I must admit to being a neat freak. But while I enjoy a tidy home, I don’t enjoy cleaning and am always looking for a new hack to make my life easier. So, rather than doing a regular weekly cleaning blitz that feels like a drudge, I discovered a better way to keep up with the chores throughout the week.
When jobs pile up, it can become overwhelming to clear through the clutter, or to know where to start. It’s also easy to stick to old habits and follow the same cleaning routine you’ve followed for years. And while there are decluttering methods such as the Swedish death cleaning trend and the ‘ski slope’ organization method, not forgetting when we invited Marie Kondo and her KonMari method into our homes, you have to find a cleaning method that’s right for you, without getting bamboozled with trying out every technique.
But don’t get disheartened before you try this two-minute, timesaving cleaning hack. I spotted it on Instagram, and it’s changed my mindset on how I approach cleaning. I hope it will do the same for you.
Here’s how to copy the one tidy home trick that @madeline1F, otherwise known as Madeline Hegeus, a self-confessed minimalist mum, promotes on her Instagram feed.
The 2-minute rule
To keep an easy-to-manage home, Hegeus suggests using the 2-minute rule for decluttering. “It’s so easy to do, it feels like cheating,” she writes.
She explains how the quick hack works, “Whenever we see something that needs to get done, and it takes less than 2 minutes, let’s do it right then and there.”
Hegeus certainly isn’t one to procrastinate and sees the advantage of seizing the moment.
“It might be taking mugs back to the kitchen. It might be replying to that birthday invite,” she suggests, or, she adds, “It might be making your bed.”
I know for sure that plenty of tasks only take 2 minutes, which will save me from jobs mounting up and causing chore overwhelm.
“The more we do these little things throughout the day, the less heavy our metal workload and things won’t pile up,” explains Hegeus.
If, like me, you try to follow the 2-minute rule, you’ll soon find that your home becomes more manageable, and you’ll feel a sense of achievement that you have a tidy home without much effort.
Quick tasks to complete in 2 minutes
There's plenty of cleaning and decluttering tasks around the home that can be completed in 120 seconds, but to help you get started, here's a list to give you some inspiration.
- Tidy your cushions and neaten up your throw
- Fold up your dried laundry ready for ironing
- Water a few of your houseplants
- Clean some dirty dishes
- Wipe down your kitchen countertop
- Put away the shoes cluttering your entryway
- Clean the glass shower door with a squeegee
- Put your dishcloths into soak
- Give your stairway a vacuum
- Scrub the toilet
- Tidy up left-out toys
- Fill up your birdbath with fresh water
- Put out the trash
More from Tom's Guide
- Discover 3 things you should declutter right now, according to experts
- And 7 ways to declutter your kitchen like a minimalist
- Plus how I reorganized my kitchen in a morning — discover my 9 quick and easy tips
