I purchased this book immediately after reading the review by sistercoyote. I was intrigued by the premise, and it lived up to the hype. Author Rachel Hoffman recognizes that a lot of cleaning and organizational books/magazines/websites create unrealistic expectations that can leave people feeling like a failure when their efforts don’t turn out the same or they can’t even put in the effort. She makes a point of addressing situations that these other sources don’t: how cleaning can be more challenging if you have a physical or mental disability, if you share space with other people (roommates, parents, spouse, children), if you live in a small space such as a dorm, etc.
As someone with depression and anxiety who can feel overwhelmed at having to clean or, more frequently, doesn’t have the energy and motivation to do so, I really appreciated that Hoffman recognizes these challenges. She points out that no one enjoys cleaning to begin with (“cleaning your house kind of sucks,” pg 6) and it gets even harder if you have some physical or mental limitations. She also acknowledges that regardless of your situation, your home is not likely to be picture perfect.
The primary strategy that Hoffman puts forward is the 20/10 method: 20 minutes of cleaning/organizing (she makes a distinction between cleaning and organizing), followed by a 10-minute break. She also clearly notes that this can be modified using times that work for you, whether that’s 45/15, 5/15, or something else. However, the breaks are not optional. She believes one of the main reasons people’s homes become untidy is that they do marathon cleaning sessions when they can’t stand the mess anymore, and that’s really draining. Plus, by the time the mess is that bad, it’s going to take a lot longer to clean that it would if you kept up with it on a more regular basis.
Throughout parts of the book, Hoffman suggests mini challenges, such as moving just 5 items off of a flat space (counter, desk, table, etc.). I really like that she bring up “invisible corners.” These are the parts of our spaces “that have become dumping grounds for random crap for so long that you fail to really register them when you look around” (p. 66). They are not necessarily actual corners. She recommends taking photos of your home to see if that helps you spot the invisible corners.
In addition to normalizing how hard cleaning is and providing strategies for cleaning/organizing your home, including checklists at the back of the book, Hoffman also provides suggestions on how to unf*ck other parts of your life, such as your digital life (e-mail, computer desktop, social media) and school work and “work work.” FYI, she does swear periodically throughout the book and it’s not censored.
I found this book really helpful. It’s not exactly a gripping read (which is why I am so far behind in reading for the year), and there’s only so much it can do to motivate (hence my title of this post), but if there is any book that can help me get organized, this is probably it.