The 6/10 Cleaning Method Just Might Change Your Life
And there isn’t actually any math involved.
Don’t be put off by the numbers in this cleaning method. It’s actually super straightforward, and the numbers are arbitrary, really. The 6/10 cleaning method is about making lists, setting short term goals, and then checking said things off list. Set up the pins and knock ‘em down. Day by day, week by week, month by month.
Get. It. Done.
What’s more satisfying than crushing your to-do list?
What is the 6/10 cleaning method?
Okay, hear us out:
This “busy mum” TikToker @organizedchaos4 came up with this simple cleaning system she’s titled the “6/10 method.” All this means is that she makes daily lists of 6 tasks that need to be accomplished that day.
These 6 tasks are priority, and they may differ from day to day. Regardless of what those 6 tasks are, those are the only chores she thinks about that day. Then she’s got a separate list of 10 tasks that need to be completed that week. (She likes to do them all in one day, for example Sunday.)
We’d reckon there’s wiggle room in the 6/10 method. For example, if you’re the type of person who prefers to tackle your 6 daily chores, plus 2 bonus chores from the list of your weekly 10, good on ya.
However you cut it, using the 6/10 method is meant to free your mind from overwhelming chore anxiety and allow you to form a healthy, reasonable routine and timeline for accomplishing goals.
Also, by following the 6/10 method, you won’t let your house get messy beyond the point of no return. You know, like when it’s been so long since you’ve cleaned that the idea of even getting started on tidying up is unfathomable. (At which point, you resign to stress eating an entire bag of chips on the couch and binging some old TV show.)
The 6/10 cleaning method is a healthy way to cut up your chores into bite sized chunks. Then you’re free to focus your brain on other, more interesting things and activities each day.
It’s sort of like a chore calendar for adults, and you’ll be earning all the gold stars. It’s compartmentalizing your chores and tasks. And when you’re done with your 6 daily tasks, you’re free from having to worry about cleaning until the next day. Whew.
How to implement the 6/10 cleaning method in your life
6/10 cleaning method guru @organizedchaos4 shares her 6/10 lists on her TikTok page, along with a million other short videos of cleaning hacks and tips.
Her 6 daily tasks include:
- Making beds
- Washing dishes
- Scrubbing the sink
- Wiping kitchen counters (we recommend using Mr. Clean Clean Freak to get things really clean)
- Vacuuming floors
- And doing one load of laundry
These are probably all things you’re doing already anyway. Maybe except vacuuming the floors, which we admittedly don’t do daily, even though we should.
Her 10 weekly tasks are:
- Wiping out the fridge and microwave
- Tidying the pantry
- Mopping floors (try a Swiffer Wetjet to keep things really easy)
- Cleaning the bathrooms
- Cleaning sink drains
- Dusting furniture
- Washing bedding
- Tidying her car
- Cleaning the pets' bowls
She claims that her daily tasks each take a half hour or less, while the 10 tasks (when completed all together in one day) usually take about 1 hour.
Furthermore, @organizedchaos4 lists her monthly and quarterly cleaning lists. They look like this:
Monthly tasks:
- Scrub showers
- Deep clean appliances
- Clean out garage
- Vacuum out vehicles
Quarterly tasks:
- Wipe baseboards/doors
- Clean fans and lights
- Clean windows
- Clean furniture
- Change air filters
- Wipe down cabinets
While you don’t have to follow these exact lists, necessarily, they do prove an excellent technique to reduce daily stress and tackle the deluge of things that need to be done. Here is another example of a weekly cleaning template that we’ve whipped up for you to use as a guide.
Any of these guides can be customized and modified to suit your needs. Use them as you’d like: Print them out and hang them on the fridge, copy them into your favorite checklist app or even delegate them to various family members.
Surprising benefits of creating a cleaning routine that works for you
As humans, we’ve got a pile of responsibilities. It’s a constant struggle to do all the things all the time, plus all of the extra credit recreational activities. Sadly, the house doesn’t clean itself (yet). Between work and exercise and chores and taking care of dependents and pets, sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day.
Add some potential anxiety or depression into the mix and it can feel much, much worse.
Establishing and sticking to daily and weekly routines works wonders for our mental health. Think about it: Ever since we were little kids, someone who cares about us has (hopefully) set out a routine for us, whether it’s been teachers or parents.
Routines help us create healthy habits, reduce stress, help us cope with change and improve our interpersonal relationships. A routine can also help manage symptoms for various mental disorders and prevent substance abuse.
Cleaning routines are awesome for:
- Reducing anxiety
- They let your body know what to expect and adjust accordingly.
- Mental routines that create predictable scenarios through repetition allow your mind to unwind, because you (more or less) know what’s coming.
- Promoting healthy habits
- You’ve got a busy schedule. We get it. Having a daily plan helps you to work all those beneficial lifestyle habits into your agenda. Whether it’s journaling or exercising, if you make a concerted effort to do it at the same time every day, it gets done. There are no excuses, because it’s just a regular part of your day.
- Beating the burnout
- Extreme stress happens to about ⅓ of all adults. This looks different for everyone, but increased stress levels come with a whole myriad of side effects — both mental and physical. Severe exhaustion depletes productivity, among other things.
Disclaimer: Saying you’re going to change and stick to a routine is easy to do. Actually doing it is a challenge. We give you permission to not do it all at once.
If working a few small chores into your days and weeks at a time feels more comfortable, take that approach. If you reduce 6/10 into ⅗ — oops, we promised there wouldn’t be any math!
But seriously, be easy on yourself. After all, this is a technique meant to relieve stress and if taking on a new routine is stressful in itself, well… it’s a bit of a vicious cycle, isn’t it?