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Jordan Peterson’s “Clean Your Room” Could Be The Best Thing You Have Ever Done for Your Focus (and Your Life)

From psychology professor Jordan B. Peterson to Eva Selhub MD, the world is full of professional, full-time thinkers telling us to clean our room for its cognitive and psychological benefits –here’s why!

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Cleaning Your Room is About More Than a Physical Space — It’s About Your Life Itself

If the world seems a little chaotic these days, could it be because people aren’t tidy?

That sounds a little insane when you think about it topically. But if you’re willing to dig a little deeper, it makes a lot of sense.

No, I am not suggesting that all the world’s ills are because we have messy bedrooms, offices, or homes. Although, a messy environment may affect how we carry on in our own personal lives which could very well have an effect on the society that surrounds us.

Why Should I Clean My Room?

A clean environment can have many positive effects on one’s own psychology, mental health, and focus. Research suggests that “clearing away clutter can help you make healthier choices, improve your relationships, and even boost your workout”.

Health Benefits of Cleaning Your Room

Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life kicks off with a clear, deliberate message: Clean. Your. Room.

Having a clean house, or a clean environment where you live your day to day life poses a number of health benefits, and in this article we’ll explore a hand full of those health benefits with a focus on the mental clarity, mental health, and productivity.

At the heart of every single point on this list, improved memory and concentration follow.

Cleaning Your Room Can Reduce Stress and Depression

According to a study by Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , those who took part stated that they were more likely to feel mental fatigue, depression, and possessed a higher level of stress hormone called cortisol if their home was described as cluttered or full of unfinished projects.

In that, there is a clear link between your physical surroundings and your mental well-being.

Cleaning Your Room Can Help You Sleep Better

Following the first point, with lower stress levels comes a greatly reduced feeling of depression in some –and in turn, a better night’s sleep.

And so it goes; better sleep goes full circle to improve memory and concentration, which then leads to our next point.

A Clean Room Boosts Productivity

With reduced stress, improved sleep quality, and improved concentration, it’s a safe bet that productivity will also be enhanced.

Yes, your folks weren’t nagging you as a kid for their own personal enjoyment –they were doing it for your well-being.

A Clean Room Helps You Make Better Dietary Choices

Wait, what? No, we’re not going into la la land on this one. Stress is a huge factor in how we reward ourselves (or whether we feel a “reward” is necessary at all).

Stress makes challenges bigger than they are –larger than life. And overcoming the causes of stress will likely help you remove the need or desire for less-than-healthy comfort foods as a crutch to get you through.

A Clean Room Can Make You Want to Work Out

Digging deeper; if you’re feeding your body healthier options and sleeping well, you’re going to see faster gains at the gym. Faster, noticeable gains will motivate you to keep going to the gym (even on days you really don’t want to).

As the pattern continues, now you’ve got all the benefits of all aforementioned points, and then some. We’re reaching peak awesome here, ladies and gentlemen.

A Clean Room Can Help You Lose Weight

When you’re mentally organised, you’re likely to plan meals in advance and not be at the mercy of the cafeteria menu.

Working out makes your body crave healthy foods.

A proper sleep regimen makes your body operate more efficiently.

Add it all up, and your body will be able to burn fat and use nutrients more effectively because at this point, you’re taking better care of it.

A Clean Room Can Earn You a Raise

Think about it.

Is Your Room Clean?

A Clean Room Can Get You Laid

Healthy people are more attractive. Healthy people who work out, eat right, manage stress appropriately, and are in a higher pay grade are even more attractive.

If I’m not spelling it out clear enough, maybe you should go and clean your room and start reading this article once again from the beginning.

A Clean Room Can Improve the Quality of Relationships

You know what’s a real relationship killer? Dying.

Stress, disease, depression, obesity, and a dirty cluttered living space will all compound and take their toll on your relationships –especially with your significant other who has to stare down all of it.

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, Change the World (In Any Order) – And Clean Your Damn Room!

Now apply everything we’ve learned to society as a whole.

As Jordan Peterson says time and again in his book and in interviews –how the heck can you weigh in on things like the economy or social issues if you can’t even take care of yourself and clean your own damned room?

We hope this article has promoted a little healthy introspection –what do you think? Way off, or on the mark?

Let everyone know what you think in the comments.

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How “Cleaning Your Room” May Change Your Life For The Better

Simple tasks can be important.

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and a clinical psychologist, often tells his listeners to “clean your room” . It doesn’t matter whether he was addressing topics of self-improvement or even politics, this suggestion could often be found. It may sound mundane to a lot of folks who have never listened to his lectures or interviews. How can such a simple everyday task be so relevant to modern problems we face every day, even though it may seem to be so detached from it in the first place?

What Does it Mean?

The idea of the “clean your room” argument is to — well, clean your room. Making our bed every morning and cleaning our room every now and then is (whether you like it or not) part of our responsibility. You can also view these tasks as an everyday ‘problem’ that we must solve. Completing simple tasks and figuring out basic problems may become building blocks for us to tackle bigger and heavier problems in our lives.

To illustrate this point a little further, here’s a hypothetical scenario to use as an example. Let’s say you wake up one morning to a messy bed. You glanced around your room and it appears to be messy. But you don’t clean it. Why? Well, you might not feel like doing it, you’re lazy about it. Plus, it has been like this since yesterday and the day before and before that and so on and so forth. This mere laziness in cleaning will create an environment that will negatively impact your daily life. The atmosphere of a dirty and unpleasant room alone may affect your mood and productivity. This then could eventually impact your relationship or even your performance at work.

Even though your experience may not be this extreme, but you have to admit that it may have a negative effect on your life, no matter how minuscule or different it is.

Now you see the problem. Little lazy habits may eventually build up and spread out to other aspects of our life. Say now you have the motivation to reverse that bad habit. “Alright. Today is going to be different, I’ll try to clean my room!” you thought to yourself. So you made your bed, did the laundry, organized your items, and swept the floor. As you open your curtains and windows, sunlight starts to shine through, slowly brightening your entire room. You can’t help but notice how different it feels. The atmosphere feels — great. A lot less dust, a lot less laziness, and a lot more lively environment.

Aside from mood and productivity, there will be a little but noticeable change in your personality and way of thinking. The “Clean Your Room” concept has a larger meaning beyond its literal definition. It proposes the idea that — before you attempt to tackle problems in society, you should solve your own first. If you can’t even do an easy everyday problem such as cleaning your own room, then why do you think you have the ability to solve society’s largest problems where it involves countless other people in which their livelihood may be at stake?

“Society is the main source of the problems in my life!” Well, unless you live in a third-world country with unstable politics, no it most likely isn’t. There are many reasons for many problems that we face in our lives, and we have the obligation to tackle them one by one, from smaller to bigger, from personal to societal. A good way of thinking about it is like levels in a video game. You don’t just skip to the boss fight because it’s more fun to do so. You will most likely mess up and fail. You have to climb the levels, steadily increasing your experience and knowledge. The same applies to this scenario. It may sound counter-intuitive, but solving your own personal problems and making yourself a better person may just be the key to improve society as a whole. If a good percentage of people in said society were shared, taught, read, or listened to this mindset, society by itself will be better for everyone .

So I Started to Clean My Room, What’s Next?

That’s great! At first, it might be hard for you to do this on a regular basis. Fret not, it’s perfectly normal! I myself struggle constantly with sticking to a habit I want to implement in my life. There might be days where you just don’t have the time, felt lazy, or simply forgot about it (sometimes, I do too!) . But that shouldn’t define you. To me, even the mere intent of cleaning your room is already a good sign of improvement. Always strive to make yourself just a little bit better each day . Set your habits, schedules, and goals that you want for your life, stick to it. (I might talk about this topic in the future!)

“If you can’t even clean up your own room, who the hell are you to give advice to the world?” - Jordan Peterson

Thank you very much for taking your time to read my post, claps and follows are very much appreciated!

Written by Rafa I.

Student, Artist, Leader.

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Every home — big, small, apartment or vacation home — gets dirty. And while there’s not just one way to clean your living space, there is a smarter way to get the job done. Take this guided tour of your home — from the kitchen and bathroom to the bedroom and living areas — to learn the basic rules of cleaning as well as some tips and short cuts that will help you clean thoroughly and efficiently, starting now.

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In the kitchen, wiping surfaces, keeping tabs on the fridge and washing dishes every day will prevent big time-consuming messes down the line.

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If you’re a person who tends to let dishes pile up in the sink to avoid washing them, try this simple trick to put the effort involved into perspective: For a few days, as you think of it, set a timer before you begin washing the dishes, and make note of how long it took to clean up. If you know the task will take just minutes to complete, it will be less difficult to convince yourself to take care of those dishes now.

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How to clean a living room – an expert guide

Find out how to clean a living room from top to bottom and enjoy quality relaxation in sparkling surroundings

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Establishing how to clean a living room in the fastest and most effective way will free up more time to enjoy it. 

