Try the ‘FlyLady’ Cleaning Method

The goal of using this method is to be less overwhelmed by the prospect of cleaning—and maybe even start to enjoy it. You do this by changing how you approach cleaning altogether. On her website, Cilley instructs would-be method adherents to break their home up into “zones” and set aside just 15 minutes per day to clean through them at a set time each month. She promises there will be a noticeable difference after a week: “It didn’t get dirty in a day, and it is not going to get clean overnight.”

Here’s how the zones are broken up:

• Zone 1 is your entryway, front porch, and dining room. You complete this zone in the first week of the month.
• Zone 2 is the kitchen, which is done during the first full week of the month, meaning the first week in which there are seven full days.
• Zone 3 is the main bathroom plus another room in your house, like maybe an office or pantry. This happens during the second full week of the month.
• Zone 4 is the master bedroom and its closets and bathroom during the third full week.
• Zone 5 is the living room, but because it is not a full week, it may overlap with Zone 1.

Cilley’s primary goal is for cleaners to not burn out, so spending 15 minutes a day in the designated zone for that week is sufficient. Routines are key for maximum, efficient cleaning, so make sure your 15-minute chunk is scheduled and you do it every day, ideally at the same time so it becomes more of a habit than an all-out chore.