Life is pretty busy for everyone these days, which means some tasks fall by the wayside. For a lot of us, that task is organizing the house. Tidying up can seem like a daunting task after a full day of work, errands, extracurricular activities, and/or chasing after little ones. But coming home from all of that chaos to a clean, organized house feels so restful and welcoming. If you can reserve a 30-minute block in your schedule, you can organize pretty much any room in the house. Take about five minutes to complete each of the following tasks, and you can declutter and clean any room in half an hour or less.

Clear clutter that doesn’t belong.

First, grab a basket or box and a small trash bag. Take a walk around the room, picking up anything that doesn’t belong there. Put those items that belongs elsewhere in the basket or box. While you’re looking for items that don’t belong, use the trash bag to gather any stray trash that might be lurking under chairs or on tables.

Clear the designated “landing spot.”

Whether we’re willing to admit it or not, we all have that landing zone where stuff gets tossed when we don’t want to deal with it. It might be piles of mail on a console table, magazines and books on the coffee table, or spare change on the kitchen counter. Clear it away and commit to making a concentrated effort not to let things pile up in that area.

Put stray items back in their homes.

Pick up any items that have found their way to the floor or other spot where they don’t belong. For example, put throw pillows and afghans back on the couch in the living room. Hang that clean load of laundry that’s been taunting you from its basket in the bedroom. Put away those beauty products that are cluttering up the bathroom counter.

Get rid of one thing (or a set of things).

Unless you’re a true minimalist, there’s probably at least one thing you can get rid of in any given room. Maybe it’s a broken piece of furniture that you’re holding onto just because it’s there. Maybe it’s a few articles of clothing or shoes that will free up some space in your closet. Maybe it’s those old, chipped dishes you’ve had since college. Sell, donate, or trash something that you don’t really need. It might even spark a decluttering streak.

Take notes.

Make a list of things that need to be done that you don’t have time for at the moment. This could anything from having a chair fixed, touching up paint, mending a hole in the living room curtains, or fixing that cracked tile in the bathroom. Anything you’ve been putting off should go on the list.

Spot clean.

Until you have time to do a deeper clean, do a quick spot clean. Dust surfaces and quickly vacuum the living room. Put away clean dishes in the kitchen and toss any stray dirty ones in the dishwasher. Wipe down the sink, counter, and mirror in the bathroom. Simply bringing a little bit of sparkle to the room with a quick surface clean can be both relaxing and motivating.