The Minimalist’s Guide to Simple Housework

Nature abhors a vacuum. And so do I. - Anne Gibbons

It’s a rare person among us who looks forward to cleaning the house. I certainly don’t, but a clean house is something I enjoy perhaps too much.

I love a clean, uncluttered house, and I’m not afraid to admit it.

So how does a person like me — a clean freak — get the house nice and clean without too much work? I’m sure you know by now that if I can keep things simple, I’m happy.

I constantly experiment with ways to simplify my house-cleaning routine, and what follows are some options I’ve experimented with or am trying out now. Not all methods will appeal to everyone, but I’m hoping that at least a few of the ideas will have some use to you, and perhaps inspire a simpler routine in your life.

Guiding Rule: Simplify, Simplify
Thoreau, of course, had three simplifys in his famous quote, but I’ve simplified that rule even further. :)

To keep a house clean with minimal effort, the guiding rule is to simplify as much as possible. The less you have, the less you have to keep clean and put away. Some examples:

An uncluttered room, with only furniture on the floor, is extremely easy to clean. See below. But if you have all kinds of stuff in the room, you double or triple your cleaning time (or worse).
Fewer clothes means you have fewer things to put away and to wash. Sure,if you have lots of clothes, you can go longer without having to wash, letting the clothes pile up into a huge Fuji-like mountain. But who wants to face that mountain when you run out of clothes to wear?
Fewer things on your kitchen counter means cleaning the counter is a snap - just give it a quick wipe with a washcloth and you’re done. No straightening things out, cleaning in between or under things, putting things away.

So the first step in a minimalist cleaning routine is the hardest: declutter as much as possible, so that you only have the things you use often and love to death, and no more. Some guides to doing that: How to Declutter, 15 Great Decluttering Tips, A Guide to Creating a Minimalist Home.

Second Rule: Meditate While You Clean
While housework is not looked upon favorably by many people, if done right, it can actually be very relaxing and destressing. The key is to be mindful and present while you clean.

I like to think of a Zen monk sweeping the floors of a temple when I sweep. It’s corny, maybe, but it really helps me focus on the sweeping, and it’s a form of meditation. In this way, I actually enjoy the cleaning, although I’d rather be writing to be honest.

The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes. - Agatha Christie

Floors
The key here, again, is keeping the floors clear of clutter. In my living room, for example, I have my couch and loveseat, a coffee table, a minimalist entertainment center (basically a very low, long table with only my TV on it), my computer table and chair, a side table, a lamp, and a small shelf. Nothing else is on the floor, which means lots of empty floor and very easy cleaning.

Once you’ve achieved this, here are some options:

Weekly sweep. If you pick things up during the day and put them where they belong, the only thing your floor should need is a sweep, and perhaps an occasional mop if necessary. Once a week, my kids and my wife and I do a quick 30-minute cleaning — we divide the rooms and clean quickly. Sweeping the floors takes less than 10 minutes, and while I do that the younger kids dust the furniture. The kitchen, of course, needs sweeping a little more than that, but it takes like 5 minutes.
Robot cleaner. The Roomba Vacuuming Robot is something I’m thinking of trying out, and if the weekly sweeping or vacuuming doesn’t appeal to you, this might be a good option. It works best if you leave the floor decluttered, as mentioned above. Turn it on in the morning when you leave for work, and your floors stay clean.

Laundry
Several options work well for this task:

Weekly or bi-weekly. This is the option we choose. At the moment, we just take our loads to the laundromat, and get it all done in about 90 minutes. With the amount of loads we do, this saves a lot of time. Bring the loads home, fold and hang and put away. With all our kids helping, it doesn’t take long, and then the laundry’s done.
Once daily, with a twist. If doing all your laundry at once doesn’t appeal to you, consider this slightly expensive but environmentally friendly (and power and water friendly) option: the LG front-loading washer/dryer combo. No, it’s not a stackable washer and dryer. It’s a washer and dryer in one machine. That means you can toss in a load in the morning, and when you get back from work, it’ll be dry. Just fold and put away, and repeat the next time you need to do a load. Pretty slick.
Drop-off service. If you’re into outsourcing your work, this is a little more expensive, but it doesn’t get any easier. Many areas have laundry services where you can drop off your dirty laundry and pick it up at the end of the day, clean and folded.

Kitchen
A few points to make on the kitchen:

Clear counters. As with the floors, you should keep the counters clear. That means uncluttering it if you’ve got a bunch of gadgets. I’ve got a toaster and coffee-maker and nothing else. That makes it easy to wipe things down a couple times a day — takes about a minute.
Clean-as-you-go. Another point that’s key is to wash dishes and wipe up any messes, as you make them. Don’t let dishes pile up in the sink. Just wash them as soon as you’re done. Takes about a minute or two. If everyone in the house does this, there’s no need for a long time spent at the sink. Also, there are usually some pots and pans if you cook — take turns doing this. But be sure to clean as you cook, so that there isn’t a huge mess in the kitchen.
Weekly spruce-up. During our 30-minute cleaning session, not only do we sweep the floors, but we do a more thorough wipe-down of the rest of the kitchen. Doesn’t take long as we keep it pretty clean during the week.

Bathroom
The bathroom can get pretty gross if you let it. Here’s how to prevent that:

Clean-as-you-go. Same as the kitchen: when there’s dirt anywhere, clean it immediately. Again, it just takes a minute to wipe up a dirty bathroom sink, to give your toilet a quick swish-and-flush with the toilet brush, or to scrub the shower just before you shower yourself. And you don’t need to do these things every day — just when you see dirt. Dirt on the floor? Sweep it or wipe it — 2 minutes.
Bi-weekly cleaning. If you keep things clean in the bathroom on a daily basis, all you need to do is a quick once-over every other week or so. Do this during the 30-minute cleaning session, when necessary.

Kids Toys
We’ve got six kids. It’s impossible to keep things perfectly clean when six kids are in one house. But here’s what we do:

Regular decluttering. Every 3-6 months, we go through their closets to get rid of stuff they don’t play with anymore. The kids are used to this, and actually do a good job of helping: “I don’t use this anymore, Dad!” Keeping their rooms (relatively) decluttered is key to maintaining sanity. They still have lots of toys, but at least it’s just the stuff they actually play with.
Baskets. It’s important to have lots of baskets and other such containers. When it’s time to clean up, they can just toss the stuff in. No hassle. They also each have a set of three plastic drawers (their “cubbies”) that they can use to toss in their personal belongings.
Quick clean-ups. Throughout the day, messes are made, and we ask them to do a quick clean-up. It’ll be messy again in 10 minutes, but at least it’s a manageable mess. At the end of the day, the last clean-up lets us have some quiet time with a clean house. I will also go through the house from time-to-time and pick stuff up and throw them in baskets.

Yardwork
I’ve got a huge yard. You might not have the same problem. It’s nice for the kids to play in, but a hassle to maintain. A few options here:

Hire out. I finally gave in and hired a yard service, as I just don’t have the time or energy to keep the yard up by myself. I still do a few things when I can, but now the yard looks great with minimal effort. Again, think of it as outsourcing a non-core function — you can probably make more money doing something else (for me, it’s writing) than what it will cost to pay for the yard upkeep.
Minimal yard. If you’re not going to pay for yard upkeep, you’ll want to keep things minimal. That can be anywhere from having no yard, to living in a condo/apartment area where the yard is a common area and maintained by a contractor, to keeping a small yard with very few things in it. That means few plants (only ones that can maintain themselves) and no junk. The less you have in your yard, the better. Some people use a Zen-like rock or gravel garden instead of grass, which isn’t a bad option. Or, be a naturalist and let the grass go wild.
Robot mower. Friendly Robotics RoboMower. Haven’t tried this, but it looks super cool. Similar to the Roomba, but for your yard. Takes a bit of initial setup, but once you’re done … wow. If anyone has used this, let me know!

Cleanliness is next to impossible. - Author Unknown

If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us or on Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)

The Minimalist’s Guide to Simple Housework

Nature abhors a vacuum. And so do I. - Anne Gibbons

It’s a rare person among us who looks forward to cleaning the house. I certainly don’t, but a clean house is something I enjoy perhaps too much.

I love a clean, uncluttered house, and I’m not afraid to admit it.

So how does a person like me — a clean freak — get the house nice and clean without too much work? I’m sure you know by now that if I can keep things simple, I’m happy.

