"Social media constantly bombards us with pictures of spotless homes, where not a single unwashed dish or basket of unfolded laundry is in sight. In reality, though, most of us struggle to keep up with household chores while juggling our busy schedules. Cleaning my space feels like just another dreaded item on my to-do list, often overshadowed by other tasks and left unchecked. I don’t intend to put it off, but I get stuck in a cycle of procrastination. The longer I delay, the more overwhelming the task becomes until I no longer know where to start.
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If cleaning and organizing your home is a stressor that looms over your head 24/7, the 20/10 organizing method is the lazy-girl-approved hack you need to try.
What Is the 20/10 Organizing Method?
The 20/10 organizing method is a simple strategy that makes cleaning your space much more manageable. It was first coined by author Rachel Hoffman in her book, Unf*ck Your Habitat: You’re Better than Your Mess. The idea is straightforward: Set a timer for 20 minutes and use that time to tackle your tasks—whether that means putting away laundry, wiping down counters, or vacuuming. Once the timer goes off, set another timer for 10 minutes and take a break to reward yourself for your effort.
You can repeat this cycle as many times as needed or just set aside 30 minutes daily to make cleaning a part of your routine. This method helps turn cleaning into a habit and makes an intimidating chore list far easier to complete. Instead of stressing over how long it will take to clean your entire home, you only need to focus on 20 minutes at a time. Plus, the built-in break rewards your “good behavior,” reinforcing the habit. The 20/10 organizing method also removes the need for a large Sunday reset every week, instead making cleaning a small part of every day.
How to Incorporate the Method Into Your Routine
Although the 20/10 organizing method is easy enough to understand, you might still wonder how to find even 20 minutes in your day when you’d honestly rather spend that time scrolling on Instagram. One way to easily incorporate this method into your life is to fit it into a part of your day where you already have an established routine.
If you wake up at the crack of dawn to do an elaborate skincare regimen, journal, and work out before work, your morning is already primed for the simple addition of a 20-minute cleaning session. For me, it works best to add the 20/10 organizing method to my nightly routine when I’m already prepping my room for a good night’s sleep. I use this hack as a way to streamline my “closing shift,” and now I do it without thinking. You could also squeeze in the 20 minutes during your WFH lunch break or while waiting for dinner to finish in the oven—whatever works for you.
This method works well to help break up larger tasks into more manageable chunks, but it’s also great for those chores that are easy to put off but don’t take much time to complete. Here are a few chores you can easily tackle in 20 minutes to earn yourself that 10-minute break:
- Dust furniture and shelves
- Fold any clean laundry
- Pick up clutter and reset your bedroom
- Purge your fridge of any spoiled or expired food
- Reorganize your junk drawer
- Scrub and disinfect your kitchen sink
- Sort through your mail and recycle what you don’t need
- Unload and reload the dishwasher
- Vacuum a room or two
- Wipe down the bathroom mirror and countertops
Lauren Blue, Editorial Intern
As the Editorial Intern for The Everygirl, Lauren assists the editorial team in creating content. She works primarily within the Living section, pitching and writing stories and working behind the scenes to upload and update stories, source images, and find the perfect products to shop.