A beautifully clean living room will also take the stress out of impromptu entertaining, and make cozy nights on the couch with family so much more relaxing. 

We’ve put together the cleaning tips necessary to get the task done efficiently, along with the steps to follow, plus the experts’ advice.

How to clean a living room

‘Cleaning your home not only leaves you with a lovely smelling and ordered environment, it also makes you feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment,’ says psychologist Emma Kenny. ‘Cleaning is a type of informal mindful practice that has the power to create a mental state of flow which is excellent for wellbeing,’ 

A pristine environment will also let  living room ideas  shine and this is how to clean a living room like a pro in seven easy steps. 

1. Gather supplies

Getting everything you need gathered together before you start not only saves time, but it also helps get your head in the game for a serious scrubbing session. The main items required when asking how to clean a living room are:

• Two or three clean microfiber cloths 
• Furniture polish or wax
• Window cleaner or vinegar/water solution and newspaper
• A feather duster and radiator duster, if available
• Vacuum cleaner plus upholstery and nozzle attachments
• Upholstery stain remover and carpet shampoo appliance, if available
• Mop and bucket for hard floors, if required

A small stepladder or sturdy chair can also be helpful for reaching the tops of bookcases, molding and picture rails. ‘Once you’re ready to get to work, open windows to freshen the room and reduce the dusty air as you clean,’ advises Sarah Dempsey, cleaning expert at  MyJobQuote . 

2. Tidy up before cleaning a living room

It may sound obvious, but your living room will be much easier to clean once couches and surfaces have been decluttered . Return all errant objects that shouldn’t be in there to their rightful homes and straighten up bookshelves and coffee tables. 

Gather throws and either neatly fold or put in the laundry room for washing later. Washing woollen blankets and throws in the machine can be possible, but do check the care label first. Inspect throw pillow covers to see if they can be machine washed, too. 

3. Get dusting

Dry dusting with a soft cloth or feather duster is perfect for hard-to-reach areas like cornices, picture rails, curtain rods and high shelves when cleaning a living room. You can also buy special dusters for getting behind and around radiators – we like the Konex dryer vent and refrigerator coil brush , sold on Amazon, which works on radiators, too. 

Always dust your living room from the top down to avoid sullying surfaces you’ve already done. Next switch to a damp microfiber cloth, which will remove more dust and is better on hard surfaces like baseboards, picture frames, doorframes and coffee tables. 

Be particularly careful when cleaning a television screen . Use a fresh microfiber cloth and gently wipe the screen in an up and down motion, not circular. If there are some stubborn marks, very lightly moisten the cloth and go over again. Never spray water or cleaning products directly on to the screen. 

Some wood furniture, particularly antique, will benefit from furniture polish or wax, which is designed to feed the timber and protect against moisture. Read the instructions on the can/tin carefully and get advice from a furniture maker or restorer if you’re unsure. Always do a spot test somewhere discreet if you are using a new product for the first time. 

4. Clean the windows and mirrors

Buffing up your windows and mirrors to a high shine is an important part of cleaning a living room. You can use a general glass cleaning spray, but we prefer to  clean with vinegar , as it is both natural and inexpensive. 

To clean windows without streaks or to clean a mirror , simply mix equal parts of white vinegar and hot water and add a splash of liquid soap to help remove any streaks. Put your mixture into an empty spray bottle with a fine spray and spritz the glass lightly all over, taking care not to overdo it. Then grab a sheet or two of old newspaper, scrunch it up and rub the glass in circular motions until it’s clean and streak free. 

Don’t forget to include the glass in your wood stove, if applicable (leave-on foam oven cleaner is particularly effective for removing burned on grime), as well as glass picture frames, glass lampshades and any vases or coasters made from glass. 

5. Tackle window treatments

‘You open and close your curtains and blinds every day, so you may be surprised by how much dust has gathered. Handheld vacuums are a good way to clean curtains , rods and pelmets without having to take them down,’ says window care expert Rachel Fernie of  Hillarys . Any major stains or marks may require a trip to the dry cleaners. 

Clean blinds according to type. A vacuum cleaner can be used first on some, then use a microfiber cloth. If they are shutters or horizontal blinds, close them first in one direction and clean from left to right; then twist or pull the cord to close them in the opposite direction and repeat. You may need to wash the cloth clean several times as you go. 

6. Vacuum couches, armchairs and other seating

Next clean couches and chairs by taking off all the seat cushions and removing any large items, like pencils and spare change. Attach the nozzle to your vacuum and get right into the corners and crevices before switching to the upholstery attachment to clean upholstery of the main seat area, backs and arms of your couch. 

If the covers are removable and appear grubby, it may be time to give them a clean; follow the laundry symbols on the label inside. Put the seat cushions back on the couch and give them a vacuum, too. Any light marks and dirt can often be wiped off with a damp cloth but take care not to scrub too hard, especially if your upholstery is linen or velvet, which can mark if rubbed excessively in one spot.  Clean a leather sofa with care, too.

Upholstered ottomans, where the fabric is very taut, can often be cleaned with a carpet shampoo-type vacuum on a low setting. You can also get compact handheld versions for upholstery, which are also great for tackling area rugs. 

7. Clean the floors

You’re nearly on the home straight. The floor should always be the last chore on your list, especially if you’re planning to shampoo rugs and/or carpets. ‘If you have plush carpet, stay in specific lines, as if you are mowing the lawn, which will help reduce unsightly streaks in the pile,’ says Kate Henderson, duty manager at  Daffodil Hotel . Move any furniture you can or use the attachments to reach as far as you can underneath and behind. If you have cats or dogs and your existing vacuum isn’t up to scratch, it’s worth swapping to one of the  best vacuums for pet hair . 

Clean area rugs by taking them outside, if manageable, and beating out the dust, then give the floor below a good clean while the rugs are out of the room. If the carpet needs cleaning, put your carpet shampoo machine into action. You can also hire them from local hardware stores or get a specialist in. 

Clean hardwood floors , or those made from stone or laminate, by vacuuming before wiping over with a well-wrung mop. Always allow your living room floor to dry thoroughly before replacing any rugs or letting children and pets back into the room.

Why is it important to clean your living room?

Three-quarters (76 per cent) of respondents said a clean home was important to their mental health and wellbeing and not having a clean and tidy home creates feelings of stress and unhappiness, has an impact on relationships with family and partners and affects productivity at work, according to a recent survey by homewares brand  Brabantia .

A clean living room can also have physical health benefits. ‘Keeping your living room clean not only makes it a nicer space to spend time in but it will also help remove dust and pollen, which may provoke allergies, and minimize other pests such as clothes moths and carpet beetles,’ says Sarah Dempsey, cleaning expert at MyJobQuote. 

How can I keep my living room neat and clean?

The key to keeping any room in your house neat and clean is to adopt a ‘little and often’ approach, and the living room is no exception. Try to train every member of your household to look behind them as they leave the room and check if there are any plates, mugs, shoes or books they could take with them. By always ensuring that the space alway is tidy, it will be easier to clean – this is essential if you want to make your living room beautiful . 

Wiping away any spills as soon as they occur will help immensely, especially when it comes to removing coffee stains and removing red wine stains . Soaking out as much as you can using kitchen towel or similar before applying stain remover and then a final wash with a damp cloth is your best chance of completely eradicating stains. 

You should aim to give your living room a decent clean – dust and vacuum – at least once a week, and a more thorough clean, as described in our steps above, perhaps every six to eight weeks, according to use. 

Have a fire? You’ll need to clean a fireplace of dust and grime from time to time. Make sure to clean walls of marks and scuffs every so often, too.

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Linda graduated from university with a First in Journalism, Film and Broadcasting. Her career began on a trade title for the kitchen and bathroom industry, and she has worked for Homes & Gardens, and sister-brands Livingetc, Country Homes & Interiors and Ideal Home, since 2006, covering interiors topics, though kitchens and bathrooms are her specialism. 

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How to Clean Your Bedroom in an Hour for a More Restful Space

Create the peaceful bedroom you deserve with our step-by-step cleaning checklist. In just an hour, you can have a neat and tidy space primed for sweet dreams.

Jessica Bennett is an editor, writer, and former digital assistant home editor at BHG.

A messy bedroom can add to everyday stress, cause anxiety, and even interfere with your quality of sleep . A clean, organized sleeping space , on the other hand, helps encourage relaxation and restfulness when you hit the sheets at night. A few simple housekeeping tasks can turn your bedroom into a more inviting environment that leaves you feeling calm and well-rested for the day ahead. So when life starts to feel hectic, bring some tranquility back to yourself by dedicating just an hour to cleaning your bedroom.