Guiding Rule: Simplify, Simplify
Thoreau, of course, had three simplifys in his famous quote, but I’ve simplified that rule even further. :)

To keep a house clean with minimal effort, the guiding rule is to simplify as much as possible. The less you have, the less you have to keep clean and put away. Some examples:

An uncluttered room, with only furniture on the floor, is extremely easy to clean. See below. But if you have all kinds of stuff in the room, you double or triple your cleaning time (or worse).
Fewer clothes means you have fewer things to put away and to wash. Sure,if you have lots of clothes, you can go longer without having to wash, letting the clothes pile up into a huge Fuji-like mountain. But who wants to face that mountain when you run out of clothes to wear?
Fewer things on your kitchen counter means cleaning the counter is a snap - just give it a quick wipe with a washcloth and you’re done. No straightening things out, cleaning in between or under things, putting things away.

The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes. - Agatha Christie

Once you’ve achieved this, here are some options:

Weekly sweep. If you pick things up during the day and put them where they belong, the only thing your floor should need is a sweep, and perhaps an occasional mop if necessary. Once a week, my kids and my wife and I do a quick 30-minute cleaning — we divide the rooms and clean quickly. Sweeping the floors takes less than 10 minutes, and while I do that the younger kids dust the furniture. The kitchen, of course, needs sweeping a little more than that, but it takes like 5 minutes.
Robot cleaner. The Roomba Vacuuming Robot is something I’m thinking of trying out, and if the weekly sweeping or vacuuming doesn’t appeal to you, this might be a good option. It works best if you leave the floor decluttered, as mentioned above. Turn it on in the morning when you leave for work, and your floors stay clean.

Laundry
Several options work well for this task:

Weekly or bi-weekly. This is the option we choose. At the moment, we just take our loads to the laundromat, and get it all done in about 90 minutes. With the amount of loads we do, this saves a lot of time. Bring the loads home, fold and hang and put away. With all our kids helping, it doesn’t take long, and then the laundry’s done.
Once daily, with a twist. If doing all your laundry at once doesn’t appeal to you, consider this slightly expensive but environmentally friendly (and power and water friendly) option: the LG front-loading washer/dryer combo. No, it’s not a stackable washer and dryer. It’s a washer and dryer in one machine. That means you can toss in a load in the morning, and when you get back from work, it’ll be dry. Just fold and put away, and repeat the next time you need to do a load. Pretty slick.
Drop-off service. If you’re into outsourcing your work, this is a little more expensive, but it doesn’t get any easier. Many areas have laundry services where you can drop off your dirty laundry and pick it up at the end of the day, clean and folded.

Kitchen
A few points to make on the kitchen:

Clear counters. As with the floors, you should keep the counters clear. That means uncluttering it if you’ve got a bunch of gadgets. I’ve got a toaster and coffee-maker and nothing else. That makes it easy to wipe things down a couple times a day — takes about a minute.
Clean-as-you-go. Another point that’s key is to wash dishes and wipe up any messes, as you make them. Don’t let dishes pile up in the sink. Just wash them as soon as you’re done. Takes about a minute or two. If everyone in the house does this, there’s no need for a long time spent at the sink. Also, there are usually some pots and pans if you cook — take turns doing this. But be sure to clean as you cook, so that there isn’t a huge mess in the kitchen.
Weekly spruce-up. During our 30-minute cleaning session, not only do we sweep the floors, but we do a more thorough wipe-down of the rest of the kitchen. Doesn’t take long as we keep it pretty clean during the week.

Bathroom
The bathroom can get pretty gross if you let it. Here’s how to prevent that:

Clean-as-you-go. Same as the kitchen: when there’s dirt anywhere, clean it immediately. Again, it just takes a minute to wipe up a dirty bathroom sink, to give your toilet a quick swish-and-flush with the toilet brush, or to scrub the shower just before you shower yourself. And you don’t need to do these things every day — just when you see dirt. Dirt on the floor? Sweep it or wipe it — 2 minutes.
Bi-weekly cleaning. If you keep things clean in the bathroom on a daily basis, all you need to do is a quick once-over every other week or so. Do this during the 30-minute cleaning session, when necessary.

Kids Toys
We’ve got six kids. It’s impossible to keep things perfectly clean when six kids are in one house. But here’s what we do:

Regular decluttering. Every 3-6 months, we go through their closets to get rid of stuff they don’t play with anymore. The kids are used to this, and actually do a good job of helping: “I don’t use this anymore, Dad!” Keeping their rooms (relatively) decluttered is key to maintaining sanity. They still have lots of toys, but at least it’s just the stuff they actually play with.
Baskets. It’s important to have lots of baskets and other such containers. When it’s time to clean up, they can just toss the stuff in. No hassle. They also each have a set of three plastic drawers (their “cubbies”) that they can use to toss in their personal belongings.
Quick clean-ups. Throughout the day, messes are made, and we ask them to do a quick clean-up. It’ll be messy again in 10 minutes, but at least it’s a manageable mess. At the end of the day, the last clean-up lets us have some quiet time with a clean house. I will also go through the house from time-to-time and pick stuff up and throw them in baskets.

Yardwork
I’ve got a huge yard. You might not have the same problem. It’s nice for the kids to play in, but a hassle to maintain. A few options here:

Hire out. I finally gave in and hired a yard service, as I just don’t have the time or energy to keep the yard up by myself. I still do a few things when I can, but now the yard looks great with minimal effort. Again, think of it as outsourcing a non-core function — you can probably make more money doing something else (for me, it’s writing) than what it will cost to pay for the yard upkeep.
Minimal yard. If you’re not going to pay for yard upkeep, you’ll want to keep things minimal. That can be anywhere from having no yard, to living in a condo/apartment area where the yard is a common area and maintained by a contractor, to keeping a small yard with very few things in it. That means few plants (only ones that can maintain themselves) and no junk. The less you have in your yard, the better. Some people use a Zen-like rock or gravel garden instead of grass, which isn’t a bad option. Or, be a naturalist and let the grass go wild.
Robot mower. Friendly Robotics RoboMower. Haven’t tried this, but it looks super cool. Similar to the Roomba, but for your yard. Takes a bit of initial setup, but once you’re done … wow. If anyone has used this, let me know!

Cleanliness is next to impossible. - Author Unknown

If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us or on Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)

Spewed into the world on 28 January 2008 in Simplicity |
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Brilliant comments (134)

Nez Says:

January 28th, 2008, 21:15 pm

I really love your Clean-As-You-Go concept. It works especially well since my day is so filled with non-stop activity.

The deCluttering, now that’s an area I need to work on.

I’m always amazed when I visit someone who has a large, but really organized collections of stuff, e.g. model cars, action figures, dolls, and other toys, etc. in display cases even — the time and energy they must spend to keep the dust at bay.

Naomi Says:

January 28th, 2008, 21:28 pm

I personally really like hanging out washing to dry. There’s just something so satisfying about knowing the sun (and wind) are going to dry your clothes.

Tina Su - Think Simple Now Says:

January 28th, 2008, 21:31 pm

The Roomba Vacuuming Robot doesn’t work so well. I had one for awhile and ended up selling it. Particularly, it doesn’t do corners very well.

I like the meditate while you clean tip. It makes time pass by with much more joy.

Also, you mentioned outsourcing laundry. I discovered outsourcing a few years ago when I realized I was spending all my free time cleaning and doing house chores.

When I calculated how much my time was ‘worth’ (income divide by hours of work), it was clear that I was better off hiring someone to help me. We posted an ad on craig’s list listing specifically what we needed: cleaning all rooms, dog grooming, groceries and laundry. We found the perfect person for $15 a hour. She’s been with us for over a year now, and I have to tell you, yes, the cost adds up. But the quality of life we’ve gained as a result of not having to do these things surpassed the monetary cost.

Kerry Says:

January 28th, 2008, 21:35 pm

Who’s the authur of this article?

Crystal Says:

January 28th, 2008, 21:44 pm

Hi: I have to disagree with Tina Su on the Roomba. I have one…his name is Turtle (he’s green LOL) and once every few days, I turn him on and let him do his thing. He doesn’t replace a thorough floor cleaning but he picks up all the pet hair and dust. I keep a clean house and am AMAZED at the stuff in his “outbox” when he’s done. Best of all, I bought him used on Craig’s List for $45.

I’m also interested in checking out a Robomower with my next tax return! Same concept; but with the lawn!

David Says:

January 28th, 2008, 21:45 pm

Don’t forget to clean with non-toxic cleaners so you don’t lose your brain cells while cleaning! :-)

Leo Says:

January 28th, 2008, 21:51 pm

Thanks for your input guys — especially liked hearing feedback from Tina and Crystal — I guess everyone has different experiences.

