Several lovely people on this site have reviewed “Unf*ck Your Habitat” with rave reviews, and I’m totally a sucker for a fun title and I hate cleaning, so I decided to give this book a go. And it’s every bit as good as everyone says. Hoffman breaks cleaning down into short bursts of what she refers to as 20/10s or 20 minutes of doing something and 10 minutes of rest. That way something is always getting done, but it never feels overwhelming. It starts to feel less like a chore and more like part of the day. As a person who’s always struggled to keep things neat (my desk perpetually looks like a paper explosion), the 20/10 really does work. She also suggests doing some things every day for 20 minutes (dishes, laundry, bed making) to keep things from piling up. I still don’t believe in making the bed, but I found the easy-to-follow and realistic methods of this book extremely helpful. Hoffman’s tone is warm and understanding, even when she’s telling you to get off your a** (quite literally), and she makes sure to remind her readers who may be struggling with depression, physical limitations, or anxiety to slow down and not expect perfection from themselves.
While I was happy to find that I’ve already figured out how to do most of things she’s talking about in her book through trial and error, there were some tips I’d never thought of, like the 20/10s, or her rule to always start by cleaning off flat surfaces first, that definitely help to streamline cleaning and make chores less terrible. There are also some very helpful printable lists in the back of the book for readers who many need more structure than what she talks about in the chapters.
All in all, this book was excellent, and a definite must-read for anyone looking for help organizing themselves.
4 stars.