By dividing your chore list into quick, efficient tasks, you can cover all your bedroom bases, including surfaces, linens, and even your floors. This bedroom cleaning checklist helps you get the job done quickly and efficiently, meaning you can spend more time relaxing and less time stressing about the mess. Use this deep-cleaning checklist to create a schedule that works for you. As a general rule of thumb, aim to complete this list of cleaning tasks about once a week . When you're done with our bedroom cleaning checklist, your space will be neat, tidy, and prepared to give you a good night's rest.

Brie Williams

Step 1: Take Out Trash

Perhaps the easiest task on your bedroom cleaning checklist, start by taking care of simple, everyday messes. If you don't already have a small wastebasket in your room, we recommend getting one. Whether it's from tearing tags off clothing, tissues, or late-night snacking, small trash can easily pile up. Throw away any trash around the room first, then empty the wastebasket.

Keep extra trash bags in the bottom of your wastebasket. When it's time to empty it, you'll have liners handy after you've removed the existing trash bag.

Step 2: Pick Up Dirty Clothes

Find your floor again by picking up any articles of dirty clothing and placing them in a hamper. If you can fit a hamper in your closet, opt for an open bin, which is easier to use during rushed mornings when it's tempting to drop clothes on the floor.

Anthony Masterson

Step 3: Put Away Clean Clothes

While your mind is already on laundry, take some time to fold and put away any clean laundry you have lying around. A few minutes is all it takes to clear your floor space and tuck shirts and pants into dresser drawers. For an organized bedroom closet , make sure to hang blouses and sweaters facing the same direction on slim space-saving hangers. This will also make choosing outfits in the morning easier as you file through your clothes.

Step 4: Strip Your Bed

Even if you shower before bed every night and keep food out of the bedroom, your sheets need to be washed and changed regularly . Take the time to strip the bed as you clean the rest of your room. Remove the comforter, sheets, and pillowcases. If you have a duvet with a cover, remove the cover and wash it with your sheets. It's a good idea to have an extra set of sheets on hand so you can remake the bed while you wash the sheets. The comforter should be washed occasionally , but it is not necessary to include in the laundry each time you wash your bed linens .

Step 5: Clear Surface Clutter

Halfway through your bedroom deep-cleaning checklist, most of the bigger tasks are complete and it's time to focus on the details, starting with surface clutter . Nightstands, dressers, vanities, and desks are all prone to becoming drop zones for small daily objects that accumulate over time. Take a few minutes to put these items back in their rightful homes. If you notice a daily habit, such as commonly picking up keys, applying cosmetics, or choosing jewelry, consider creating an organization system for these frequently-used items. A small, decorative tray on the dresser is a no-fuss way to corral jewelry , while a small box in a nightstand drawer stays at the ready for tucking away reading glasses and other accessories.

Step 6: Wipe Surfaces Clean

Now that your bedroom is free of clutter, the next step is to wipe down all surfaces. Choose the appropriate cleaner, whether that be a dusting spray, glass cleaner, or antibacterial wipes, for your surface and get to work. Wiping down the tops of tables is obvious, but also pay attention to the legs of chairs, fronts of dressers and nightstands. If you have a four-post bed, take some time to clean the posts and your headboard, as these rarely-touched features are prone to dust bunnies .

Step 7: Dust Curtains, Light Fixtures, and Ceiling Fan Blades

Curtains need dusting , too. Lampshades, window treatments, light fixtures, and ceiling fans all collect dust as fast as the other furniture pieces in your room. You can lightly dust these features with a duster, or you can use your vacuum on a low setting to get them clean. This important bedroom cleaning checklist item helps clear your space of allergens as well.

Melanie Acevedo

Step 8: Wipe Down Windows and Mirrors

Let the light shine through your windows without any smudges or scratches disrupting your view. With a streak-free cleaning agent, wipe down all windows or glass-paneled doors in your bedroom. While you're at it, wipe down mirrors as well. If you have young kids or dogs in the house, be sure to wipe down low, as there are probably tiny fingerprints and nose smudges at the bottom of the windows.

Step 9: Vacuum or Sweep

A bedroom that's spotless from top to bottom isn't possible without cleaning the floors. If you have hardwood floors , remove and vacuum any rugs before sweeping the entire floor. Sweeping should get the job done; save mopping for a deep seasonal clean . For carpeted bedrooms, clear out the dust bunnies with a vacuum.

For either method, reach as far under the bed and heavy furniture as you can. If you have a lightweight side table or chair that can be moved easily, put it in the hallway as you clean your floors.

Step 10: Remake the Bed

Is there anything better than slipping under the covers with fresh sheets? To save time, make your bed using a spare set of sheets while your original linens wash. Once your laundry is ready, replace the duvet cover over your comforter and finish making your bed .

Now that you know the steps, make your bedroom tidying routine run smoothly with this easy-to-follow room cleaning checklist. Consider printing it out to keep it handy when it's time to clean up.

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How to Clean Your Bedroom in an Hour

Last Updated: September 1, 2023

This article was co-authored by James Sears . James Sears leads the customer happiness team at Neatly, a group of cleaning gurus based in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. James and the team have nine years of experience and offer green cleaning, interior and exterior window washing, and general apartment cleaning services. He provides transformative cleaning experiences by reducing clutter and renewing your home environment. James is a Trustee Scholar at the University of Southern California. This article has been viewed 68,583 times.

Your favorite TV show is going to come on in an hour and your room is a complete mess. Your mom wants it done or she will not let you to watch your favorite show unless the room is cleaned. What will you do? That's right, clean your room, in the hour you have to spare.

Tidying the easy things

Cleaning the room

Community Q&A

• Listen to fast beat music while cleaning and even dance while dusting. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• While looking on the floor to see what items are not in their place, throw away all the stuff that is broken. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Have enough garbage bags for everything you have to throw out. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Make sure that the glass cleaner says that you can use it on electronics safely or you might short-circuit one of the devices. Thanks Helpful 125 Not Helpful 14
• Do not overwork yourself, you might actually work much slower than if you actually took regular breaks. Thanks Helpful 123 Not Helpful 15
• Don`t shove stuff where it does not go, it will just make it harder. Thanks Helpful 36 Not Helpful 4

Things You'll Need

• Vacuum cleaner
• Glass cleaner
• Clean bed sheet and pillow sheet
• Garbage bags

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Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about cleaning hacks, check out our in-depth interview with James Sears .

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The learning network | how important is keeping a clean house.

How Important Is Keeping a Clean House?

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In any home, some cleaning-related tasks spark dread in some members of the household, while others don’t mind them at all. For example, one person might detest emptying the dishwasher, and therefore, complete other chores that he or she likes more, or at least is willing to do.

Do you think it’s fair to be able to pick and choose when it comes to cleaning and home maintenance? What if everyone likes and dislikes the same tasks? How are chores delegated in your household?

In the Op-Ed piece “The Case for Filth,” Stephen Marche suggests a solution to issues like the gender divide that keeps women doing more of the housework than men and even disagreements over what constitutes a household chore: everyone cleaning less. He begins:

In Claire Messud’s novel “The Emperor’s Children,” the ultraliberal Murray Thwaite comes home late, steps in cat vomit and keeps walking: “It still was not, nor could it ever be, his role to clean up cat sick,” Ms. Messud writes. The boomer hypocrite is practically a comic type by this point, but in his domestic disregard, Murray Thwaite is like most other men, liberal or conservative, old or young. Unlike many other rubrics by which you can establish the balance of power between men and women, there isn’t much evidence of a cohort shift in housework. Younger men are doing roughly the same amount of work around the house as their fathers did. It doesn’t look like they’re going to start doing more, either. Women today make up 40 percent of America’s sole or primary breadwinners for families with children under 18, a share that has quadrupled since 1960. And yet in America as well as in several other countries in the developed world, men’s time investment in housework has not significantly altered in nearly 30 years. A recent, large cross-national study on the subject by an Ohio State sociologist found that “women’s housework did not decline significantly and men’s housework did not increase significantly after the mid-1980s in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.” In the United States, men’s participation in housework topped out at 94 minutes at day in 1998, but by 2003 was down to 81 minutes, not much different than the 76 minutes it was in 1985. Think of all the other changes that men have undertaken in the period between 1980 and 2010. Taking care of kids used to be women’s work, too, but now the man with his kids is an icon of manliness. Foodie snobbism has taken on a macho edge in some circles, to the point where the properly brined Thanksgiving turkey can be a status symbol of masculine achievement. So why won’t men pick up a broom? Why won’t they organize a closet? Why can’t housework be converted — as the former burdens of food preparation and child rearing seem to have been for some men — into a source of manly pride and joy? Why would housework be the particular place to stall? At least one thing is becoming clear: The only possible solution to the housework discrepancy is for everyone to do a lot less of it.