@Kerry — I’m the author of this article — unless noted at the top of the article, I’m the author of all articles here. :)

Shiraz Says:

January 28th, 2008, 22:27 pm

Housework is my bane! I need to do a little bit at at a time, but conversely, it’s easy not do a little at a time, because I think, “It’s just one plate.” Next thing you know, I’ve got a tower of dishes like Scooby Doo or Looney Tunes…

Bob Says:

January 28th, 2008, 22:28 pm

As far as yards go, folks tend to spend waaay to much time and resource on lawns and things of that nature. My advice is to have a few focal points that you can invest some time in if you enjoy being outside, and then really plan for larger back drop type spaces that can just be more native plants and things that don’t require a lot of maintainence. Its good for wildlife, easy on your budget and since they’re usually well adapted to the climate, they’ll do better in drought or extreme weather situations.

I’ve been simplifying my wardrobe and room pretty significantly and my only draw back is my best shirts are now easier for my brothers to steal….

banji Says:

January 28th, 2008, 22:46 pm

Hopefully nobody is doing extreme decluttering, or else, we will not have anything to clean :)

The problem with decluttering (at least for me), is that almost everytime there are things that we like to have around. I am currently experimenting with one methods - HidingIt

Instead of getting rid of the stuff immediately, I actually have a box, a big box to put everything in. I believe if I can live without the item for a month or two, I can actually live without it period.

I know that this is double work, but I just have this connection with the things I bought from my hard earned money :)

But I guarantee you, those things thrown into the big box are almost always got rid eventually.

LessonInLife.com

Andrew Flusche Says:

January 28th, 2008, 22:55 pm

A winner, as always! I need to do some decluttering, but my wife likes having trinkets, doo-dads, and other stuff around. It’s a tough battle!

I’ve always wanted a Roomba, as well. Some friends have one, and they’ve had a great experience with it.

Shap Says:

January 28th, 2008, 23:10 pm

HUGE FAN!!!! This is my 1st post, but something I feel strongly about so I wanted to chime in. I agree with the clean as you go, I try to employ it as much as possible, but its hard to keep diligent.

As for the bathroom I wanted to add a few tips. I use as many automated processes in the bathroom as possible. I use the Automated Shower cleaner and an add-in toilet cleaner so that they do a majority of the work for me. Then all I have to do is wipe up any messes that come along. I’ve also added an air freshener that automatically goes off every so often, keeps things tidy and smelling great.

I almost bought a Roomba for my parents during the holidays, but they opted for a cleaning service. I was hoping to use them as a test bed, but I still think I want one.

Carol Says:

January 29th, 2008, 0:04 am

I had 2 Roombas, got the second because I loved the first. I had one upstairs and one downstairs. Have 3 cats and a dog and they picked up tons of fur and cleaned under beds and couches. Unfortunately they are both broken down and haven’t gotten around to sending them in to be fixed. One doesn’t go at all and the other just goes in small circles so I’m back to vacuuming by hand. The first lasted a couple years and the second about a year. Don’t know if this is typical. I did love them while they were working.

Charles Says:

January 29th, 2008, 0:22 am

I think the two biggest things to cutting down the time it takes to do house work and decluttering, and cleaning as you go.

I used to be the type that would let housework pile up until it would seem like an insurmountable task. When I finally got to cleaning it, it was pretty much because I couldn’t stand the filth.

When I decided to make a change, I realized that I was cleaning things that really had no value left to me. So I started getting rid of things that I don’t need. My life is made much simpler by this. I also dont do things like lose my keys, go searching for batteries, lose bills, etc.

I’ve found that I am a lot happier in a minimalist, clean home. The trick now is to get my wife to go minimal.

Teresa Says:

January 29th, 2008, 0:27 am

Leo - perfect timing! I’ve been tackling the house-cleaning problem, trying to find ways to simplify and save time. I’m considering everything, including just getting a housekeeper. But I live by myself in a fairly small place and am not sure a housekeeper is worth the cost yet.

I currently have a Roomba. I have all hard wood floors and the roomba works OK. It handles most big stuff, but as mentioned above is terrible in corners and along wall edges. It also has problems going from my hardwood floors to floor rugs, so I can’t let it run when I am at work. I have to babysit it. But it is a great cat toy!

I love the idea of meditating while cleaning. I do a lot of creative work and think I could spend the time exploring new ideas.

I also use the “clean as you go” philosophy, especially in the kitchen. My dad taught me to clean dishes in between cooking tasks, so that you don’t end up with a disastrous kitchen after cooking a meal.

I have also found that most of my messes are the result of being unorganized. I am trying to find a place for everything and keep everything in it’s place.

Wow, your post really nailed exactly what I’ve been thinking about this week.

Keep it up.

Suzie Cheel Says:

January 29th, 2008, 0:42 am

I love the mediating as you go. I am still working on my decluttering for January.

I am working towards Tina’s outsourcing. Have someone clean is a goal of mine this year.

I found a book Speed Cleaning suggests a simple way to get the cleaning done with less stress.
Thanks leo again for an inspiring article.

Rose Garden Says:

January 29th, 2008, 0:51 am

I try to clean as I go, but that means that there’s always something that needs to be done still… There’s nothing quite like having the whole place clean at once.

One more option - hire a housecleaner or maid service. If you generally pick up as you go, a thorough once-over once every two weeks is wonderful. Unless you’re you’re really on a tight budget, it’s well worth the expense for the amount of time you save that can be spent on other productive (or relaxing) things, and the emotional boost from coming home to a sparkling clean place. All you have to do is leave a check on the kitchen counter and a chocolate mint on your pillow :)

Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:

January 29th, 2008, 0:53 am

I love the idea of getting the family involved. It’s a great way to teach kids responsibility and spend some good time together. I’m sure it hardly feels like work when they’re around!

Working Girl Says:

January 29th, 2008, 0:59 am

Six kids? Maybe that’s why you’re so organized!

Seriously, Jack Canfield in his book says that one of the characteristics of a successful person is that he doesn’t have “little messes” around the house. Everything is orderly. The idea is that mess & disorganization drags you down, you think less clearly, and you get less done.

I think this is true but I still have little messes all over the place. Maybe someday. . . . .

Helen Says:

January 29th, 2008, 1:24 am

The combo washer might be energy-efficient, but you’d be much better off using an efficient washer and hanging out your laundry. Put a load on when you get up, hang it out before you leave the house, or if using an economy cycle, hang it when you get home.

Replace as much of your grass as possible with native shrubs, and only keep enough that you need to play on, and mow it with a push-mower if you can.

Being green isn’t necessarily simple. But it’s worth it.

Justin Says:

January 29th, 2008, 1:47 am

I’ve been using cleaning as meditation for a couple of years now and it works wonders for clearing the mind. Totally with you, there.

LivSimpl Says:

January 29th, 2008, 1:52 am

Leo - excellent post. I totally agree with the tidy-as-you-go philosophy. Of course, actually pulling it off is another thing all together. :)

A request: your description of your living room intrigued me. Would you mind posting a couple pictures of what it looks like?

Thanks for another great post!

chris Says:

January 29th, 2008, 1:52 am

“the yard looks great with minimal effort”?!. You hired somebody else to do it for you! Of course it took no effort on your part!
You should do that stuff yourself. Do you think Thoreau would have hired a Mexican?

chris Says:

January 29th, 2008, 1:54 am

I can’t believe you are calling yourself a minimalist and recommending an expensive bizarre robot mower at the same time. How wasteful.

Leo Says:

January 29th, 2008, 2:06 am

@Chris: Thanks for your alternative viewpoint! I think criticism is good, as it causes me to question what I do.

But I don’t think you realize the work I was putting in to keep my yard maintained. There was also the upkeep of my equipment, which kept breaking down. In the end, I made a difficult decision: hiring somebody was just much simpler for me. Money-wise, it was much smarter as well — with the hours I save by not doing yardwork, I can earn much more (like 5x what I pay my yard guy).

As for the bizarre robot mower … I didn’t recommend it, but said it’s an option. I read reviews of a number of people who actually use it and they seem to think it works great. You have to admit that a robot doing your yard is much simpler than doing it yourself. :)

chris Says:

January 29th, 2008, 2:18 am

The title of your blog is “Zen Habits”. A robotic lawn cutter has nothing to do with Zen or simplicity. Hiring out your yardwork has nothing to do with Zen or simplicity. Hoe your own beans.

Kristy Says:

January 29th, 2008, 2:23 am

Great tips as always!! Thanks, Leo!

I recently used the declutter concept with dishes, utensils, pots/pans, gadgets, etc. as you suggested with clothes.

