Who has extra time in the day to clean? Enjoy living in a clean home ... without spending hours cleaning.

How do you spend your waking hours? You might spend at least eight hours at the office crunching numbers, emails, and conducting meetings. You could be one to change diapers and try to entertain fussy toddlers. You might enjoy heading outdoors to take in a nature hike or sport. Or you just might be the one to curl up on the sofa with coffee and a good book (please share your secret).

However you spend your time, I'm guessing cleaning isn't one of the ways you enjoy spending it. Though, we can agree that we enjoy living in a clean house.

So how do people do it? Without spending hours a day or running the vacuum between midnight and 1 a.m., how does one clean in a jiffy? Here are several ideas of what to do if you have just 15 minutes to clean. Depending on your daily schedule, you can do all of these each day or break them up to do just one item each day.

Just Take 15 Minutes Every Day To ... 

Straighten up with the one-touch rule

• I've heard the suggestion to only touch items once. For example: When you bring the mail in from the mailbox, stand next to the recycle bin as you go through the mail. You're touching each piece of mail once as you consider what needs to be done. You can avoid opening envelopes, then moving the stack of mail from one counter to the other, and finally needing to go through the mail a third time because you're not sure what else is in the stack. Throughout your day, consider implementing the one-touch rule and enjoy the time saved.
• Another idea is to make this into an "all hands on deck event." Literally set a timer for 15 minutes, and have each member of your household spend time straightening. Each person can go through the entire house gathering his or her own belongings, or each person can choose a large area to straighten. If you prefer (and if it won't distract too much), turn up the tunes and sing loudly while you clean.

Organize items that don't have a place

• Can you hear your mom say, "A place for everything, and everything in its place"? As you straighten, you might find items in your home that don't have a place to live. That's easily solved. Reorganize a shelf in the closet to hold larger items. Or consider using baskets to hold smaller items in the bathroom.

Wipe down counters

• It doesn't take long at all to grab a cleaning wipe or use kitchen spray and a paper towel to wipe down your kitchen counters. This not only makes your counters shine, but it's also necessary for food safety in the kitchen. Be sure to lift small appliances and decorations and wipe the counters underneath.

Refresh the bathroom

• This one is key, especially if unexpected guests are on their way over. Gather your cleaning supplies and focus on the areas needing the most attention. Wipe down the mirror, sink faucet, and scrub the toilet. If you still have time, consider wiping down the counter and tub.

Vacuum high-traffic areas:

• Grab your vacuum and focus on high-traffic and public areas. Feel free to set a timer since you probably won't be able to vacuum your entire home in 15 minutes. You'll even have a spare minute to shake out excess dirt and lint from rugs.

Revive the bedroom

• Open the windows, let in some fresh air, and fall in love with your bedroom again. Take the sheets off the bed and start a load of laundry, washing sheets and towels. It doesn't take long to put on a fresh set of sheets and remake the bed. You'll enjoy the feeling tonight as you slip into bed onto crisp, clean sheets.

What do you think of these quick cleaning tips? Do you have one to add to the list? Share in the comments.