Students: Read the entire Op-Ed piece, then tell us …

• How would Mr. Marche’s suggestion about cleaning less be received in your house? Why?
• What are the pros and cons of taking his advice?
• Have you observed or been part of situations in which people of one gender do more household tasks than the other? Explain.
• How important is a tidy environment to you?
• Do you enjoy cleaning and other household tasks?
• Do you think people tend to judge others by how clean–or dirty–their homes are? Explain.
• When you are living on your own, how do you think your approach to housekeeping will be like or unlike that of your parents? Why? Or, if you are on your own, describe this aspect of your transition to living independently.
• Mr. Marche states that cooking and child-rearing are now “cool” for men. Why do you taking care of the home hasn’t “caught on” to the same degree? Is this comparison valid? Why or why not?
• A November Student Opinion question asked about ordinary tasks you would pay someone else to do for you, if you could. Would cleaning your room or completing other household chores be on your list? Why or why not?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. Please use only your first name . For privacy policy reasons, we will not publish student comments that include a last name.

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Keeping a clean house is important because of hygene. A clean environment is essntial to living a healthier life. However, this doesn’t mean that people should obsess over their cleaning. Keep a good balance.

My motto is “A place for everything and everything in its place,” The floor is a place! I seldom do housework. On the rare occasions when I can afford it, I pay someone else, usually just to keep the living room moderately presentable. My adult son helps by lugging out the trash and changing the kitty litter. Mostly, I just keep organized enough to know which pile of clutter the item I need is buried in. But somehow I manage to keep my work (calligraphy) spotlessly clean.

I sometimes enjoy cleaning when i have help and i like to turn it into a game or contest to make it fun. When i clean with my sister, we usually make a bet and who every finishes first gets 10 dollars.

Its very important that you keep a house clean. That’s the way other people look at you by the way your house is set up.

Keeping a clean house is very important. Your house represents you. If you have a clean house, then you are a clean person. If your house is not clean, then you will be viewed as something else in my opinion.

Having a clean house is important you’ll never know who is comming to visit at anyday and if your house is not in the coorect stature it will give the visitor a bad oppinion and mindset about you and your cleanliness

a tidy enviorment is somewhat important to me, its important to me because i dont like being in the same room with alot of clutter. I rather a room be straightened up where i can find things if not completely clean.

I think it’s important to have a clean house, knowing that evryone sees clean in their own way i feel having a clean house inside and out speaks for your community and yourself. It helps’ beautify the community

I think that keeping your house clean is very important, especially if you have any household pets. Keeping a house clean keeps bacteria at bay. It also keeps things organized and neat.

So this is an issue in my household we strugle with this every week. every one has a busy scedule in my house so when we get home we are all tired. bt we have been making adjustments to thisand trying to keep the house in order. my parents feel that it is all on the kids to keep the house clean. they want us to clean and cook everyday but time is . our house isn’t filthy but it could be better

It is very important to keep a clean house. No one wants to sit in a nasty house because you can attract bugs and other unpleasant things in your home. I don’t even think its healthy to keep a dirty home because keeping a dirty home can cause different types of medical issues.However I don’t believe in having said “chores”. In my house we go by “You mess it up, you clean it up.” However I do think its important to have a day where its nothing but clean up. You clean your own room, the kitchen, bathroom, or whatever. That’s what we do in our home. You clean your own room on your own time, and if you dirty up the kitchen you clean it. And in some cases the bathroom. But as far as stuff like living room or hallway or something then its a set time to clean up, but those rooms hardly ever get dirty.

Being a teenager I see a clean home differently. Just because everything isn’t organized doesn’t mean it’s a mess. I go through that with my mother all the time reguarding my room. I personally feel like if the the floor looks clean it is clean, no need for me to grab a broom for dirt no one can see.

Oh Lordie! Is important to keep clean your house? Of course, it is! Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Plus it’s very unhelathy to live in a dirty home.

No I do not enjoy cleaning but if it keeps a homely environment and keeps my parents contempt then I’ll do it.

It is very important to keep a clean house because it takes away the germs and bacteria, and the dirt period.It is also important to keep a clean house because if people come over your house, it would be embarassing to have a dirty house. It would have them talk about it to other people and give you a bad name, also avoid people from coming to your house.

Cleaning your house is very important because you don’t want to have bugs, or to find food on the floor or hinden somewhere under your bed or similar.

Clean houses keep roaches away. No one likes roaches. People seem to judge you by the way your house looks and it would not be pretty if they saw roaches crawling around.

I think that keeping a house clean is very important. It serves to making life easier and more productive. Some people actually do focus better in clutter, but it is still good to live in a clean area in case of fire, medical issues, or any other types of disasters.

At my house I do the chores in exchange for my phone bill being paid.

I think it is very important to keep your house clean. Who wants a dirty house? It is very important to keep a clean house, it’s not healthy to keep a dirty house.

I think it is very necessary to have a clean and healthy home. It helps prevent bug infestations. It’s also safer, it makes it easier to move in case of emergencies. Plus, people can find it easier to judge you with a dirty home, clean houses gives you an overall better appearance. It can also be based on how hard of a worker you are, with a dirty home people could think you’re too lazy to even pick up a little bit in your own house.

its pretty important to have a clean house it shows how you are as a person being dirty isnt okay for anyone

I think its important to keep a clean house because , a clean house is a happy house . No one wants t sleep or et or even be in a dirty houe , its not only NOT healthy as well as not a good look, your houe can be so dirty that its infested with mice , roaches or other mysterious bugs . and you affect your neighbors with you dirty habts . When a house is clean you sleep better ! like said before a happy house is a clean houe . !

It is important to keep a clean house because its nasty not to be clean. If your house is dirty you will carry the smell with you. No one wants to smell anything that isnt plesent. If your house is dirty it can cause mice,and other creatures or insects its bad for your health.

Having a clean home reduces clutter in your life and is overall more appealing in life.I find that women maintain cleanliness more than men.Just one of many things women do better.

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Too Much Stuff? Here's How to Organize Your Clutter, According to an Expert

Lindsey Lanquist is a design expert for MyDomaine, covering the latest home trends and design tips. She has over 6 years of digital media experience. In addition to serving as former senior editor at StyleCaster and staff writer at Self, her work has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Byrdie, Verywell, SheKnows, Nylon, and more.

CHELIUS HOUSE OF DESIGN

In This Article

Decluttering can be a rewarding experience—but it can also be an intimidating one. Over time, rooms can get absolutely packed with stuff, and finding a way to sift through all that? Well, it’s no easy feat. 

But, rest assured: no room is impossible to organize . Even if your space feels overwhelmingly cluttered, there is a way to get through it. And by breaking down the process into manageable steps, you can make your decluttering spree faster, more efficient, and a lot easier to tackle. 

Meet the Expert

• Joanna Wirick is a life and home professional organizer at Joanna Organize .
• Holly Blakey is a professional organizer at Breathing Room .
• Ashley Murphy is one of the co-founders of NEAT Method .

Things You’ll Need:

• Donation bins
• Trash bins or bags
• Cleaning supplies (cleaning cloths, broom, vacuum)
• Sticky notes
• Measuring tape

Cathie Hong Interiors

How to Organize a Cluttered Room

Step 1: set a goal for the room.

Think about what you’re trying to achieve before you start decluttering . Are you hoping to clean up your space, cut down on old possessions, or simply see your floor for the first time in a long time? 

“Set a specific goal for the room,” Joanna Wirick , life and home professional organizer at Joanna Organize , says. “What outcome are you trying to achieve? What does a big win look like?” Envisioning your dream scenario can help you clarify what you need to do, and it can also help you stay motivated when you encounter challenges during your decluttering spree.

“A common mistake people tend to make when decluttering is to not be specific enough about the goal they want to achieve,” Wirick says. “For example, more specific goals may look like this: ‘I want to give every item a home,’ or ‘I will invest in organizing containers and labels, so I can stay organized.’”

Step 2: Knock Out Some Logistics

Once you’ve set your goal, you may be eager to start decluttering. But, take a moment to handle some logistics before you do.

“Create a plan,” Wirick says. “What day and time will you declutter? Is this a multi-day project? Where will you take donation items?” 

Answering these questions now will save you time later. You can ensure you have all the supplies you need to sort and store your stuff. You can fall back on the decluttering schedule you’ve created for yourself, and since you’ve already decided what to do with donation items, you don’t have to worry about a “donation bin” lingering in your home long after you’ve finished your deep clean.

“Sometimes, we get bitten by the organizing bug on a whim, start pulling things off shelves, and then feel overwhelmed by the chaos around us,” Wirick says. “Intentionally set aside several hours for a project and set a date for when you will take all of the donation items to a center, so they don’t stay in your house for weeks on end.”

Step 3: Pick a Strategic Starting Point

By this point, you’ve done all the planning you need to do. You’ve established a goal, and you've set your schedule. Now, you’re standing in front of a veritable mountain of clutter—where do you begin?