I began by keeping only those things I knew I had to have in their normal location. All else went to an alternate location until needed. Anything used got put away in the normal location. At the end of my allotted time, I boxed up what was left (a lot!!!) in the alternate location and got rid of it.

No more extras to give me the option to procrastinate washing the dishes.

Israel Says:

January 29th, 2008, 2:27 am

I hate getting started, but once I start its on! Hours go by and I keep going.

Dave Hune Says:

January 29th, 2008, 2:41 am

I can really recommend getting a laundry machine and washing machine of your own (instead of for example the outsourcing) - it does wonders for decluttering, especially in the kitchen. If you have the space there’s no good excuse not to get it, and over time you save some money as well…

Leo Says:

January 29th, 2008, 3:06 am

@Chris: I think the confusion lies in different definitions of simplicity — and to be fair, this is a confusion that often comes up with the term “simplicity”. Maybe I should write a post about it sometime.

One definition of simplicity is that everything be as basic as possible. You do everything yourself, instead of using fancy gadgets or technology or relying on others. Thoreau counted himself in this camp, and you seem to as well. It’s perfectly valid, and it has a lot of appeal for me too.

Another definition, however, realizes that doing everything yourself has a cost of time and effort and complication. The ultimate simple life would be that of an old-fashioned farmer (not with all the new technology). However, if you’ve ever done this work, you know that a farmer has tons of tasks to do each day. This kind of simplicity can be complicated. So this second definition shoots for simplicity in what we need to do, rather than in the tools we use. I tend to mean this kind of simplicity when I write, but I switch between the two very often.

So simplicity in what we do, not in our tools: you can use computers, for example, but limit how many tasks you do on the computer. You can use gadgets in your home if they save you time and/or money, but not if they’re just expensive, complicate things, and clutter your home. You get the idea.

This article obviously refers to the second definition. If you’re looking for the first — where you have to build your own home, keep it clean with only a broom, boil your water with a wood fire, etc etc … I don’t feel qualified to write about that, as I haven’t lived it myself. Anyone who has is perfectly welcome to do a guest post about it — I’d love to read it!

Chef Says:

January 29th, 2008, 3:18 am

I have 2 roomba’s and 1 scooba. Here’s what I do:

Swiffer the corners, any dirt that’s hiding there gets kicked out, then I run the roombas. Buy an extra battery for those rooms like my basement where roomba will run for longer periods, just listen for the song, change the battery, move the ‘divider’ and let her rip. Once a month I do a ‘big’ vacuuming, with an upright. VERY efficient.

Then the scooba does the floor washing. Again, wet swiffer the corners, then scooba does his thing.

Love them.

Chef Says:

January 29th, 2008, 3:21 am

Oh and ‘clean as you go’ is one of the first things drilled into your head in a restaurant kitchen and your sani classes in culinary.

It’s such a comforting thing to see a clean environment.

Trainingstagebuch Says:

January 29th, 2008, 3:54 am

Really greate article. Thank you!

Greetings
Nils

Vanessa Says:

January 29th, 2008, 4:25 am

Re: Roombas. I’ve been looking into these and the general consensus seems to be that the new models (560 and the like) are more powerful, more reliable and clean corners really well. All the problems that the previous models had have been fixed, apparently.

I’m getting one myself, so we’ll see!

Chris Regnery Says:

January 29th, 2008, 4:59 am

Some great routines here, Leo. Still following the minimalist approach, I see. I think it’s time you come join us complex folks, what with our complex routines and even more complex issues!

All kidding aside, I think this could really help me. I currently am using the FlyLady routines, but I think these two could be incorporated into one another.

ZenLady, anyone?

Much Love,
Chris Regnery
Grow Smarter, Grow Faster, GrowStronger.com!

Kerry Says:

January 29th, 2008, 5:19 am

Leo,

I didn’t know you were a neat freak which is why I didn’t know who the author was. But makes sense now.

unstuffed Says:

January 29th, 2008, 7:13 am

If you’ve got hard floors, a dust mop is the way to go. A broom tends to just blow the dust (and pet hair) around, whereas a dust mop snags it all. Yes, you still need to sweep/vacuum occasionally, to get the bits of grit and stuff, but the dust mop picks up 80-90% of the fluff, and in about half the time. Goes under the couch, too, and beside and behind stuff.

I inherited mine from my grandmother, but they’re making new ones as well: companies like Enjo, I think, and those that make the amazingly useful cleaning cloths.

Which brings me to another point: I don’t use chemicals for anything except dishes and laundry, everything else is done just with water (occasionally bicarb and vinegar in the bathroom). The new microfibre cloths clean astonishingly well, and means I don’t have to worry about nasty chemicals (and it’s cheaper too).

I keep one of the fluffy cloths in the bathroom, and while I’m brushing my teeth I give the basin a quick swipe. That, combined with a pair of loofah gloves to swoosh around the shower before I get out, keeps the bathroom pretty good all the time.

I don’t dry hair, dishes or laundry, though: air does that fine. I don’t believe in doing any job that will do itself. ;-)

Jonaz Says:

January 29th, 2008, 7:15 am

Great post, as usual! Cleaning the house and keeping it in some kind of order is always a challenge…

As a Swede and wanting to make boring chores more fune, who’s this for cleaning the floor the Pippi Longstocking way! ;-)

unclutterer.com: Cleaning your floors without effort … that is, if you don’t break your neck … | Slipper Genies

PS. Has something happened with your blog template? In Safari I get a feedburner link all over the page (except where there are other links). Had to use Firefox to post this. In the source it looks as if a a href closing tag is missing. Haven’t had that problem before.

Laura Leigh Says:

January 29th, 2008, 8:37 am

Hi! New reader here. I am totally addicted to your blog now. . .I can’t stop digging through the archives. Keep up the good work! Thanks!

Michael Says:

January 29th, 2008, 8:45 am

With the laundry, I usually fill the washing machine, add the powder,etc and set it all to wash overnight so that when I get up in the morning its all done and ready to be put out on the line. Also would take advantage of off-peak electricity as well for the frugally minded =)
Also congrats on the book deal Leo.

Tim Says:

January 29th, 2008, 8:53 am

I listen to audio books while cleaning and that puts me in a zone so the cleaning goes fast. It reminds me of two old zen sayings.

The first is:
Do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done and nothing is left undone. (Or as we say clean as you go)

The second is:
Each task is the most important task for you to do at the time.

This one is the key. I have used a house cleaning service in the past because I thought it would save me time and it was nice but the simple fact was that I did not clean the way they did and that is why it took me so long. Once I learned to clean their way, I cut my cleaning time in half.

I try to remind myself that it is the journey and not the result that I seek. Instead of trying to have more time to do the things I want to do, I try to want to do the things I am doing with my time.

Great Post.

Sam Crockett Says:

January 29th, 2008, 9:03 am

Leo, thanks for the great tips. I’ll have to implement some of them into my weekly cleaning routine. As for the Roomba, I recently purchased the 530 model and so far it’s done a great job of cleaning. I was actually surprised how well it went around furniture that sticks out from the wall. It has been a great help picking up all the dog and cat hair in our house, even though it sometimes seems there is more pet hair stuck to the outside of the white Roomba than there is inside it. I still suggest doing more research on the Roomba before you decide if it’s right for you.

Nik Says:

January 29th, 2008, 9:09 am

My secret weapon is my mp3 player. While my girlfriend was away doing a semester abroad, I would download the latest episodes of my favorite podcasts and get going around the house!

There’s a wealth of great stuff to listen to in the podcasting universe so once or twice I even caught myself finding extra household chores so that I could finish a show I was excited about.

This approach could be surprisingly productive in unexpected ways. Armed with my newly-acquired knowledge about new media, I taught a workshop on the topic and was paid more than a 100 euros per hour for teaching something I’d learned mostly while having fun vacuuming, mopping, and doing the laundry once a week!

Kekilia Says:

January 29th, 2008, 9:34 am

I love your blog, but, honestly, I didn’t like this picture of the woman sticking her tongue out. It doesn’t inspire me in any way. I respect all cultural aspects of doing that (if there are any in some countries) but I’d rather see a picture of something zen, clean, more inspiring.

Frugal Dad Says:

January 29th, 2008, 9:35 am

I love the idea of a robot mower! In the summer it gets up to 110 degrees with the heat index and makes mowing the lawn downright life threatening! Mornings aren’t much bettter - step outside at 8:00am and it’s already 83 degrees with 70% humidity. What I wouldn’t give for a robot to do my grass cutting!

