Cleaning

Master one cleaning task until it becomes second nature before adding the next task.

Doing too much too soon can lead to burnout.

one person who lived it

Treat cleaning as a game where you hunt down things to clean, fix, or reorganize.

It makes the process fun.

2 people, independently

• Reframe chores as free exercise.1

Do a 15-minute fix-up session five times a week to keep the place spotless.

One person reported this ensures the place is spotless constantly.

one person who lived it

Avoid wearing shoes inside the house to keep floors cleaner.

One person reported reducing floor cleaning frequency from twice a week to twice a month.

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Do chores on weekday evenings instead of waiting for the weekend.

It leaves the entire weekend free to enjoy a clean home.

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Do any chore that takes less than 10 minutes immediately upon arriving home, unless you are drunk.

This helps you fully relax in the evening and prevents small tasks from piling up into bigger jobs later.

• Don't do this when you're drunk, as you think you are helping but are probably just making it worse.

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Watch an episode of a show about hoarders to motivate yourself to clean your home from top to bottom.

Watching for about 15 minutes gives motivation and makes you judge what's in your space.

2 people, independently

Do laundry constantly instead of letting it accumulate.

It is much easier than having multiple loads to do at once.

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Use the last bit of energy upon getting home from work to clean tasks before relaxing.

Deciding to relax right away can lead to laziness.

• Some people need to decompress first to get things done efficiently.

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Force yourself to look around and grab stray items every time you leave a room.

It creates a small impact that feels good and may inspire further cleaning.

• If you struggle with clutter, you may forget to do this.

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Break full cleaning sessions into small chunks throughout the day, such as 15 minutes for pickup, 20 minutes for hoovering, and 10 minutes for mopping.

Doing it in shifts prevents you from feeling like you are stuck in a long session.

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Clean your house the day before a known hard day at work.

Coming home to a clean space brightens your mood and makes you grateful.

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Clean your house if you have been stuck inside.

You will feel better, cleaner, and may experience a rush of euphoria.

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Reduce the number of objects in your home to cut down on what needs cleaning.

Objects equal more things to clean.

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Set a timer for 5 minutes and commit to working on the chore only until it rings.

Working by a timer is a great way for overcoming procrastination.

2 people, independently

• Set a timer for 5 minutes to start cleaning; commit only to that short duration, then continue until the task is finished once the alarm goes off.1
• Set a timer for short intervals followed by brief cleaning bursts to overcome procrastination.1

Use a foldable shopping cart to shuttle items up and down stairs or between locations during moves or cleanouts.

They can hold significant weight and volume, reducing trips.

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Tidy one item a day after waking up.

One person reported this made their house 90% neat and tidy in 2-3 weeks without binge cleaning stress.

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Set a timer for 10 minutes per room to create urgency; use a kitchen timer if you need to keep your phone accessible.

It creates a sense of urgency to beat the clock.

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Put on music designated for cleaning to set the mood and make it more enjoyable.

It sets the mood and makes the task more enjoyable.

3 people, independently

• Set a timer and play music or podcasts while cleaning.1

Clean the kitchen, do dishes, and do laundry daily if you see your parents are too busy with childcare to handle these tasks.

Parents may have little time for chores while looking after children.

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After a big cleaning purge, perform daily or weekly maintenance such as scrubbing the toilet after use or shower tiles once a week.

It is a life saver for sustaining cleanliness.

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Follow a system of small interval cleanups, such as those promoted by 'The Clean Lady'.

These systems can improve your life.

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Wear a headlamp while cleaning to reveal missed dirt.

The focused light highlights stains, dust, hair, and grime that are normally invisible during regular cleaning.

• One person prefers not to see what they missed, believing if it can't be seen, it doesn't exist.

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Put items directly into their proper storage place instead of setting them down temporarily.

It takes only a few seconds and avoids the extra work of putting things away later.

4 people, independently

Clean your workspace when unmotivated to work; the act of cleaning can lead to hyper-focus on tasks afterward.

Once the space is cleaned up, one person reported becoming hyper-focused on their tasks.

• This may be considered procrastination.

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Listen to podcasts or motivational talks while cleaning to maintain mental sanity and prevent chores from feeling mindless.

Podcasts help maintain sanity and make tasks feel less like work.

3 people, independently

Talk on the phone with a friend while performing simple household chores.

The conversation is the reward.

• Many tasks cannot be multitasked.

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Handle any task immediately if it takes under five minutes.

This prevents the guilt and anxiety associated with pending chores and saves energy compared to leaving things like dirty dishes visible.

