This is exactly how a cleaning expert organizes her space in 20 minutes

Try these realistic and attainable tricks to land yourself a cleaner home.

  • By Kelsey Clark Domaine
  • Saturday, October 21, 2017 1:30am
  • Life

By Kelsey Clark

Domaine

Like clockwork, the turn of the season always has us thinking about our homes and how we can best refresh our spaces for the coming months. While the Chinese practice of feng shui or the Marie Kondo method are great tools, basic cleaning and organization obviously take precedence.

But for those of us who balk at the idea of taking on a six-hour cleaning project on a Saturday, there’s Rachel Hoffman’s book, “Unf(*)ck Your Habitat: You’re Better Than Your Mess,” which Business Insider says is “just as much about self-empowerment as it is about taking care of your home.”

Below, read up on Hoffman’s realistic cleaning tips that will leave your home sparkling in just 20 to 30 minutes.

The 20/10 rule. This simply means cleaning for 20 minutes and resting for 10 minutes. This is Hoffman’s go-to strategy for avoiding what she calls “marathon cleaning,” or when a deep-cleaning binge makes your apartment messier (and more overwhelming) than when you started. It helps when you break cleaning up into “a series of smaller chunks of time” so that each task has a “definite beginning and a definite end.”

Gamify cleaning. “Look around. Find 10 things that aren’t where they belong. Put them away,” Hoffman suggests. Or, “take 10 minutes and reset as much as you can back to clean. Put items away, throw trash out, and hang up or put away your clothes until the timer goes off.”

Embrace your own version of minimalism. Remember that those glossy home shots on Pinterest or Instagram aren’t always realistic; you don’t need to get rid of all your stuff to have a stylish space. She suggests thinking about “what a realistic and attainable amount of stuff to have is,” and remember, “if something’s very presence in your home stresses you out, why are you keeping it?”

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

A stroll on Rome's ancient Appian Way is a kind of time travel. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves on the Appian Way, Rome’s ancient superhighway

Twenty-nine highways fanned out from Rome, but this one was the first and remains the most legendary.

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Inside Elle Marie Hair Studio in Smokey Point. (Provided by Acacia Delzer)
The best hair salon in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied. Here are the results.

The 2024 Kia EV9 electric SUV has room for up to six or seven passengers, depending on seat configuration. (Photo provided by Kia)
Kia’s all-new EV9 electric SUV occupies rarified air

Roomy three-row electric SUVs priced below 60 grand are scarce.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD (Photo provided by Toyota)
2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD

The compact SUV electric vehicle offers customers the ultimate flexibility for getting around town in zero emission EV mode or road-tripping in hybrid mode with a range of 440 miles and 42 mile per gallon fuel economy.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.