Morgan Aldridge Says:

January 29th, 2008, 9:46 am

@Venessa, Leo, Crystal, Tina Su: I purchased a Roomba 360 for us during the holidays and it’s been working out very well. Our vacuum had been on a slow decline and so we switched to sweeping the apartment which, unfortunately, stirred up a ton of dust and further aggravated our allergies.

As Crystal mentioned, we’re always amazed at how much dust and dirt it picks up every day, even though we sometimes run it multiple times a day. We have cats and it manages to get all the hair out of the rug and specs of litter they somehow track everywhere.

Unfortunately, it seems that whenever we schedule it to run when we’re out (we bought the 560 for that feature), it seems to get stuck on something. However, when we’re around it never fails to clean the three rooms and return to its charging base. C’est la vie. For that reason the lesser 500 series Roomba (the 530?) is probably more than adequate.

It’s very well designed and a breeze to clean out to keep it cleaning best. Nothing like attacking a regular vacuum’s brush rollers with scissors to get out human & pet hair. Ugh.

The best part is that it allows us to do other tasks (cook dinner, wash dishes, fold laundry, etc.) while it does its thing. An additional side effect is that we have to keep floors and furniture better cleared so it can do its job.

David Giesberg Says:

January 29th, 2008, 9:57 am

Roombas are great, I got the basic Roomba (Red?) refurbished off of Amazon a while back and it was fantastic for cleaning. Unfortunately, once we got a dog that shed a lot of hair often, the Roomba couldn’t keep up. It seemed like it would vacuum for 5 minutes and then be full of dog hair.

I would like to get another Roomba, I just have to be ready to plop down the cash for a beefier Roomba.

karry Says:

January 29th, 2008, 10:25 am

I totally agree with Chef! We have 2 Roombas and a Scooba to help with keeping up the floors. A quick swipe with a microfiber dust cloth 1-2 times a week for those impossible corners and the house looks great even with 3 dogs that have 24/7 access to our backyard via the doggy door!

@carol - the one that goes in circles probably needs its sensors cleaned

@Leo & Frugal Dad - I have the Robomower. LOVE IT. Hubby, Robomower (we named ours Junior), and I can have the lawn mowed, edged, weed-whacked, and bushes trimmed in an hour. However, it is a pain to set up the first time. Plan on blowing a day to do it. But boy-howdy, once it’s done, it’s great!

Dot Hage Says:

January 29th, 2008, 10:36 am

I’m also a former Roomba user. At first it was a lot of fun watching it vacuum and beep its little signals as it went along. Just the idea, for a geeky person like me, of having a robot helper was so appealing, and the design was cute. I named mine as well.

The first thing I noticed was that it was pretty noisy. As advertised it did redirect itself when it bumped into anything, but it would bump its rubber bumper really hard into the furniture or the baseboard, making a lot of thumping.

I soon tired of emptying the tiny little dirt collector, which held maybe 1/4 cup or less. Just look at the size of the Roomba and think “there’s a motor, a vacuum nozzle, a sweeping brush, wheels and a dirt collector in there,” and you’ll realize there’s no room for much.

Besides the dirt receptable, there was a dust collector, a filter, and the brush roller that had to be cleaned every time I used it. There were times when I spent more time cleaning the Roomba than I would have spent vacuuming.

The Roomba didn’t handle dog hair well or clean well for my taste — it had pretty weak suction. The brush would get hopelessly tangled up with dog hair and stop revolving, and I’d have to cut the hair out because it was in there so tight. Also, sometimes the Roomba got stuck in places where it couldn’t seem to get out. And ultimately, it broke down and would only run in circles.

It’s been a number of years since the first Roomba came out, and hopefully a lot of design changes have been made to eliminate some of these problems. Still, it’s definitely a good idea to test one first, if possible.

Korinthe Says:

January 29th, 2008, 11:11 am

Lots of great tips here. Thanks for doing this post!

I have one to add: Keep a bottle of cheap shampoo (without conditioners) and a nylon net sponge in the bathtub or shower. Once a week, scrub down the tub with a dollop of shampoo. I do mine when I’ve just shaved my legs, in between the bathwater part and the shower part. It takes care of ring-around-the-tub immediately; it’s gentle enough to use in your birthday suit; best of all, it means we go longer between uses of bleach or other harsh chemicals, which aren’t great for our septic. (I find a little bleach once in a while is necessary to keep mildew at bay. Once every 4-6 weeks or so.)

When we had a shower stall, I got in the habit of cleaning 1 wall with shampoo during every shower. Only takes 30 seconds, and the shower is clean and shiny all the time.

seb Says:

January 29th, 2008, 11:16 am

The following simple tip saves you another 5-10 minutes in the laundry:

Get rid of your current socks and buy 14 new pairs of the same item. You never have to sort them again after laundry. You basically can put them in a box, and you’ll always wear a matching pair of socks. I encourage you to buy a few spare pairs, as you’re loosing them overtime and you most probably won’t find the same ones again.

junebug Says:

January 29th, 2008, 11:19 am

I agree with meditating while doing housework. I often find myself cleaning up whenever I feel stressed out. I suppose it allows me to put a sense of order and control in my life. Andrew Weil confesses that he always offered to do dishes when invited to dinner so that he can do breathing excercises and meditate.

As for the Roomba I think I will wait until my kids are a little bit bigger. They seem to think those are toys that are meant to be picked up and turned over. Besides, they already think that the Swiffer is so fun to use.

dokidok Says:

January 29th, 2008, 12:00 pm

I like Tina’s idea. If you make $30 per hour, you can go to work (or work at home) and pay $15 to somebody to do the cleaning for you. You still make $15, but you do the job you like.

Bob Says:

January 29th, 2008, 12:10 pm

I bought a Roomba for my significant-other for Christmas (it was on her Santa list). Her reaction was soooo over the top you would have thought I bought her an engagement ring! She LOVES it and has named it Magic. I hear everyday how wonderful it is that she no longer has to vacuum. Doesn’t work quite as well as a full vacuum cleaner, but well worth the investment.

Lottie Says:

January 29th, 2008, 13:20 pm

Thanks for another excellent article. I try to live by the “clean as you go” approach but I’ve had trouble teaching that to my partner. Another obvious rule is that any postal mail received gets attended to immediately. Junk mail gets recycled as soon as it arrives, bills get filed where they belong, etc.

I have a roomba and a scooba. Although I’ve had some trouble with the scooba, I think both products are great and make short work of cleaning. Swiffering the corners takes no time at all.

Rae Says:

January 29th, 2008, 13:48 pm

I was reading this guide, and was so inspired that I hopped up to pick up some dog toys in the living room, cracked my head on the wall mounted bookcase, and bled all over the IKEA chair! Any minimalist tips for getting a bloodstain out of upholstery? ;)

sanjai Says:

January 29th, 2008, 14:20 pm

I hate cleaning, its a tough job in the world to do…

Sue Says:

January 29th, 2008, 15:29 pm

Thanks Leo, I really needed this inspiration today as cleaning is something I’ve been struggling with.

I do agree that one of the greatest challenges for is the fact that I have so much stuff. Even if I start cleaning, I very quickly get overwhelmed because I have to move stuff in order to clean.

I also wanted to give some feedback on the LG combo washer/dryer. I have had one for a couple of years and it is WONDERFUL. Not only is it a much more earth friendly way to do laundry, but it can make it more manageable. It does require a complete shift in how you view the laundry process. Since it takes a long time to wash and dry a load (between 3-4 hrs for most loads), it does not work for doing multiple loads of laundry in one day. Rather, as you suggest Leo, you can do laundry several times during the course of the week.

Its very quiet, so sometimes I program a load to run in the wee hours of the morning. When I wake up, it takes only a few minutes to unload it. Before I got this machine I used to do all my laundry in one day at the laundromat, so I would often have 4 or 5 loads to do. Now I do 3 or 4 loads throughout the course of the week and its not so overwhelming. No more “laundry day” dread!

Daniel Says:

January 29th, 2008, 15:46 pm

Some nice tips, but i think sometimes you confound simplicity with rashness. A dryer, a vacuuming robot (OK, nice amazon affiliate) or to rinse off every dish individually is neither environmental friendly nor zen.

Beth Says:

January 29th, 2008, 15:53 pm

KC & The Sunshine Band’s Greatest Hits: best motivational music for cleaning ever…

blogrdoc Says:

January 29th, 2008, 16:32 pm

Funny that you mention this. I’ve been meditating while cleaning for years. My job requires me to stand and wait for extended periods of time and I usually meditate during this time as well. I am careful not to zone out though.