3 people, independently

Treat shared spaces as if they were your own property and keep them clean.

It helps develop etiquette, manners, and self-confidence.

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Assign a specific home to every item you own.

It is easier to put things away casually when you know exactly where they go.

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Clean while talking on the phone using headphones.

It turns cleaning into a mindless task so the space is clean by the time you hang up.

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Open windows and curtains during the day to let in fresh air and sunlight.

Fresh air and sunlight do well.

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Stack passive chores, such as starting laundry while dinner cooks, then washing prep dishes during cooking time.

This cuts down on the rest of the work.

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Reframe cleaning as an act of self-care or caring for a loved pet.

2 people, independently

If you have the time, empty a room completely as if moving out to create a fresh canvas for organizing or painting.

It provides more options, such as painting.

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Clean an item or appliance thoroughly before deciding to replace it.

Cleaning can make items seem new.

• Cleaning may reveal hidden damage, such as rust where paint has come off, necessitating replacement.

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Carry a laundry basket around the house while tidying to collect stray items, putting them away as you go.

It helps manage daily messes and general clutter.

2 people, independently

• Use the Laundry Basket Method: start at one end of the house with an empty basket, gather items that don't belong in each room, deposit them in their correct rooms as you pass, and repeat until the basket is empty.2

Schedule a weekly deep clean for bathrooms on the same day and time each week.

This consistency ensures the bathroom is always clean.

2 people, independently

Make your bed to help you unpack and unwind more productively when you return home.

It helps you be excited to sleep.

one person who lived it

Avoid fixing small daily inconveniences if you have ADHD, as these tasks can become distracting rabbit holes.

Attempting to fix one thing every day may prevent you from completing other important tasks.

• This advice is specifically for individuals with ADHD who struggle with hidden distractions.

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Draw a clear line on what will and will not get done, and remain consistent with that boundary to prevent things from getting out of hand.

Consistency prevents situations from escalating.

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Clean frequently in small increments (clean-as-you-go) instead of dedicating specific days to big mass cleaning sessions.

Massive cleaning sprees are unproductive and frustrating; regular upkeep reduces the volume of work per session.

3 people, independently

Buy duplicate sets of cleaning products for different floors of a multi-story home.

To avoid carrying supplies up and down stairs repeatedly.

one person who lived it

Start downsizing and purging items weeks or months before moving to reduce stress and make packing easier.

Doing executive function tasks early when less stressed allows for more objective decisions about keeping items.

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Keep shared areas tidy even if your personal space is messy.

Visitors typically stay in shared areas and may not see the mess in your private room.

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Combine decluttering with daily cleaning for long-term success.

Throwing out junk reduces the base level of mess.

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Clean up immediately after tasks like cooking or handling mail to keep your home generally tidy.

This prevents deep cleaning when you feel unwell.

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Watch content from Cass the Clutterbug or Dana K White on YouTube, or read 'Unf*ck Your Habitat', for decluttering advice.

These resources helped one person.

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Vacuum carpets frequently to remove ground-in grit.

Ground-in grit causes carpets to go threadbare.

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Use phone reminders to prompt yourself to fix small issues when you are in the right location and have available time.

Reminders increase the likelihood of acting on tasks by triggering action at best moments.

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Reduce furniture to cut down on cleaning effort and dust collection.

Less furniture takes up less space and collects less junk and dust.

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Set up a manageable daily cleaning schedule that includes a specific 'chore of the day' for days when you are too burnt out to do more.

It provides a sense of accomplishment without overwhelming effort on low-energy days.

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Set a screensaver reminder to 'put one thing away' to prompt tidying when entering a room.

It actually works.

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Use a HEPA air filter to noticeably reduce dust.

One person reported that dust was noticeably reduced when they had one.

one person who lived it

Get rid of items you do not need or regularly use.

Not keeping these items has dramatically decreased clutter.

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Remove carpeting to eliminate smells and simplify cleaning with mops or robots.

One person found this removed worries about smells and made the floor easy to mop and robot-vacuum friendly.

one person who lived it

Set a timer for cleaning sessions and reward yourself afterward, such as with a cup of tea, to create a definite ending.

Knowing there is a definite end helps when you dislike cleaning.

one person who lived it

One approach that helped when cleaning up after a roommate who didn't help was cleaning loudly and passively aggressively, such as slamming drawers or throwing their pans in the sink.

