When summer arrives, so do the muddy sandals, sticky countertops, overflowing laundry baskets, and never-ending cleaning to-do lists. Between vacations, backyard BBQs, beach days, and kids home from school, keeping your home clean can quickly feel overwhelming.
The good news? Summer cleaning doesn’t have to take over your day.
Instead of spending entire weekends deep cleaning, focus on small, manageable tasks that keep your home feeling fresh all season long. By tackling one space at a time, you can stay ahead of the mess without sacrificing your summer plans.
That’s why we created Tru’s Simple 20-Minute Cleaning Checklist, a low-effort approach to cleaning that helps you maintain a tidy home in short, realistic bursts of time. Whether you’re wiping down patio furniture, refreshing your laundry routine, or tackling hidden summer grime, these simple habits make a big impact.
How to make a simple cleaning routine?
Summer is a balancing act of work, vacations, family time, and more. This will vary from person to person and household to household, but there is one thing we all have in common – how do you maintain a simple cleaning routine on top of everything else that life throws at you?
Start cleaning for only 20 minutes.
The 20-minute cleaning rule means setting a timer for just 20 minutes and focusing on cleaning. When the timer goes off, take a 5 to 10-minute break and then reset the timer for another cleaning session if you have the time and energy to do so.
Starting to build your cleaning routine with short time blocks will make it easier to maintain your home in short bursts throughout your day and week rather than hours of one day.
Set the mood
Thinking about cleaning and cleaning are two different things. To make it easier to get started, set the mood. Turn on your favorite playlist, podcast, or audiobook.
Why 20-Minute Cleaning Works
Cleaning becomes much less intimidating when you stop trying to do everything at once.
Short cleaning sessions help you:
- Stay consistent without burnout
- Prevent messes from piling up
- Keep your home guest-ready all summer
- Make cleaning feel manageable for busy schedules
- Spend less time cleaning overall
The goal isn’t perfection, but creating a clean, comfortable space you can enjoy all summer long.
Your Simple Cleaning Routine is made of three parts:
1. The Daily To-Do's Checklist
2. A Weekly Cleaning Schedule
3. Monthly Cleaning Tasks
The Daily To-Do's Checklist
The goal of any cleaning routine is to be as easy as possible. Your daily cleaning to-dos are designed to be quick and easy. Think only 5 minutes or less per task.
7 Daily Cleaning Tasks to Make Your Life Easier:
1. Make the beds
2. Quick bathrooms wipe down (counters and sink)
3. Open windows for fresh air
4. Unload or load the dishwasher
5. Quick Kitchen wipe down (counters and sink)
6. 5 Minute Tidy of living spaces
7. Laundry (fold a load or start a load)
A Weekly Cleaning Schedule
Follow a weekly schedule to spread essential cleaning tasks across the week, focusing on one small area at a time, so nothing piles up or feels overwhelming.
Here are handful of weekly tasks to add to your cleaning schedule to make life a little easier:
1. Dust and disinfect visible surfaces
2. Sweep and vacuum main areas
3. Bathroom Reset (toilet, sink, mirror)
4. Kitchen Reset (Wipe down appliances + Mop floors)
5. Catch-up and quick declutter of main living spaces
Monthly Cleaning Tasks
Use monthly tasks as maintenance check-ins that prevent deep-cleaning marathons and keep your home running smoothly with minimal effort. Tru’s 20 Minute Simple Cleaning Checklist will release a monthly cleaning list on the last Tuesday of every month.
The June Monthly Cleaning Task are now available:
Get the June 2026 Cleaning Checklist Now
A Cleaner Home Without Losing Your Summer
Summer should be spent making memories not spending hours scrubbing your home.
By focusing on quick, manageable cleaning tasks, you can keep your space fresh, functional, and ready for whatever summer brings. A simple 20-minute reset each day can help reduce stress, minimize clutter, and make cleaning feel far less overwhelming.
Because a cleaner home doesn’t have to come at the cost of your time.