I happen to find washing dishes *extremely* theraputic and relaxing. I use warm water and don’t put any gloves on. I fill the sink ~1/3 full and let it get soapy. To fully describe the process would be an entire blogpost, which I will give at some point. Great post!

Trog Says:

January 29th, 2008, 16:33 pm

At my house we do what we refer to as a “commando clean.”

No, not doing it without underwear. =P

We set a timer for, say, 15 minutes and we all do a race to pick up as many things as possible before time runs out. No matter how messy the house can get it looks a TON better after those 15 minutes. I make sure to praise my boys for doing a good job if they’ve done a lot. Which help encourage repeat performances.

Another way that seems to work for my kids is to have a competition. See who can pick up the most things (works very well for big messes of small things like Legos and such). Usually this is confined to their room while the rest of the house is done by the adults. Everyone gets the same reward in the end but with competitive siblings oftentimes bragging rights is reward enough.

And I gotta agree with you Leo, there is nothing like a nice clutter free counter top to make kitchen cleaning a breeze.

Now if I can only save up for a Roomba…

John Says:

January 29th, 2008, 17:05 pm

We have a Roomba 560 and LOVE it. We have hard wood and rugs and it doesn’t have a problem at all going from one to the other. It’s quiter than any upright we’ve ever owned. It cleans corners and edges extremely well, better than us sweeping. It even works better than our $300 upright. Seriously, it picks up more dirt than our Hoover ever did. Our only complaint is that one of the arms on the edger broke off, but iRobot sent a replacement free of charge. And the cleaning takes less than a minute, much less time than actually vacuuming yourself. HIGHLY recommended.

Double Danger Says:

January 29th, 2008, 17:08 pm

I definitely clean as I go as far as the kitchen goes. Helps out big time. I usually run home at lunch and have a quick bite and spend that time loading prewashed dishes in the dishwasher, switching a few loads of clothes out and decluttering if ness. Helps out BIG TIME.

Good tips.

Robbin Says:

January 29th, 2008, 17:27 pm

My greatest house cleaning tool is my Palm Pilot (actually that is the one thing that has simplified my life the most, too, but that’s a longer reply! :-)

A long time ago I discovered a free program called “Handy Shopper” (http://www.ggaub.com/hs/) It is so much more than just a shopping list. All of my lists that used to be on post it notes, bits of paper, etc. are now on my Palm. This includes my Cleaning list. Although I do my best to clean as I go (and am saving up for a Roomba, I have the Dirt Dog which keeps my basement and garage floors clean, and I love it!), I have additional things listed in my Palm by day of the week (for weekly tasks), week of the month (for monthly tasks like changing the air filter in the furnace) and month (for those things that need to be done quarterly or annually like cleaning windows and screens). This ensures that everything gets done and I’m not overwhelmed with everything at once. I downloaded a cleaning list from the HS group site, then tweaked it for what needs to be done around my house, grouped things to suit my schedule, and it works great!

The program lets me check things off as they are done and then clear the checkmarks at the end of the week, month, quarter or year (as appropriate). It also keeps the date of the last time an item was done - very useful for things like the air filter :-)

As always, a very useful post - and comments!!!
Robbin

Robbin

Attention Zen Habits People Says:

January 29th, 2008, 17:35 pm

Hi Zens,

Just wondering if you know how your site looks in Firefox? It’s pretty much unreadable. With approximately 40% of all internet users browsing with Firefox instead of Internet Explorer (Source: http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp) It seems a shame to exclude them (I’m one!) You have such a great site, if you could look into making it Firefox friendly (which is arguably meeting more web standards than Internet Explorer) - that would be appreciated.

And of course I mean arguably in a zen kind of way.

Leo Says:

January 29th, 2008, 17:38 pm

@Attention: I use Firefox exclusively, and it looks good to me. I know my designer was making changes yesterday, so there might be some kinks — in fact, I would suggest you force refresh your browser so that the cache is cleared. If it still doesn’t look good, let me know specifically what problems you’re seeing — I’d appreciate it!

John Says:

January 29th, 2008, 17:57 pm

Leo, it looked fine last night on Firefox. (using IE right now)

Stephanie Says:

January 29th, 2008, 18:55 pm

Unfortunately, not everyone has the same idea of a “zen” yard. I remember an article written in my local newspaper about a lady who was trying to xeriscape her yard so that it took care of itself and was environmentally friendly. Well she lived in a neighborhood that loves their huge manicured bermuda grass yards. Her neighbors called in all kinds of complaints to the city that her yard was full of weeds. It is sad that some folks like to squash the zen spirit that lives in others.

http://www.nctcog.org/envir/SEEclean/stormwater/resources/Landscape/Documents/Ground_for_debate.pdf

Collis Says:

January 29th, 2008, 19:06 pm

@Attention Guy:

Sorry about that, that’s me making changes to the site (actually to fix it for IE6 :-(

Anyhow if you force refresh as Leo says you should find the site looks OK again.

And for anyone who had been reading the site on IE6, sorry about the lack of sidebar for so long :-D

grace Says:

January 29th, 2008, 19:16 pm

Leo
How big is your yard? Don’t you have a couple of kids in the double digits? Why not employ them to do the yard? A reel mower is great for a small lawn and doesn’t need much maintenance. A great excercise and green.

David Morning Says:

January 29th, 2008, 19:20 pm

Leo: Don’t worry about Attention, your site looks fine in both IE and Firefox (IE tab is a wonderful tool for web design :D)

In fact, if you take a look at the source code, you’ll see that your designer has coded your site to have two seperate style sheets. One for Explorer (which has major issues with CSS) and one for other browsers such as Firefox (which stick more to the web standards).

So kudos to your designer for making sure the site is equally compatable with both of the dominant browsers on the net, even if the code necessary isn’t exactly zen ;)

grace Says:

January 29th, 2008, 19:26 pm

My husband plans on upgrading our internet from dial up to high speed. It occured to me that I do much of my cleaning and decluttering in spurts while I’m waiting for my computer to download. OH NO! How will I get my chores done now?

Charlie Says:

January 29th, 2008, 19:44 pm

I like this guide, Leo. Simplicity is a great value that people sometimes forget to implement into their lives.
Keep up the good work,
Chaz

http://ich4z.blogspot.com

Steve Z Says:

January 29th, 2008, 20:30 pm

Rather than setting your laundry up to run during the day while you’re at work, consider doing it at night while you sleep, it is better from an energy consumption standpoint.

If you need to outsource your cleaning work to someone else, you are not living a minimalist life. Every able bodied person should be able to clean up after themselves. Live within your means.

Leo Says:

January 29th, 2008, 20:45 pm

@grace: lol! I often have to unplug my internet connection to get stuff done. :)

Jason Says:

January 29th, 2008, 20:51 pm

I also like the idea of meditation while you clean. I actually rather enjoy the act of cleaning and organizing… even more so once there’s a substantial mess to clean.

I guess I’m weird in that I don’t clean at all as I go because I like there being a mess to clean up when I do.

Henry Birdseye Says:

January 29th, 2008, 20:58 pm

These are great tips.

I have a Roomba and a Scooba, the floor washer. I love the Roomba most. Now that the floors are mostly decluttered, the Roomba runs a couple times a week.

I like the Scooba, but not as much as the Roomba. I’m a single guy and hate to clean, so any automation is welcome.

JJ Pagac Says:

January 29th, 2008, 21:02 pm

I really suggest getting the roomba. We got both a roomba and a scooba. Both amazing products. Make sure you get a programable one!

Nebberz Says:

January 29th, 2008, 21:30 pm

My girlfriend and I are trying the clean as we go method, but that is just difficult when so many times it’s so much easier to just grab another plate, or bowl, or glass, or silverware instead of washing the dishes.

In an attempt to fix this habit, we have hidden most extras we own and are leaving out only what we will use one meal. If we want to use them again, we have no other choice but to wash them. So far it seems to be working but we will see.

Nebberz Says:

January 29th, 2008, 21:33 pm

oops…forgot to mention. I also agree that the roomba comes in handy. I got a brand new one still in original box, original batteries were still sealed for $5 bucks at a garage sale. She said she didn’t know how to set it up.

We named it slacker sucker…because it vacuums for a couple of slackers, and it really has helped many times in keeping up with the vacuuming. It does not replace manual vacuuming but it does cut down on the number of times you’ll have to do it yourself. It is pretty surprising how much they’ll pick up.