It made the person feel better after repeatedly cleaning up for someone else.

one person who lived it

Tell yourself to spend 5 minutes or listen to 3 upbeat songs to start a chore, which often leads to longer effort.

one person who lived it

Do not explicitly state that you will be a neat tenant on rental applications.

Landlords may view this emphasis as a red flag indicating you will actually be disrespectful and unclean.

one person who lived it

Remove non-trash items from your car to lighten the load.

A lighter car improves fuel economy and reduces the chance of items breaking.

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Schedule a dedicated 'friction removal' day every two to three weeks to address accumulated small annoyances.

Listing friction-causing issues and dealing with them all at once prevents daily distractions.

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Dust high surfaces like pictures, blinds, and ceiling fans first to get moving and motivated.

It helps you get moving and reaching, which can motivate you to continue with other tasks like brooming and mopping.

one person who lived it

Film a time-lapse video of yourself cleaning to watch back for satisfaction and motivation.

Watching the progress can be satisfying and motivational.

• Requires finding a stand and charging the phone, which some find adds too many steps.

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Hire a professional cleaner for monthly deep cleans to maintain overall household cleanliness.

It allows you to focus on maintaining cleanliness rather than performing major cleaning tasks yourself.

one person who lived it

• Hire a professional cleaner every couple of weeks to handle scrubbing, vacuuming, and dusting, while maintaining daily tasks like dishes and beds yourself.1

Bill customers for tool cleanup and organization time if you are an independent contractor.

Calculate this time into your workday rather than doing it after hours.

one person who lived it

Throw small parties to motivate yourself to clean and declutter.

It provides satisfaction from seeing a cleaned house after company leaves.

• You will need to clean again after the party.
• Introverts may find this approach undesirable.

one person who lived it

Reward yourself with a specific leisure activity after completing a small cleaning task.

Rewarding yourself encourages doing more chores.

2 people, independently

Focus on being tidy and clean over trying to look handsome, as cleanliness is an important factor.

Cleanliness is an important factor regardless of appearance.

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take many photos with metadata before moving in and after moving out

to prove when pictures were taken

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Dump cluttered desk items into a box to clear the surface immediately, then sort the box contents separately later.

You'll have a clean desk immediately

• Items may not get sorted and just take up space if you keep filling new boxes without sorting.

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Invite a friend over regularly to provide motivation to start cleaning.

Having someone there provides whatever is needed to begin.

3 people, independently

Prepare separate 'donate' and 'garbage' bags before starting a deep clean to simplify decision-making.

Removing trash first makes the remaining task feel less like a mountain.

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Work in a library or other external location if your home environment triggers procrastination or mess-making.

It helps create an efficient system that avoids making a mess.

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Before picking up an item to clean, determine exactly where it will go.

This reduces shuffling items around.

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Return items to their designated places immediately as you move about the house.

It reduces daily chores to just dusting and vacuuming rather than picking up messes.

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Keep your home clean and tidy at all times, especially in the evenings and on weekends, to avoid missing opportunities for hospitality and deeper connections.

To ensure you are ready for spontaneous social visits or overnight guests and do not miss chances to be hospitable or help someone out.

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Frame daily maintenance tasks like making the bed as fighting against bigger decay.

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Stop spending hours cleaning under appliances like stoves and fridges if you are short on time; focus on visible areas instead.

Cleaning under appliances is time-consuming compared to cleaning visible areas like your room.

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Try Flylady methods if you are struggling with severe clutter or cleaning paralysis.

Testimonials suggest people in similar situations were able to overcome these issues.

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Rely on references from former landlords to prove you are a clean tenant rather than bragging about it yourself.

Self-praise is viewed with suspicion, whereas third-party validation is more trustworthy.

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Set small, achievable cleaning goals to feel accomplished without becoming overwhelmed.

Small steps help prevent feelings of being overwhelmed while providing a sense of accomplishment.

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Implement a rotating cleaning schedule so different areas are cleaned at different frequencies.

It is easier than cleaning everything every time.

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Zip-tie ring spanners in order within your toolbox for quick identification and retrieval.

Ordering tools makes it easier to find specific ones quickly and spot missing items.

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Batch process cleaning tasks like dishes and trash to reduce transaction costs such as drawing water or walking to the dumpster.

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Schedule regular maintenance for mechanical items like cars and lawnmowers to avoid inconvenient and expensive repairs.

Without scheduled maintenance, repairs happen on their own schedule, which is neither convenient nor cheap.

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Fix small home inconveniences immediately by adjusting your environment to match how you move.