Wirick recommends starting with the hardest task in front of you. “I would recommend starting with the area that you’ll feel the biggest impact with,” she says. “Think about the space that causes your shoulders to tense.” By getting the most stressful part of the process out of the way, you can set yourself up for success. 

“When you start your decluttering journey with the area that brings you the most anxiety and stress, you’ll see big results,” she adds. “When you see big results and positive change, the domino effect will take place—you’ll have the forward momentum and energy to organize other rooms.”

But if the most stressful part of your decluttering spree sounds just too daunting to tackle, kick things off with something a little easier.

“Start small,” Holly Blakey , a professional organizer at Breathing Room , says. “Very cluttered rooms can often feel overwhelming, and parting ways with items you've been holding onto for a long time can be tough.”

So zero in on one area you can easily tackle. Blakey recommends areas like “a cluttered shelf, a chaotic countertop, or a corner where things have been piling up.”

When you see big results and positive change, the domino effect will take place—you’ll have the forward momentum and energy to organize other rooms.

Pure Salt Interiors

Step 4: Take Everything Out

It’s time to start having some fun. “Take everything out of the space, and bring it out in the open where you can see it all,” Ashley Murphy, co-founder of NEAT Method , says. “We know it seems like that will make an even bigger mess, but this is truly the only way to see everything you have.” 

If you have open floor space, spread the items across your floor. And if you don’t, no worries—lay them out on an empty table, or move them into another room. 

Remember, you don’t have to tackle the entire room at once. Remove all the items from the area you’ve decided to declutter first—whether that be a closet, a cabinet, or a corner. Then repeat this step once you’re finished organizing your first target area.

Step 5: Sort and Declutter

Once you have a clear idea of everything you have, you’ll want to sort your items into two sets of categories. First: What kind of item is it? (Group clothes in one pile, tools in another, toys in another, and so on.) Second: What do you want to do with it? “Sort through each of your items, and determine which to sell, donate, recycle, throw away, and keep,” Murphy says.

Deciding what to get rid of can be tough, so start with a few easy wins. “Anything stained, ripped, or broken should be discarded,” Wirick says. “Place gently used, clean items in a donation bag or tote.”

Then, start asking yourself some hard questions. “What is the first feeling or thought that comes to mind when I see this item?” Wirick says. “Would I ever think about this item if I hadn’t found it just now? Will it negatively affect any part of my life if I part with it?” And Blakey has another go-to: “Could someone else use it more or love it more than you do?” 

“This last question really helps a lot of my clients part with items they just don’t need,” Blakey adds. “Once you can shift your thinking to realize it’s just been sitting in your home for a long time, but might actually be used daily by someone else, it’s so much easier to part with.”

Step 6: Clean Anything That’s Dirty

By this point, the area you’re organizing should be basically bare. And that’s a great opportunity to give it a much-needed clean. “Clean surfaces—shelves, floor space, and even scuffed walls,” Blakey says. “This will give your space a fresh, clean start as you add your items back in.”

Start by wiping down each of the surfaces. Then, dust, sweep, and vacuum as needed.

Chelius House of Design

Step 7: Find a Home for Every Item

Now that your space is clean and empty, you have a blank slate to work from. And it’s time to decide where everything should go . “Once you are left with items you are keeping, sort them into categories and determine where to place everything,” Murphy says. 

One easy place to start? “Keep your most frequently used items in easy-to-reach places,” Murphy says. By tucking your lesser-used items in harder-to-reach places—and saving the easy access spots for your go-tos—you can get a loose sense of where stuff should go. 

Then, Wirick recommends using sticky notes to design the rest of your storage set-up. Since sticky notes are easy to move around, they’ll help you flexibly switch up your layout as you figure things out.

Step 8: Snag Any Storage Items You Need

If you want to store your items inside jars, baskets, and organizers, now is the time to buy them. “The biggest mistake people make is rushing out to buy organizing products too soon,” Murphy says. “Be sure to take the time to first go through and edit your items so you are buying products that hold what you need to organize.”

Once you know what you need to store—and where you need to put it—you can buy organizers that suit your space and your stuff. “Measure, measure, measure!” Blakey says. Measure your designated storage spot to see how much space you’re working with. Then, snag an appropriately sized organizer that can hold the stuff you need it to store.

Step 9: Put Every Item Where It Belongs

Good news: Your work is almost done. It’s time to restock the space you’ve been organizing. 

So grab your items, and put each one in its new home. “This is the most satisfying part, as you add your items into their set spaces,” Blakey says. Everything will have a home, there will be added functionality in your space, and you'll have more space in your head and home.”

Finding Lovely

Tips to Keep Your Room Decluttered Longer

Now that you’ve conquered your mountain of clutter, you want to avoid building another. Thankfully, keeping your space organized is pretty simple.

First, stick to the system you’ve just designed—and use labels if you think they’ll help you. “Now that you have a system, help yourself keep it up by labeling where everything goes,” Blakey says. “That way, not only will you be able to easily put everything back in its new, organized home, but hopefully your family members will be able to pitch in too!”

And if something about your system doesn’t quite feel right, make changes along the way. “Live with your newly organized space for a few days or a week,” Wirick says. “Then, fine-tune anything you need to. Remember, it needs to be functional!” Don’t be afraid to make changes—especially if they’ll make your life easier.

Finally, tackle smaller declutters on a seasonal basis. “We recommend going through items at the end of a season and donating or selling anything you did not use, no longer need, or that are broken, missing pieces, or expired,” Murphy says. And if you can’t decide whether to part with something? “We suggest storing it for a bit and then re-evaluating to see if you missed it,” she adds.

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How to Organize Your Room: 13 Tips & Tricks

Last Updated: July 22, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was written by Julie Naylon and by wikiHow staff writer, Ali Garbacz, B.A. . Julie Naylon is the Founder of No Wire Hangers, a professional organizing service based out of Los Angeles, California. No Wire Hangers provides residential and office organizing and consulting services. Julie's work has been featured in Daily Candy, Marie Claire, and Architectural Digest, and she has appeared on The Conan O’Brien Show. In 2009 at The Los Angeles Organizing Awards she was honored with “The Most Eco-Friendly Organizer”. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,075,370 times.

Along with creating an extremely aesthetic space, organizing your room is a good habit to get into to maintain its overall cleanliness and functionality. To help you get started, we’ve created a helpful list of tips for organizing every part of your room, including your closet, dresser, and desk. We’ve also included pro hacks for maximizing your storage space along with some advice on how to maintain a clean room once everything is sorted away. This article is based off an interview with our professional organizer, Julie Naylon, founder of No Wire Hangers. Check out the full interview here.

Take inventory.

• Remove everything from your closet, desk, and dresser and place them on the floor, your bed, or even take them outside of your room for the time being.
• If taking everything out of its place at once is overwhelming and is taking up too much space, work section by section. Start from the areas that are easiest to organize and work your way up to the more difficult areas. [1] X Research source

Choose which items you’ll keep, store, donate, and throw out.

• Keep: The items that you keep will be items that you use on a regular basis. If you've used the item in the last two or three months, keep it.
• Store: These are things that you can't bear to throw away, such as something with sentimental value, but rarely use. Store these items in the back of your closet, attic, or basement.
• Donate: These are items that may benefit someone but you don’t personally need or use anymore. These may be things like clothes that don’t fit or old textbooks.
• Trash: These are items that no one will likely use—including you. If the item is broken or ruined in some way, or you can’t remember when you last used it, toss it.
• Use the 20-second rule to help you sort items. If you have to spend more than twenty seconds looking at an item and asking yourself if you'll ever use it again, the answer is probably no.

Come up with a system to organize the clothes in your closet.

• Another option is to sort your clothes by color as well as by season. For example, sort out all your summer clothes and put them in color order (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, etc.).
• Keep similar clothing items together. For example, group t-shirts, sweatshirts, and dresses together in separate spots in your closet.
• Use colored hangers to help you sort your clothes by garment. For example, put t-shirts on green hangers, dress shirts on black, and sweatshirts on blue.
• There are also a variety of different closet organizers that are easy to put up and can help keep your clothes well-organized.

Utilize the upper and lower spaces in your closet.

• Place a dresser in your closet if you have the space.
• If you have a door that opens instead of a sliding door, invest in a hanging shoe rack or jewelry holder to put on your door. If your closet doesn’t have this type of door, another option is to hang a rack on the back of your bedroom door.

Organize your dresser into sections.

• Place small bins or dividers in each drawer to help keep your items separated. If you don’t want to buy new organizers, repurpose something like an old shoe box to store things like your socks in.
• Don’t forget to keep the top of your dresser clean and organized. Use things like jewelry boxes , mason jars, or other small storage containers to keep small items organized.

Take care of your closet. "The act of folding is far more than making clothes compact for storage. It is an act of caring, an expression of love and appreciation for the way these clothes support your lifestyle. Therefore, when we fold, we should put our heart into it, thanking our clothes for protecting our bodies."