Randomguru Says:

January 29th, 2008, 21:42 pm

Great post! I have a big yard too but no gardener wants to touch it without charging me an astronomical fee. So, I’ll take your advice about meditating while working when i go out into the garden. :)

Jon Says:

January 29th, 2008, 22:04 pm

I disagree with Kekilia, who’s apparently foreign, and therefore wrong.
When I saw the picture, I thought, “Wow. If she has personality, I’d keep that for a wife.” Maybe it’s just the idea of a pretty girl doing dishes and having fun with it. Cause that’s a pretty hot idea.

Lise Says:

January 29th, 2008, 22:28 pm

Decluttering is defintely the way to go, but clean-as-you-go is so much up to your personality. I’m been see-sawing on that one for years! I’m a neat freak for a month, an oink for 3, repeat as many times as you wish.

My tricks:
- defiintely a housekeeper every 2 weeks for the bigger chores — full vacuum vs. my daily sweeps, washing floors, etc. I hire students - cheap, eager, and renewable.

- I schedule chores in my agenda. If I’ve scheduled it, I will do it. Laundry? Sunday nights between 6 and 9. Groceries? Online every Wednesday night for friday a.m. delivery. etc. etc.

- I’ve gotten really, really good at chucking things out. I keep a big green garbage bag in my bedroom closet in which I throw anything and everything that’s done with. When it’s full, it’s off to Goodwill, or value village, or whatever. They will recycle what’s not usable, so no guilt in thowring in torn sheets, for example. They get shredded and become bedding stuffing! Just make sure you wash everything first or you will get moths and other yucky bugs.

Cesar Martinez Says:

January 29th, 2008, 22:46 pm

Very interesting your blog about cleaning

Serena Says:

January 29th, 2008, 22:51 pm

@Steve Z:
Did you read the article? He is clearly living within his means: “think of it as outsourcing a non-core function — you can probably make more money doing something else (for me, it’s writing) than what it will cost to pay for the yard upkeep.”

That means he is actually saving money by hiring out rather than doing it himself!

Nikki Says:

January 29th, 2008, 23:22 pm

hey, just so you know, the roomba isn’t all that great. if you have small rooms, they are good, but you have to be sure that there are NO rugs in the room. My roomba couldnt handle even the flattest of rugs in the house and would only clean the same spot over and over again until the batteries died….

Tomas Says:

January 29th, 2008, 23:35 pm

My wife does most of the real cleaning, but I take care of the baby while she does it. Its here form of meditation.
http://www.spymac.com/details/?2331523

John Says:

January 29th, 2008, 23:35 pm

@Nikki: That’s simply not true. I have two rugs in large and small rooms and the Roomba does absolutely great with them.

john Says:

January 29th, 2008, 23:39 pm

I must disagree with any negative Roomba comments. True, the very first models weren’t all that hot, but if you bought one in the last two years, they work pretty well. And the newest models are ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE (yes, I am shouting). If you have lots of fringe rugs or stuff on your floor, maybe they aren’t for you, but a Roomba is something I now refuse to live without.

Nick Says:

January 29th, 2008, 23:59 pm

Nice tips, really helpful. The only chores I really hate is laundry. Everything else is fine. Heck, I prefer mopping to sweeping.

CJ Says:

January 30th, 2008, 0:09 am

Anybody have any tips for living with family members who don’t “clean as they go” and love living among the clutter? I’m beginning to wonder if it’s better and more zen to lower my standards than try to raise theirs…

Iris Gross Says:

January 30th, 2008, 0:11 am

Roombas seem very lazy to me. If people are infirm or have physical disabilites that keep them from using a vacuum cleaner or a broom, that’s one thing. But Americans don’t get enough exercise as it is. Why pay money to a gym when there is housework?! If people would quit letting machines do all their work for them, they’d get a decent workout.

But that’s only my opinion. If a person is bound to enjoy the robot, at least don’t buy it retail. Buy one from someone who hated theirs.

S.P. Gass Says:

January 30th, 2008, 2:03 am

An interesting article… I especially like the tips in the article about having fewer things on the kitchen counters and fewer clothes.

CJ Says:

January 30th, 2008, 2:28 am

I forgot to mention in my post a tip I use with my children - weekly “black bag”. All weekly chores done by 430PM Sunday. At 5PM I walk through the house with an empty 32 gallon black bag. Anything like shoes, hairbrushes, make-up, pencils, last week’s clutter of any kind I put in the black bag, That means those items are no longer valuable to my children but I give it a week and put the black bag in an empty 32 gallon plastic trash can in the garage and it gets locked. Yes, even homework kleft-out goes in it. Next week I open it at 4PM and dump it in the middle of the hallway. They have a half hour to pick through what they want to reconsider as valuable and put it away. Anything remaining they take with me to Goodwill on Monday. Meanwhile I get a new black bag and repeat the exercise. I save a weeks worth of nagging and they are more proactive at cleaning up,

n00dle Says:

January 30th, 2008, 2:36 am

ok, … how can u call yourself a minimalist when you are willing to wipe down your counter several times a day? Don’t you run errands? Pick up mcdonalds on the way home. Or better yet if your stuck in traffic call the pizza place and have that stuff waiting for you when you get home. There is no reason to have a counter so dirty that it REQUIRES being wiped down more than once a week. Find a way to feel productive, like spreading out your errands, then eliminate the cleanup to almost nothing. Let someone else do your mess making and cleanup. Eat out! Buy fast food. And no, all fast food is not necessarily bad, consider subway or a gyro shop. My point is how can someone who apparently WANTS to wipe down their counter an unnecessary amount of times claim to be a minimalist and offer advice on it? And here is a tip; if you live in a dry climate, like colorado or kansas, consider leaving a bag of chips open and upright next to your chair(which i assume has a table next to it) this will make your life so much easier. Trust me.

Balfour Says:

January 30th, 2008, 7:25 am

Carol - I too LOVED my roomba (as did the cat) until it stopped working right and I never could figure out what to do. There were a bunch of things to try before you called them, they didn’t seem to work, and then….but it’s been under the bed for quite a long while now. I bought it in 2005 and had a lot of Amazon rewards towards it, so I didn’t spend that much. “Slacker sucker” is a great term — my place was much cleaner by running this more often than the vacuum and then doing a deeper clean with the upright periodically. The upright actually hurts my hands (hand condition). It’s wonderful to hear that the newer models are so much improved, since I already loved this older version. I’m all for the scooba too, since I detest floor washing and have a long hallway in addition to kitchen and bath that is tiled, which I never get around to washing. I’ll wait for the price to come down, improvements to be made, and my Amazon rewards to pile up before I consider it.

Attention Zen Habits People (/Leo) Says:

January 30th, 2008, 9:25 am

I use Firefox 2.0.0.11. Maybe try it on this. Then again, perhaps I’ve obscured the design settings if I adblocked one or two ads I didn’t wish to partake in / if they were flashing. Though I don’t know if there are any flashing ads on this site.

Attention Zen Habits People (/Leo) Says:

January 30th, 2008, 9:30 am

(Yes, I cleared my cache. Have used bandwidth quota for month, internet connection running like a dog until the 1st of the month, I’ll post a screenshot then) Ta.

David Says:

January 30th, 2008, 9:52 am

I’m running the same thing you are, Firefox 2.0.0.11 with adblocker. The only ads on the page are the three graphics underneath the “Browse” category (Rockstar freelancer, David B Bhol and Abitizer). Tried it on a couple of resolutions and they all seem to be working fine too, smaller resolutions cut off the right hand side so you have to scroll there, but the text is left intact.

It might be that the slower bandwidth is making it difficult for your computer to load the CSS properly, I’ve seen that happen occasionally. Might want to check again when the connection is back up to spec

creativelyselfemployed.com Says:

January 30th, 2008, 10:25 am

I do a lot of cleaning as I go, but I am not sure how to meditate while I clean. I guess if you get good at it, it’s easier, eh?

Cal Says:

January 30th, 2008, 11:23 am

@Naomi: I would love to hang clothes out to dry as well. However I’ve found that clothes that I put out on the line always come off the line a bit more crisp that I prefer, attributing this to the lack of fabric softener that the dryer gives (with dryer sheets). Any tips on reducing that ‘left out on the line’ feeling?

MJB Says:

January 30th, 2008, 13:07 pm

I would love to see relative energy costs on Roombas vs. other types of vacuums, as I only have a Eureka dustbuster-on-a-stick.

I also know that, as a person who has lived alone during four months of walking pneumonia, and who goes through periods of depression (including lethargy, anhedonia, loss of appetite, etc., long before I get bad enough to start harming myself), it is so important to make housework simple, and to scale back when things aren’t going well. I make different environmental choices when in “survival mode” than when I’m feeling confident and happy, so I try not to be too hard on myself for occasionally using convenience foods, putting off laundry and shopping, using disposable dishes, etc., to get through tough times.

