienic.

 

5. Vacuum or Sweep (~5 minutes)

Plug the vacuum in and quickly hoover the floor (or use a broom to sweep if preferred). Don’t worry about moving furniture—you won’t have time in only 20 minutes. Instead, clean the open spaces, focusing on high-traffic areas and visible debris.

If you have extra time, you can also mop your floors—assuming they’re not carpeted, of course!

However, don’t stress if your timer is close to the 20-minute mark. Your aim is to make your bedroom look presentable, not perfect.

If needed, you can mop the floors later once you have a little more time on your hands.

 

6. Final Touches (~2 minutes)

You’ll want to put the finishing touches to your bedroom for the final two minutes (or however long you have left). This could include tasks like:

• Emptying the bin and replacing the rubbish bag.
• Fluffing pillows and making the bed.
• Adjust curtains or blinds to make the room look neat.
• Take a quick look around to ensure everything is in place.
• Start putting away any belongings that you put to one side earlier.
• Spray an air freshener to make your room smell nice.

 

Tips for Cleaning Your Bedroom in 20 Minutes

Here are some extra to get the most out of your 20-minute cleaning section:

Tip 1: Set a timer

We recommend setting a 20-minute timer (the timer on your smartphone will do) before you begin cleaning.

This helps you track how long the overall cleaning process takes and can provide extra motivation—can you finish before the alarm goes off?

You can also use the timer to track how long each task takes to prevent spending too much time on one area.

However, use the approximate timings for each step given above as a rough guide only. For example, you might only need two minutes to declutter your bedroom, rather than five, if it’s already tidy and organised.

 

Tip 2: Tidy a bit every day

Make it a habit to tidy up your bedroom daily. This doesn’t require a big time investment—a quick tidy before bed is all it takes.

It’ll make the decluttering step (step 2) far quicker to complete and means you can give your bedroom a more thorough clean in the allotted time.

A quick tick list of daily cleaning tasks includes:

• Start your day by making your bed. It instantly makes the room look neater!
• Put fresh laundry away and avoid leaving clothes on the floor or draped over furniture.
• Likewise, place worn back into storage or a laundry basket to keep up with your washing.
• Take a few minutes to pick up any items out of place and return them to their homes.
• Clean up any spills as they happen, rather than waiting for your dedicated cleaning time.

 

Tip 3: Set designated spaces for certain items

Have designated places for commonly used items. This makes it easier to put things away quickly, both when doing your daily tidying and decluttering in your 20-minute room clean. It also makes it easier to find things you’re looking for without turning your room upside down!

For example, you could organise your dresser based on clothing type. Have one drawer for underwear, another for gym wear, another for shorts, and so on.

You can alternatively use storage bins, wicker baskets, or hooks to keep items organised. Don’t forget to add storage solutions to your desk, wardrobe, dressing table, and other areas.

 

Tip 4: Store personal items away

Keep personal items to a minimum on bedside tables, desks, and other surfaces. This reduces clutter and means you’ll more likely have time to remove items from surfaces for a thorough dusting and wiping, even when doing a quick clean.

If you’re struggling to keep your things contained, consider implementing a “one in, one out” rule for items on display.

You should also keep your belongings to a minimum in general, opting for a more minimalistic approach. After all, the fewer items you own, the harder it is to make a mess!

Have a seasonal clear-out of your bedroom and wardrobe, donating or throwing away unwanted possessions.

 

Tip 5: Learn the art of multitasking

To successfully clean your bedroom in 20 minutes, it helps to combine tasks where possible. For instance, rather than following a rigid declutter, dusting, and wiping schedule, you could dust and wipe surfaces while picking up clutter.

Similarly, you might adjust the curtains or blinds while clearing or wiping the window ledge, or spray an air freshener as you vacuum the floor.

However, in your first speed-cleaning session, stick to a more basic cleaning process (such as our step-by-step instructions).

This makes it easier to see potential jobs that can be tied together. Also, remember that some tasks must be done in a set order, such as always vacuuming after dusting.

 

Tip 6: Prioritise visible areas

Focus on cleaning the most visible areas first, such as the bed, dressers, bedside tables, and floor, for an immediate visual improvement. This ensures that your cleaning efforts are focused on the aspects of the room that have the most significant impact, making the most efficient use of your time.

Here are some quick fixes for these focal points:

• Smooth out wrinkles in the sheets and fluff the pillows on your bed.
• Clear and organise dressers and bedside tables, removing all daily clutter.
• Address clothing, shoes, or other items on your floor to create a clean and spacious feel.
• Vacuum or sweep visible areas, focusing on the high-traffic sections.

Remember, the goal is to tidy up and make your bedroom look presentable quickly. When you have more time, you can always thoroughly clean less visible areas.

 

Tip 7: Use efficient cleaning products

Finally, it helps to use products that allow for quick and effective cleaning. For example, natural DIY cleaners or all-purpose sprays are powerful yet gentle enough to be used on a wide range of surfaces.

This means you don’t need to pick up and put down different cleaning products constantly. Disinfectant wipes can also be handy for a fast surface clean.

You also want to make sure you have practical cleaning tools. We recommend microfibre cloths for dusting, as they’re effective at picking up dust and dirt.

Powerful vacuum cleaners also help suck up dirt quickly, while mops like Flash Speedmop can streamline the mopping and drying of your floors.