To keep a clean house with a busy schedule, focus on small, consistent efforts like 10-15 minute daily tasks (wiping counters, putting things away) and "tidying as you go," breaking down bigger chores by day (e.g., Mondays for bathrooms), decluttering regularly, and involving family in chores to prevent buildup, making cleanliness manageable without big weekend efforts.
6 Tips To Keep A Clean House With A Full-time Job
The 5-5-5 Rule for decluttering, popularized by Steph of The Secret Slob and Apartment Therapy, is a quick, low-pressure method that involves setting a 25-minute timer, picking five different zones in your home, and spending just five minutes tidying or decluttering each zone before moving to the next, making it ideal for tackling daily messes without feeling overwhelmed.
The 12-12-12 decluttering method is a simple, game-like strategy to tackle clutter by finding 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to return to their proper home (36 items total), creating momentum and making organizing less overwhelming, and can be adapted with different numbers like 5-5-5 or 20-20-20. Created by Josh Becker of Becoming Minimalist, it turns decluttering into an achievable challenge for any room, helping you make quick progress without getting stuck.
The ADHD "2-Minute Rule" is a productivity strategy where you do any task that takes two minutes or less immediately to prevent overwhelm, but it needs adaptation for ADHD because of time blindness and task-switching difficulties, with popular versions including: The "Do It Now" Rule (David Allen style) for small chores (e.g., taking out trash) to clear mental clutter, and the "2-Minute Activation Rule" (James Clear style) to start daunting tasks by just working for two minutes (e.g., writing one sentence) to build momentum, often leading to doing more. A key variation for ADHD is to use a "catch-all" list for quick tasks and schedule time for them, rather than interrupting your main focus, to avoid getting sidetracked.
The 20-minute cleaning rule (often the 20/10 method) is a time-management strategy where you clean intensely for 20 minutes, then take a 10-minute break, repeating as needed to tackle chores without burnout, making cleaning manageable and preventing mess from piling up through daily, focused bursts of effort. It's perfect for busy people or those who find cleaning overwhelming, turning a big task into a series of small, achievable goals.
home, the 1% rule involves doing just one small thing to make your home better. The habit definitely leads to a more tidy home, but, more importantly, it also creates a more peaceful emotional state.
The chaos method is an organizing strategy popularized by Kim Jones of Lock & Key Home. It embraces total immersion in the decluttering process. You empty every box, container, bag, drawer, and cupboard in a room or space. Ideally, it's about creating a temporary state of chaos to gain full clarity on what you own.
The best order to clean a house is top-to-bottom and room-by-room, starting with decluttering, then dusting high surfaces, tackling bathrooms/kitchens (letting cleaners sit), wiping down all surfaces, and finishing with vacuuming and mopping floors to catch falling debris, making the process efficient and thorough.
Daily chores
Go from room to room and collect all of the trash, and immediately take it out to the curb or dumpster.
The 10-10 decluttering method is pretty simple — choose an area, set a timer for 10 minutes and get rid of 10 items in that space. "If you notice other items you don't need, remove them as well, but make sure to stick to the 10-minute timeframe," says professional organizer Tonia Tomlin of Sorted Out.
The 70/30 fashion rule is a wardrobe strategy suggesting 70% of your closet should be timeless, versatile basics (like quality jeans, neutral tees, classic jackets) and 30% trendy or statement pieces (bold colors, patterns, unique accessories) to balance longevity with current style and prevent overconsumption. It helps create a functional, mix-and-matchable wardrobe where staples anchor fun, expressive items, ensuring outfits remain stylish without constantly chasing fleeting trends.
As mentioned, 10 items a day quickly adds up and it gives you a real, quantifiable way to track your decluttering progress. Being able to put a number to the amount of things you've decluttered in just a few days can be motivating, encouraging you to keep up the progress.
Most people probably think the hardest thing to declutter is sentimental clutter. While it's true that presents its own challenges, I actually think the hardest thing to declutter is aspirational clutter. This type of clutter is tied to your actual identity!
The 5 Most Common Clutter Personalities
The method is commonly referred to as the "four box method" because features of a case are organized under four topics: (1) medical indications, (2) patient preferences, (3) quality of life, and (4) contextual features.
Here's what your cleaner can do in 2 hours:
Dusting, vacuuming, and wiping down surfaces like coffee tables and shelves. Wiping down counters, cleaning the sink, emptying the bin, and mopping the floors. Cleaning the toilet, sink, and shower, wiping mirrors, and mopping the floor.