Group together like items in your desk.

• If you want to cut down on paper waste, consider digitalizing all of your documents and paperwork and storing them on your computer.
• Spring for a desk organizer to hold all of your office supplies in one convenient spot.
• Keep the clutter on top of your desk to a minimum. Leave most of your desk empty so you have more room to work.
• Another option is to use an organizer cart to store your supplies. This is a great option because you can easily move it to different spots around your room.

Utilize storage space under your bed.

• If you’re worried about forgetting what you stored under your bed, opt for clear storage containers that you can easily see into.

Make your bed.

Deep clean of your room.

Take advantage of empty wall space.

• Be sure not to let your walls get too cluttered. For example, take down any old posters, photos, or decor that you no longer want to keep up.

Opt for furniture with built-in storage space.

• When arranging your furniture , make sure everything is logically and functionally organized.
• For example, put your dresser near your closet so that all of your clothing is close together.

Put items back in their designated spots after using them.

• One tip for keeping your clothes organized is to put laundry away as soon as it’s done. The longer you leave it sitting out, the less likely you’ll be to sort it properly.

Spend time each day organizing your room.

Expert Q&A

Reader Videos

Share a quick video tip and help bring articles to life with your friendly advice. Your insights could make a real difference and help millions of people!

• If you need more places to put things, buy or reuse boxes. Mason or candy jars can also make pretty containers for smaller items like writing utensils or your scissors, stapler, and other supplies. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
• Organize books, CDs, and DVDs in alphabetical order to make it easier to find what you're looking for. You can also organize them by genre, if you want. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://chadd.org/for-adults/organizing-the-home-and-office-space/
• ↑ https://www.aarp.org/home-family/your-home/info-2021/simple-decluttering-and-organization-tips.html
• ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/closets/inspirational-closets ?
• ↑ https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/decorate/bedroom/tips/a607/nine-ways-to-create-more-storage-space-in-a-small-bedroom/
• ↑ https://www.aarp.org/home-family/your-home/info-2014/declutter-tips-for-home.html

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How to Clean a Broom the Right Way Before Your Next Cleaning Spree

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The objects we clean with often need deep cleans themselves, including our brooms. Dirty brooms can spread dust and hair around, dirtying the exact floors you're trying to clean. Thankfully, it's incredibly easy to clean your broom (and your dustpan), and you likely have everything you need to do so already. Here's what you need to know.

How to Clean a Broom

A good broom cleaning requires only a little effort and a few ingredients. You'll need a bucket or sink basin, some dish soap, fresh water, and optionally, bleach.

• Shake Out the Dirt . Before you get to soaking and scrubbing your broom, you'll need to head to the trash can. Bang your broom against the inside of the trashcan to shake and loosen left-behind dirt. You can also do this outside, against an exterior wall.
• Create Your Cleaning Solution. Next, fill up a large bucket with two tablespoons of dish soap and plenty of water. If you're cleaning a mini broom (like the kind that fits inside a dustpan), you can use a plugged sink instead of a bucket. Add 1/3 cup of bleach for every gallon of water in your sudsy solution if your broom is used to clean lots of bathroom messes.
• Soak Your Broom. Dip your broom into the soap-filled bucket and let the broom sit in it for 15 to 30 minutes. You may need to place the bucket next to the wall so your broom can lean against something. Mini brooms can simply be tossed into the soapy sink.
• Get Scrubbing. Once your broom has received a good soak, swish it alongside the bottom of the bucket to make sure all of its dirt is cleaned away.
• Rinse and Dry. Rinse the broom by placing it under running water for 30 seconds. Let it air-dry outside or in a bathtub or shower.

Want more cleaning and organizing tips? Sign up for our free daily newsletter for the latest hacks, expert advice, and more!

How to Clean a Dust Pan

Don't put your sparkling-clean broom back into a dirty dustpan: make sure your dustpan is clean too. To clean it, you'll need dish soap, water, a scrub brush, a drying rack, and a sink basin or bucket.

If your dustpan isn't very dirty, you can simply give it a quick wipe with a clean cloth and your favorite all-purpose cleaner.

• Make Some Bubbles. Fill a bucket or sink basin with a few teaspoons of dish soap and water.
• Wash Your Dustpan. Place your dust pan inside the soapy water and let it sit for five minutes.
• Get Scrubbing. After five minutes, pull the dustpan out. Use a scrub brush dipped in the soapy water to scrub away any stuck-on grime.
• Let It Dry. Let the dustpan dry on a drying rack or outside in the sunshine.

How Often You Should Actually Be Cleaning Your Broom

In most cases, it's best to clean your broom monthly. A dirty broom will only spread hair and dust around your home, making it harder to keep cleaner.

However, your broom should be cleaned immediately after use if it's been used to clean up lots of construction debris or especially grimy floors. Likewise, less-frequently used brooms, like the push broom you use on your patio and garage, also need less-frequent cleans.

If a monthly broom cleaning feels like too much, try to always thoroughly shake away any stuck-on dirt into the trashcan after each use. This can prevent hair and debris from building up over time.

Your broom should be replaced when its bristles start to wear out—so much so that they're stiff, short, and beyond repair. But this will probably take a while, as most brooms will last years, even with regular usage.

Your broom's bristles can take a beating over time, becoming frayed and increasingly ineffective. However, a pair of scissors can provide just the trim your broom needs—cut just past your broom's frayed edges to make it sweep like new again.

Your broom will last longer with regular deep cleaning and as-needed bristle trimming. Both of these tasks can keep your broom cleaning efficiently and effectively.

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Here's How To Correctly Clean 56 Important Things In Your Home

:: bookmarks for when I actually feel like cleaning ::

BuzzFeed Staff

1. Steam-clean your microwave: heat a bowl full of water for five minutes, let it sit without opening the door for another five minutes, and any stuck-on grime will easily wipe off with a paper towel or damp sponge.

No elbow grease required. You can also add lemons for a ~fresh scent~, but they're totally optional. (I promise this works — that's my microwave pictured above, and I've done it dozens of times since.)

2. Then zap your damp or wet sponge in the microwave for 1-2 minutes to kill 99.9% of the bacteria lurking on it.

Good Housekeeping found this actually works; try to do it at least once a week, if not every three days or so. Then replace it every couple of weeks, and try to keep it away from raw meat. If you heard a few years ago that microwaving doesn't help , well — all those news reports were inaccurate .

(It's also essentially equally effective to run your sponge through the dishwasher, on the top rack, with the heat-dry setting, if you prefer to do that instead.)

3. And let your sponge dry out every single night, whether you use a simple binder clip or a stainless sponge holder .

That'll help prolong its life between cleanings! The sponge holder is $11.99 on Amazon.

4. After you're done with the dishes, regularly wash out your sink like you would a dish: using hot water, dish soap, and your sponge.

And rinse it out with hot water when you're done.

5. Then shine up your stainless steel sink with a quick dusting of flour and a microfiber cloth — it'll clean out all of those tiny bits of grime that regular washing doesn't.

On The Kitchn , they do this about once a month. A pack of 24 microfiber cleaning cloths is $9.99  on Amazon.

6. A soft cleanser's the quickest way to polish up a scratched sink — whether it's porcelain or stainless steel — so it looks brand new.

This is Barkeeper's Friend, but already in a paste form (versus the powder form you can make into a paste yourself). You can get a pack of two bottles on Amazon for $12.75 or one bottle from another listing for  $9.15 .

(You can also try baking soda + hydrogen peroxide , but that might take a little more elbow grease.)

7. If your garbage disposal's a little smelly, the culprit may be the under-side of the splash guard: an old toothbrush will help you knock that stuff down the disposal where it belongs.

From  Family Handyman .

8. But if that doesn't do the trick, a foaming cleaner can deeply cleanse everything in your disposal, including the underside of the splash guard and the interior side walls.

This gets rid of any odor, although it won't unclog your garbage disposal — for that, you'll have to call a plumber. This is a product one of our readers recommends (see the review below), and it's available on Amazon, $12.27 for eight uses in a lemon scent.

Promising review: "Holy cow I didn't realize how easy and quick it was to clean a garbage disposal. I stumbled across this through a BuzzFeed article. Very simple instructions, literally takes five minutes and some hot water and VOILA! You have a clean, no-longer-stinky garbage disposal. Anytime I got a whiff of an odor, all I did was drop one of those packs in the disposal and the smell was GONE! Plus the blue foam bubbling through the sink was amusing to watch." — VadersGirl

9. Wipe up the sticky, dusty buildup that gathers on your range hood and other appliances using a little bit of mineral oil.

Just put a little bit of oil on a paper towel, and wipe; it'll come off like a charm! If you don't like the oily residue, just use water and dish soap to clean that right up. (You can also use olive oil for this, but if you do, definitely wash it off; otherwise it might go rancid and smell bad.) From One Good Thing By Jillee .

