Comments on: The 5-, 10-, and 15-minute unclutterer

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:30:01 +0000

@Chris- I call that “Cleaning on Commercial.” I can get SO much done during otherwise lazy tv time.

By: pr

pr — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:34:42 +0000

@infmom and @karen
My cat cleans herself, it’s just the space she cleaned herself in that needs to be self-cleaning afterwards
On a more serious note, I find the 5 minute dashes are great, I can get a load of clothes washing on, or clear the kitchen benches down or make my bedroom look restful in that time. Sometimes I start the work day with a 10 minute desk clearing so I can get in the right frame of mind.

By: five minutes to unclutter: go! « simplehuman blog

five minutes to unclutter: go! « simplehuman blog — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:33:50 +0000

[...] making your home or workspace that much less frenzied and that much more organized and peaceful. The Unclutterer advises asking the question: "What can I do in five minutes that will make the biggest [...]

By: Links – 10/30 « Jeff Lail

Links – 10/30 « Jeff Lail — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:13:35 +0000

[...] The 5-, 10-, and 15-minute unclutterer from unclutterer – for those who have a hard time cleaning up and decluttering or for those who have a hard time finding time. This article breaks down some easy projects to take on that will help with the mess. [...]

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:45:55 +0000

I also try to get up at every commercial when I’m watching t.v. to do some small task–empty the dishwasher, put away some laundry. You can get more than 15 min. of tasks done during a one hour program.

By: Toby Doncaster

Toby Doncaster — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:27:36 +0000

Found an online timer which I use to time myself while surfing, taking breaks from the computer and de-cluttering. Here is the link, and seriously, I’m not trying to spam!
http://timberfrog.com/countdown/

By: The Power of Less | At Your Service Cincinnati, Ltd.

The Power of Less | At Your Service Cincinnati, Ltd. — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:13:47 +0000

[...] The 5-, 10-, and 15-minute Unclutterer [...]

By: FrugalNYC

FrugalNYC — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:58:42 +0000

Great advice. Most important aspect is to get the baby step forward and do something “effective” now. Thanks for the continued ideas and inspirations!

By: The Crafty Cactus Lover

The Crafty Cactus Lover — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:08:40 +0000

Excellent advice – I did a 15 minutes bathroom cleanup and you can’t really tell that it’s not a ‘proper’ cleanup. Shame my husband didn’t notice at all though…

By: maxie

maxie — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 23:57:35 +0000

MOMOFTHREE: “Finding useless papers like that in a busy desk really makes me wonder how well those people take care of their homes!! ”

Not necessarily. The woman I used to cover for at work would put Martha Stewart to shame when it came to her home. However, her desk was a disaster. I hated having to touch her keyboard because there was so much gunk/food/mysterious substances stuck on it. The one time I had to use her computer, I brought my own keyboard.

By: Sarah Aguirre

Sarah Aguirre — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:31:04 +0000

Thanks for the mention. It’s still amazing to me how much I can get done in a very little amount of time. Our brains trick us into thinking we need a block of time to organize and clean. Unfortunately, those blocks of time rarely appear. These short spurts are especially helpful for kids. If I tell my son to clean his room, the moaning and groaning commences. If I hand him a checklist and tell him it will take 15 minutes, he sees light at the end of the tunnel.

By: Alora

Alora — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:24:17 +0000

I have actually gotten in the habit of setting my egg timer for 15 minutes whenever I clean — even if I’m doing a whole day’s worth of work. When it goes off, it jolts me back to ‘reality.’ That’s especially helpful if I’m sorting through boxes or something that is prone to distraction. It’s also great on tasks that I particularly dislike, because after 15 minutes is up, I allow myself to move on to something else. If I rotate through the house in 15-minute increments, then I build up speed and momentum. I can circle back to anything left undone later, but chipping away at something for a high-energy 15 minutes usually makes a huge dent in it, and it makes it much less intimidating to come back to in 30 or 45 minutes, if it’s even still necessary. Thinking of my cleaning time in terms of 15-minute blitzes has made ALL the difference in my ability to find the energy and motivation to tackle housework.

By: Julia1060

Julia1060 — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:07:47 +0000

The 15 minute rule is one of my favorites, and I don’t limit it to clutter. When I am stuck on a project, I use the “15 minute rule” (as in, set a timer, work until it rings) to motivate me to get started – and I often found that that was all the motivation I needed to keep going!

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:21:50 +0000

Where can I order a self cleaning cat?

By: Sky

Sky — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:26:31 +0000

Excellent post!! I always take a few minutes to tidy up before I go to bed. Straighten the sofa cushions and throw pillows, put everything where it goes and make sure the kitchen is clean, dishes in the dishwasher, etc. It starts my day off right in the morning and is so worth the little bit of time.

By: momofthree

momofthree — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 21:21:16 +0000

Love this idea–now only people would follow it!!

I have worked the past two school years as substitute school secretaries or nurse’s office assistants. I am AMAZED at the amount of clutter on and in the desks I have worked at!! Last week I found 10 receipts from fast food restaurants that were over two school years old in one desk drawer. And the loose change–I am sure that most desks have had up to $10 in loose change sliding around in drawers.

Finding useless papers like that in a busy desk really makes me wonder how well those people take care of their homes!!

A clean desk may be sign of a sick mind, but hey, for a stranger to come for a day or two and be able to find necessary forms, etc., I think a clean desk is a must!!!

By: Sarah H.

Sarah H. — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:44:20 +0000

I love it! Great tips…very practical. Sometimes uncluttering can be so overwhelming, but these short bursts are easy and effective!

Here’s an example from me: I am reorganizing my recipe collection little by little to get it uniform and updated. I am retyping each recipe in a special format to suit my needs. Instead of sitting down and retyping piles and piles of recipes all at once (ya right!), I try to do one per day. That way each one takes me about 5 minutes…no time at all!

By: Liz

Liz — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:34:43 +0000

I have gotten into the habit of straightening the kitchen each night – takes about ten mins on a good day and up to twenty on a bad day (or thirty if I’m having fun and do some “deep cleaning”) but it makes a big difference to my mornings…

By: STL Mom

STL Mom — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:53:18 +0000

Craig,
If the only place in your house that needs cleaning out is one drawer, I think you should pat yourself on the back and leave it be.

By: Craig

Craig — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:43:08 +0000

I am reluctant to clean out the junk drawer.

The last time I did, My Better Half said it was no longer any fun to search through it for stuff.

She likes finding things she has forgotten about. She is very artistic and artsy-craftsy.

Any suggestions?