Cleaning can be overwhelming, and let’s be honest, when things get overwhelming, it’s easy to just let them fall by the wayside. With cleaning, though, that’s not a great coping mechanism. But there’s a way to hack your way into a non-overwhelming cleaning routine.
In the 20/10 cleaning method, you’ll break down cleaning into 20 minutes increments, and then, when done, take a 10-minute break.
Rachel Hoffman, an author and cleaning expert, is the brains behind the method, and it’s designed to keep overwhelm to a minimum by avoiding marathon cleaning. According to Hoffman, marathon cleaning is only good for a finite amount of time because once you’re done, you’re likely to allow the mess to build up again as part of an avoidance tactic. Instead, cleaning should be broken down into manageable sections.
To implement the 20/10 cleaning method, you’ll set aside 20 minutes every day to tackle a cleaning task. Whether it’s dusting, vacuuming, or cleaning your shower, pick a task (or tasks) and devote 20 minutes to it. Once time’s up, choose an activity you enjoy—reading, playing a video game, or having a snack—and use 10 minutes to do it. Essentially, reward yourself for cleaning.
While this might cleaning method might mean it’ll take a while before your house is spotless, it helps ensure that when you get to that point, your home says consistently clean. If you want to get a jumpstart on spring cleaning, try beginning with 20 minutes of cleaning and build onto your routine from here.