10. Mix up a paste of water and polish cleanser to easily scrub off cooked-on gunk from your stainless or enameled gas stove.

The Amazon reviewer pictured just added a few drops of water to make a paste the consistency of glue, then scrubbed it onto each dirty burner, let it sit for a few minutes, and wiped it up. If you need a can of the cleanser, you can get on on Amazon for $2.49 . (The benefit of this over the premixed stuff? You get to decide what consistency you want the paste to be. But both are good choices!)

11. Then make your greasy stove (and grill!) grates look brand new again by letting them sit overnight with just a little bit of ammonia .

You simply seal them up in a plastic bag and let it do its work — just don't mix ammonia with any other cleaner, and do read the tutorials from  Fabulessly Frugal  and  The V Spot before you try this at home. You can get a bottle of ammonia on Amazon for  $14.98 .

12. Polish up your glass cooktop in five minutes: drizzle on some Dawn and hydrogen peroxide, sprinkle with baking soda, and quickly scrub in circles with a dish brush .

Then simply wipe clean. From My Thirty Spot . Need a dish brush? Pick one up on Amazon for $7.95 .

13. Or, if you know a basic scrubbing won't touch your stovetop's seemingly impenetrable cooked-on stains, try a cooktop cleaning kit that includes a cleansing polish and a razor scraper.

The razor scraper's key here, because it's the best way to tackle the few spots that will inevitably remain after your initial scrub with the cleanser (which is also included in most kits like these). Don't be afraid to put some elbow grease into it! The kit that produced these gorgeous before and after photos is available on Amazon for $18.98 .

14. A homemade paste of dish soap, baking soda, and water is probably all you need to spot-clean baked-on stains inside of your oven.

You'll still have to use a *little* bit of elbow grease, but really the dish soap's gonna do most of the work for you. From Ask Anna Moseley and BuzzFeed Nifty .

15. But if you haven't kept up with regular spot or self-cleaning, a 10-minute spray-on cleaner may be just what your oven needs.

This version's heavy-duty so it works well on grills and BBQs too! Simply heat the oven to 200 degrees, turn it off, and get to spraying, waiting 10 minutes, and wiping away. You can get a can on Amazon for $4.97 .

Promising review: "This is the ONLY product that got rid of years of oil globules stuck to my oven door window. You couldn’t see through the window, then the cleaner MELTED the oil in 10 minutes and I wiped it off with a wet rag and no elbow grease. I didn’t properly keep up with cleaning my much-used oven, but I know a few treatments with this will help destroy layers of grease. Absolutely recommend this product." — Sunshine

16. Wrap your hard–water–stained faucets in vinegar-soaked paper towels to dissolve the minerals so they wipe off in one go.

From Lemons, Lavender, and Laundry .

17. And banish hard water from the mouth of your faucets by attaching a plastic bag filled with vinegar, using a rubber band. If they're heavily stained, substitute the vinegar for a more intense mineral cleaner .

I first heard about this from blogger  Two Twenty One , who uses CLR (aka Calcium, Lime, Rust). A 28-ounce bottle is  $5.99  on Amazon ($0.21/ounce), or you can get a one-gallon jug (128 ounces) for $22.88  ($0.18/ounce).

18. Freshen up your wooden cutting boards by scrubbing them down with salt and half a lemon — then season them with a douse of food-grade mineral oil .

You'll still want to give them a good wash with soap and water after every time you use them (never let it soak, that'll harm the wood), but this is good for a ~deep clean~ and conditioning. A bottle of cutting board oil is $11.95 on Amazon.

19. Water spotting and funky smells in the dishwasher can be solved by simply running an empty cycle with a cleaner designed exactly for those purposes.

There are a couple of dishwasher cleaners out there. You can get a three-pack of the disinfectant used in the photos above from Amazon for $8.98 .

20. Go through your fridge, freezer, pantry, and any other spots you store food and toss anything that's expired, that you know you won't eat, or that's, y'know, gross and moldy.

Read more about the differences between use-by, best-buy, and sell-by dates on Women's Health .

21. Then wash the shelves, drawers, and other removable parts of your fridge like dishes: in hot, soapy water.

You can also use soapy water to wipe out the inside, doors, and seals on your refrigerator and freezer; just make sure to rinse well. If you have glass shelves, let them come to room temperature before you hit them with the hot water — if you don't, they could crack or shatter. The full tutorial's on Martha Stewart .

22. Stop any lingering refrigerator odors in their tracks using a fabric deodorizer filled with activated charcoal.

You can hang it on the included hook or just set it on your shelf; it's $8.85 on Amazon.

23. Shine up your refrigerator and any other stainless steel appliances with a coat of Pledge .

This is what I do for my stainless, and it works like a charm; just clean off any big pieces of gunk with soap and water or an all-purpose cleaner, first. From The DIY Girl . Three cans of Pledge are $16.14 ($5.38 each) on Amazon.

24. Drop a couple of fizzing tablets into your coffee pot to break up any seemingly permanent stains that regular scrubbing leaves behind.

They also work well to break up the buildup left on the inside of reusable to-go coffee mugs. A pack of 12 tablets is $8 on Amazon.

25. Tackle even the worst, most egregious rust stains with a spray-on cleaning gel that'll dissolve it right before your eyes.

It'll also remove any rust stains from color-safe fabrics, among many other surfaces. (Some reviewers use it with a Magic Eraser , for extra oomph). Two bottles are $16.01 ($8 each) or three bottles are $18.98 ($6.32 each) on Amazon.

26. Make short work of stubborn hard water toilet stains by gently scrubbing them off with a pumice stone .

Whether it's calcium, lime, rust, or some impossible combination, the pumice stone can take care of it. A pack of two is $7.99 on Amazon.

27. And drop a eucalyptus-scented, citric acid–infused toilet bomb into your toilet bowl on a regular basis (like, once a week, depending on how hard your water is) to help cut down on the need to scrape lime scale or calcium buildup with a pumice stone.

Swish once or twice, let it fizz for about five minutes, then scrub for a minute or so with a toilet brush.

These are both made and sold by  Happy Earth Boutique  a New Jersey–based small business that carries cleaning products and bath products that just smell really darn good. You can get a pack of 15 on Etsy for $13.99  (also available in lemon or lemongrass ).

28. As you scrub your toilet, make sure to get the water jets under the rim, too — and if you have hard water, consider soaking them with vinegar overnight to dissolve any buildup.

If your regular toilet brush doesn't get up under there, use a dish brush you keep just for that purpose. Soaking your jets in vinegar involves draining your tank and sealing them with duct tape; get the tutorial on Lil Luna .

29. And don't forget to give the outside a good wipe-down with an all-purpose cleaner or a cleaning wipe. Remember to even remove the toilet seat every once in a while so you can get every last nook and cranny.

I've known about the toilet seat tip for ages (h/t Ask Anna Moseley , who has a full tutorial on this) and finally tried it myself, as you can see in the pictures above. I wasn't able to persuade the screws all the way off, but I got them loose enough that my trusty all purpose cleaner and I could quickly banish the disgusting gunk that had gathered underneath the spot where the toilet seat screws into the toilet.

30. Once your toilet bowl's all fresh and clean, a stamp-in gel can actually keep it that way for weeks at a time.

Basically it cleans just a little every time your toilet gets flushed. I used this all the time in college and it really does help prevent mildew and toilet rings. Once there's only a teensy bit of the gel left, you can use that to scrub things down, then add another dab. (Although if you have particularly hard or rusty water, you might need something stronger, like these drop-in tabs ). A pack that will last up to ten weeks is $5.69 on Amazon.

31. Rubber-band a plastic bag filled with vinegar around your shower head to de-scale and deep-clean it with basically zero effort.

Leave it anywhere from a couple hours to overnight, then remove and voila!

To get the bubbles, add in a dash of baking soda; I've had it work well both with the combo and with just plain vinegar. Some people swear the bubbling reaction loosens the particles more quickly. Others note that, once the reaction's over and the bubbles stop, the vinegar will just be water with a bit of salt ; but you do you.

32. Transform your grimy bathtub into something that's actually spa-worthy with a classic soft cleanser .

From They Are Crafty , who used (can you guess?) Barkeeper's Friend, aka BKF. A bottle is  $9  on Amazon.

33. Soft cleanser will also erase any trace of mineral and soap scum buildup from your glass shower doors, so they sparkle like they've never seen even a single speck of water.

This is another good tip  Ask Anna Moseley  (who pairs the cleanser with scouring pads, like these,  $2.72  on Amazon) swears by, along with several Amazon reviewers.

Any version of BKF should work just fine, but some people swear the glass cooktop version does this particular task better; get three bottles on Amazon for  $23.69  ($7.90 each), or two for  $10 .