Leaving solutions unsolved leads to laziness.

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Convert unused formal rooms into hobby or workshop spaces to reduce maintenance.

Unused formal rooms require regular vacuuming and dusting.

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Deploy runner drop cloths in workspaces whenever tradespeople visit to protect floors.

Tradespeople appreciate not having to worry about floors and workspaces.

one person who lived it

Use a dedicated long-handled broom specifically for removing cobwebs.

Having a tool solely for this job reduces cobweb presence.

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Cultivate an 'academic' or 'arty' level of clutter to hide laziness behind the impression of intellectual engagement.

It creates the impression that your mind is on higher things rather than laziness.

one person who lived it

Do not use general-purpose cleaners like Formula 409 on cooking surfaces such as grills.

Warnings state not to use these products on cookware.

one person who lived it

Clean during idle moments, such as while waiting for water to boil or food to microwave.

• One person reported feeling miserable and losing joy in other tasks when trying to follow this constantly.

8 people, independently

Run hot water through dirty dishes or surfaces if you are too lazy to scrub.

It prevents buildup so you don't have to scrub later, making cleanup easier.

one person who lived it

Have guests or partners handle dishes during cooking, and put rinsed items directly into the dishwasher rather than the sink.

This prevents disarray from starting.

one person who lived it

Clean the kitchen counter and sink before sleeping.

To avoid getting sticky residue from dinner on your elbow while making coffee in the morning.

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Run the dishwasher every night rather than waiting for it to be full.

Modern dishwashers are efficient enough that hand-washing in between wastes more water and energy.

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Put three items away every time you open the dishwasher.

The dishwasher empties itself over time.

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Do not stack ramekins, metal sauce cups, or bullets.

They stick together like suction cups and are difficult to separate.

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Use a dedicated rag and brush specifically for toilets to avoid spreading bacteria to other bathroom surfaces.

Cleaning the toilet first and then using the same tools spreads waste across the whole bathroom.

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Scrub stainless steel stovetops with a stainless steel scrubber and bicarb, then apply a protective spray to limit future buildup.

The spray seems to help limit caked-on residue.

one person who lived it

Spit toothpaste into the water area of the sink and wash it down immediately to keep the sink from getting dirty.

The water is in close proximity, making it easy.

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Clean your fridge weekly by wiping shelves, drawers, seals, and handles with a microfiber cloth and cleaning alcohol.

Doing this weekly makes the task quick and requires no scrubbing.

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Use bleach for organic stains, but do not use it for mineral deposits like brown sink crud.

Bleach is ineffective against mineral deposits.

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Remove all dirty dishes from your bedroom before guests arrive.

A collection of dirty dishes looks nasty.

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Use vinegar for cleaning surfaces if you have young children who touch everything.

It works surprisingly well.

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Do not stack disposable items with regular plates or utensils when helping waiters.

Waiters must separate mixed stacks, which takes more time.

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Consistently handle trash, dishes, and dirty clothes even if you never deep clean.

It makes future proper cleaning infinitely easier.

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Keep frequently used kitchen appliances, utensils, spices, and oils on the counter for easy access.

It saves time.

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Ensure kitchen countertops are spotless and tidy to make the whole kitchen appear cleaner, even if floors or sinks are messy.

A tidy countertop makes the entire kitchen look cleaner despite other messes like crumbs or dirty dishes.

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Clean sinks and taps with chemicals approximately every 10 days for hygienic reasons.

It is important for hygienic reasons.

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Clean sinks thoroughly after washing dishes to remove visible residue.

Residue left on the sink makes it unsuitable for subsequent tasks like washing vegetables.

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Wash clothes by hand to clean specific areas in any direction, rather than relying on a washing machine's fixed pattern.

Hands allow cleaning inside, outside, and wherever needed, whereas machines move in a set pattern.

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Wash dishes immediately after eating and hang clothes immediately after changing to avoid letting messes accumulate.

Prevents mess accumulation.

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Clean kitchen messes immediately while fresh using a soapy washcloth instead of paper towels.

Paper towels create unnecessary waste.

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Ensure functional amenities are available for guests, such as a way to dry hands or dispose of trash.

Failing to provide these basics makes the host appear inconsiderate.

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Sort clothing immediately: put reworn items back in storage and place dirty items in the hamper.

This is the best choice for reducing laundry.

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Avoid applying strong scents like aftershave or cologne in professional or dating settings to prevent causing discomfort or allergic reactions.

Strong scents can make others' eyes water and negatively impact job interviews or dates.

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