Keeping the kitchen clean is tough: every day leads to splattered surfaces and more dirty dishes to deal with. But by maintaining some good habits, you can ensure your kitchen remains clean in just minutes a day. Say goodbye to never-ending chore days and say hello to quick, simple tricks to keeping the kitchen clean.

1) Take care of the basics each day.
Sweeping floors and wiping up surfaces are both tasks that can be done very quickly when performed daily. When you do both each day, there’s less overall to clean—which means these tasks take only a few minutes out of the day. Daily dishwashing, rather than letting them pile up, is another good idea for fast, consistent kitchen cleanup.

2) Break up tasks.
Not everyone has a full half hour or hour block they can devote to daily tidying up. If you’re short on time for a particular day, break up the amount of time you’d spend cleaning into short shifts. For example, you might spend about ten minutes before work, then another ten or twenty minutes before bed. If you don’t live alone, you can even break up tasks and assign them to every member of the household.

3) Try timing yourself.
Setting a timer is a great way to challenge yourself to set aside time during the day to clean-up. Having a set time—say, 30 minutes—also helps you keep focus and tune out distractions.

4) For chores that are done less often, keep a schedule.
Things like mopping the floor or organizing the pantry aren’t necessary on a daily basis. Write down a weekly or monthly schedule so you can tackle (and remember) each task on a regular basis. When setting your routine, favour days that you know you’ll have the most free time for cleaning. This way, you can focus on simpler tasks on days when you’ll be occupied.

5) Make cleaning supplies easy to access.
Whether you have a dedicated cleaning cabinet or keep kitchen wipes on the counter, ensure that your cleaning supplies are always in reach. This way you can easily clean up any mess the moment it happens rather than save it for later (or forget it completely).

6) Stick to the first in, first out rule.
Older items should be kept to the front of the fridge. By doing so, you encourage yourself to make use of ingredients well before they spoil—which means a cleaner (and less smelly!) fridge with little effort.

7) Be a bit more daring when cooking.
Rather than dirtying measuring cups and spoons unnecessarily, eyeball the measurements you use for ingredients. Unless your baking, you’re allowed to guesstimate, so don’t be scared.