34. Banish any persistent mildew from your tub or shower caulking with gel cleaner . The gel stays put on the nasty spots much longer than a spray would so the cleaner can actually do its job.

You do have to let it sit for four to five hours (or even overnight), but the results, at least according to reviewers, are worth it. This is another item that's recommended by our readers (see the review below). You can get a bottle on Amazon for $13.99 , or two for $26.99 .

Promising review: "After living in my place for a few years, my shower was super gross. I tried to use elbow grease and disinfecting wipes but failed. Then I discovered this product through BuzzFeed. Holy moly, am I glad I tried it. I left it on for 4–5 hours, per the instructions, and every place this gel touched, the mold/mildew disappeared." — Gracielou Freebush

(You can also use cotton coil and bleach to the same effect — here's a tutorial — but I've done this and, while effective, it's very fume-y.)

35. Wash your grimy plastic shower curtain liner with a couple of towels to get rid of any mildew or other buildup.

And wash your shower curtain itself, separately and according to the directions on the tag. While you're at it, throw in your bath mats, and change out your towels. Freshen everything! Bitz 'n' Giggles has the step-by-step for washing a shower curtain liner.

36. Vacuum the dust from the outside of your exhaust fan with a dusting brush attachment, then pull the cover off to wash it well in soap and water.

Practically Functional also vacuums the fan itself before replacing the cover.

37. Wrap your faucet and sink in vinegar-soaked paper towels so stubborn hard water buildup literally just wipes away.

Yep, it works in the bathroom, too. From Cute As A Fox .

38. Unclog your slow-draining tub or sink using a simple drain clearer .

You just insert it down your drain, twist it a few times via the handle, let the grabby micro-hooks on the tip (similar to Velcro) do their work on the stuck, clogging hair and debris. Then pull it up, and your sink will drain like it's new! Get one with five included refills on Amazon for $19.99 ; or opt for a reusable version (you just have to be willing to clean the gunk off) for  $8.99 .

39. Skip the heavy-duty elbow grease but still make your grout look brand new: let an automatic scrubbing brush do all the work for you.

I use and LOVE this brush, have had it for over four years now, and it's absolutely the easiest and fastest way to clean grout (maybe besides bleach, which I don't like to use). You literally see the dirt come up and the grout lighten with just 30 seconds of use. They make a specialty grout head you can buy for it, but TBH the default brush works just as well, unless you have incredibly narrow grout lines. (Some reviewers like to use it with a grout and tile cleaner , but I just use some Castile soap diluted with water. I haven't tested to see if one is faster than the other!)

You can read my full Rubbermaid Reveal Power Scrubber Review for more, and it's on Amazon for $19.99 .

40. Remove years of sticky, built-up hairspray residue from tile by scrubbing your floors down with a paste of Borax and water.

Adventures of a DIY Mom tested a bunch of different solutions, and this one — tile seven — clearly made the most difference. A two-pound bag of Borax is $12.99 on Amazon.

She used an old toothbrush which totally works, but for something like this I'd reach for a bigger scrub brush to cover more area with less scrubbing effort, like this handled one, $9.89 on Amazon.

41. Sort through your shower and all of your cabinets, and toss every single thing that's past its expiration date, because yes, even bath and beauty products expire.

42. Then simply spray down your mirror, sink, and everything else with your favorite all purpose spray cleaner, and give it a good wipe-down.

You can make your own spray cleaner by mixing one part dish soap with one part warm vinegar (full directions from Goodful ); or mix an all-purpose cleaner from a concentrate like Simple Green ( $10.98 for one gallon) or Mrs. Meyers ( $8.99 for 32 ounces), both on Amazon.

And yes, you can substitute a glass cleaner for your mirror, if you prefer!

43. Clean all sorts of plastic, glass, and metal from around the house in the dishwasher: from light fixture shades to vent hood filters to AC vent covers.

From One Crazy House. You could even clean all of your floor and ceiling vent covers at once .

44. If you have a rope mop , use the ~slop mop~ method to give your tile or linoleum floors a truly deep wash.

Basically, you use a saturated mop to get your floors wet, then squeeze out your mop, use it to soak up the dirty water (in no more than three swoops at a time), and squeeze that dirty water back into your bucket. The Creek Line House has the full how-to. A similar microfiber, washable easy-wring mop is $34.95 on Amazon.

45. Erase those mysterious (and not so mysterious) carpet and upholstery stains with a nontoxic and odor-free spot remover spray — all you have to do it spritz, gently massage it into the stain a little, then blot everything up with a paper towel.

In my experience it might take a couple of rounds for your carpet to look brand spankin' new, but it's worth it because this particular spray doesn't bleach out the fibers, doesn't need to be vacuumed up or rinsed, and doesn't attract new dirt to the area after you're done. It works well on all kinds of stains, like grease and oil, wine, coffee, rust, food, makeup, and dirt. I personally keep it around for the inevitable melted chocolate chip that I discover on the couch every six months or so. And can of course it doubles as a laundry stain remover. A 32-ounce bottle is $6.65 on Amazon. 

For more about why I love it, read my  Folex Stain-Remover Review ! 

46. Capture all the dust lingering on your ceiling fan by wiping the blades down with an old pillowcase.

You'll capture all the dust inside the case, so you can go dump it outside or in the trash. And then wash the case, of course. I've done this too; it totally works! From the now-defunct blog  Homemaker Chic .

47. Rubber-band microfiber cleaning cloths to your kitchen tongs to pick up literally all the dust from your blinds.

From One Crazy House . A pack of 24 microfiber cleaning cloths is $9.99 on Amazon.

48. Or just get an extendable microfiber duster set that makes it easy to follow the cardinal rule of cleaning — start at the top, and work your way down to the bottom, so you don't vacuum first then end up with dust on the floor from your fan.

It comes with two duster options that you can either use with a handle or the extending pole (which starts at 29 inches and telescopes up to 49 inches). Get it on Amazon for $18.67 .

49. Strip your bed and wash all your bedding, then freshen your mattress with a quick sprinkle of baking soda and a good vacuuming.

This won't remove any stains, but it will help absorb any lingering odors. Get the how-to from One Good Thing By Jillee .

50. Launder your pillows in hot water to wash out all the sweat, skin cells, drool, and other gross things lurking where you rest your head every night.

You only need to do it every few months, but it makes a difference! Get the how-to from The Happier Homemaker .

51. Knock out that sour washer smell by running a cleaning tablet through it once a month.

It works for both top and front loaders, and is yet another product recommended by thousands of reviewers. Six tablets are $11.98 on Amazon.

(Note that if you have a front loader with mold problems, this may help some but probably won't completely fix it. I think the best solution for that problem is prevention: every time you're done with the washing for the day, dry off as many nooks and crannies as you can reach with a towel, and make sure to leave the door open. And yes, that includes that lip under the rubber seal, and I'd even pulls out the detergent drawer all the way to dry that and the area where it sits.)

52. Besides pulling the lint off your dryer's screen after every load, regularly get the lint out of the spot where the screen sits using your vacuum or a lint brush .

Two lint brushes are $8.45 on Amazon, and can also be used to clean your refrigerator coils so it works more efficiently (check your fridge's manual to see if that's something you need to do).

53. Set-in mattress stains are no joke, but you can make 'em look better by using a carpet stain remover and a carpet washer .

The carpet washer that pulled off this before and after — and has over seven thousand five-star ratings — is $181.15 on Amazon. And a jug of stain remover is $19.97 . Because you're wondering: it's a coffee stain .

You can also try to bleach them out using hydrogen peroxide; that may not remove more than the surface stains, though. Get a how-to here .

54. Use any old squeegee and some water in a spray bottle to easily clean pet hair off your sofa, furniture, and basically anything that's upholstered with fabric.

Just spritz once or twice, squeegee, and watch it clump up. From CareaBearaSara . A similar squeegee is $10.99 on Amazon.

55. Or try an infinitely reusable pet hair roller to pick up gobs of hair all at once.

I've witnessed one of these in action at a family gathering and y'all, it's so quick and really does pick up like, all the hair. My sister also uses one and swears by it for picking up the small mountains of hair her pet bunnies leave lying around.* You open up the back to empty the hair out when you're done, and it's ready to reuse. It's $24.95 on Amazon.

*These days she's upgraded to an even  faster  handheld pet hair vacuum she uses on her couch and car,  $79.39 , if you want to splurge a little. 

56. And grab a rubber-bristle and squeegee broom to sweep up the hair embedded in your carpet and scattered over your hardwood or tile floor.

Of course you could use your hand-held squeegee for this too, but this telescoping broom could make it easier on your back. Reviewers recommend using short, quick, rake-like strokes for the best effect. It's also handy for cleaning big windows and pushing snow off of cars in one swoop. It's $9.99 on Amazon.

You, walking around your home impressed with how incredibly clean it is now:

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