It is when things are good that you can set up the knowledge (oh, here’s a healthy, easy-prep recipe that doesn’t require shopping), resources (talk to landlord about getting a dishwasher), and habits (toilet only needs an occasional swish) that will get you through a rough patch. Or as it sometimes helps me to say, “life is rough–so sand it.”

Trixi Says:

January 30th, 2008, 13:38 pm

@ Cal ~

two possibilities to try:

1) use liquid fabric softener in the washer instead of relying on dryer sheets ~ Downy makes a softener dispenser ball that you toss in at the start of the load. It works very well, and you don’t have to add it during the rinse cycle ~ it uses the centrifugal effect of the spin cycle to open, then the softener mixes with the rise water during the rinse cycle. ( Ingenious little device ~ gotta love the practical application of physics!)

2) add an extra step to your laundry ~ after you take it off the line, toss it all in the dryer on air with a dryer sheet (or half a sheet) or one of those plastic ball things that reduces static. Yes, you’re still using the dryer, but far less, and without adding drying heat. I often do this due not merely for the stiffness factor, to pollen and allergy issues in the spring ~ during which we get glorious line-drying days, but also a heaping dose of fine yellow tree pollen! Using a 10 - 15 minute fluff/air cycle in the dryer allows the filter to trap much of that, as well as reducing the stiffness of air-drying.

Ernesto Says:

January 30th, 2008, 15:28 pm

The problem with your article is many tips don’t tell you how to simplify, they simply say to throw money at the problem by hiring someone else to do it.

That’s the minimalist’s guide to writing an article, not the minimalist’s guide to housework.

John Says:

January 30th, 2008, 15:30 pm

Sometimes the minimalists method is to throw money at it. There’s nothing wrong with that if there is money in the budget for it. Plus, it helps someone else at the same time (they’re making money).

Don Vaillancourt Says:

January 30th, 2008, 16:45 pm

Well it’s about time. With me, I have the time to do my cleaning. But my brain is just too exhausted to think of doing it and figure out what to clean first and get organized.

So glad I had someone else think it through for me.

Cammy Bean Says:

January 30th, 2008, 18:11 pm

On the yardwork front — in the summer we let most of our yard go wild. Less noise, less fumes, less money, more butterflies and bugs, more flowers, way less effort.

Harmony Says:

January 30th, 2008, 20:10 pm

Another great post Leo, thank you :)!!

Could I please ask one question - when you say you do your dishes as you go how exactly do you do that?

Like do you just run the dishes under very hot water to sanitize them, or do you fill up the sink a little with hot water and suds and give them a swoosh and a rinse then empty the sink?

I ask because I’d love to implement this idea myself since I hate dishes at the end of the day but I’m not sure how to go about it…?

Thanks again :)!!

dave Says:

January 30th, 2008, 22:00 pm

I find a desperate chik that needs to feel needed, i treat her like crap, and in return for me not leaving her, she cleans my house.

Problem solved.

CD Says:

January 30th, 2008, 23:12 pm

I have three kids, and the main messes I found myself cleaning up were markers, blocks, legos, and sets of toys. With the markers, I found that the kids are just as happy with 5 markers as 50. So, when the markers bucket gets dumped (everyday), there’s just 5 markers to worry about when putting things up. I’ve also discovered topless markers called “twistables”. With twistables, I don’t have to find the stupid orange top that goes with the orange marker The same goes for crayons. Just give the kids 5 crayons, not 100. They’ll color more when their play table looks welcoming and their crayons are well maintained or their markers aren’t dried up. With blocks, I get my kids to help clean it up, and the task goes 100 times faster. But the best sanity keeper is just getting out of the house and going to a playground or just taking a walk around the outside of a shopping center. After a daily cleaning, I make sure everyone gets out for fun, and it keeps the house clean and my mind freed from house bondage. You can’t mess up a church or park playground.

john Says:

January 31st, 2008, 1:45 am

Re. Roombas, housework, and exercise.
Housework as exercise? You can’t clean that hard to get a good workout. Don’t fool yourself… working out means sweating and well.. working hard. Unless you have a stone broom/mop, you’re not getting a “workout” from your cleaning routine.

Betsy Says:

January 31st, 2008, 14:22 pm

I love your articles and this one is no exception!

One idea that I thought for sure you would have in here is the “clean before teatime” idea. Basically (and this works best if you are an avid hot drink drinker), you wash dishes and spruce up your kitchen while the tea water is heating or the coffee is brewing. You stop as soon as the beverage is finished so you don’t feel as though you’ve really done that much, but it really makes a difference in my kitchen!

About the yardwork front… we live next to nice neighbors who have a huge yard and garden with rabbits and chickens and apple trees. Our yard is tiny and we use a push mower, but our neighbors have told us that we are more than welcome to use their yard. We have all the benefits of having a huge yard, garden, and animals for our young children to interact with without any of the work or hassle!

Sri Nadella Says:

January 31st, 2008, 23:33 pm

Clean as you go is not for lazy bones like me but it does definitely sound promising and less back breaking of a cleaning than what me and my wife do today. And the combo dryer and washer combo looks like a perfect option for someone who lives in a studio in places like NYC.

http://www.dindora.net/blog

Renato Says:

February 1st, 2008, 16:42 pm

Wouldn’t it be funny if Cystal was the one that bought Tina Su’s Roomba Vacuuming Robot? Some people’s trash…

Attention Zen Habits People (/Leo) Says:

February 2nd, 2008, 23:37 pm

Am running @ 1024 * 768 here, still no love after increased bandwidth.

amy Says:

February 6th, 2008, 20:18 pm

I believe the “cleanliness is next to impossible.” quotation can be attributed to Pigpen, the Peanuts character created by Charles Schultz.

I believe cleaning and taking care of our possessions is an important part of learning to be fully human. Appreciate what you have; if you don’t value it enough to take care of it, get rid of it.

“Before Enlightenment, chop wood carry water. After Enlightenment, chop wood carry water.”

moxie Says:

February 10th, 2008, 21:49 pm

I am awful at keeping a clean house… i try but fail way too often. bookmarking this :)

Don Vaillancourt Says:

February 10th, 2008, 23:05 pm

I hate doing dishes. I’m the person who will drain the sink, refill in then never wash the dishes. So I’ll empty the weeks worth of dishes so I can stack them neatly to get as much into the sink water as I can. All of it too much work.

So I figured out an amazing solution. What I do i fill a soup bowl with water and dish soap and wash out of that. Sure my dish soap won’t last as long, but I just need to wash by dishes that are in the sink from top to bottom. Works great and I get less discouraged.

Deirdre Says:

March 1st, 2008, 19:27 pm

Great blog–thanks! For the person that gets depressed, look into Flylady.org. It’s free, mildly hokey, and teaches readers to establish habits. Even in bad times, the habits form a kind of path, and the tidy house, garden, and fatter bank account are all comforting. Also, check out the idea of unhooking yourself from the consumer mentality. For one year, I bought NOTHING new, except for medicines, health aides, and of course–underwear. I saved an amazing amount of money, paid my mortgage almost off, and learned to love my local library–there’s a website that allows me to reserve specific titles and emails me when the media is ready for me to pick up..so cool.
When I decided to return to full time, well paid work, I signed up for auto deposit, and this is really true!–I was startled when I checked my balance. It built up so fast! I actually found myself thinking,”What am I gonna DO with all this money?” Yeah, I’ve gotten over the shock and all, but I’m still pretty frugal, and I like the uncluttered feeling that’s easier to attain without my old shopping habit.

LivSimpl Says:

March 1st, 2008, 20:52 pm

One trick my wife and I have is to pre-sort our laundry when we put it in the hamper: darks on one side and whites on the other (here’s a pic, along with my original post on the subject http://tinyurl.com/25lo4f).

It speeds things up quite a bit on laundry day and it’s very easy to do.

Big deal? Says:

March 2nd, 2008, 10:33 am

Folks, how can doing the dishes, and keeping your personal environment clean and tidy be such a big deal?? Just do it. Or not. Whichever you prefer. Probably this is all about conflict between co-habitants over ‘how it should be’ and ‘who should do it’. Advice: grow up.

Don Vaillancourt Says:

March 2nd, 2008, 11:55 am

To: Big deal?

The problem is that some people, like me, are just too busy. For myself, my brain turns off at 5pm and when I get home my brain is too tired to start organizing. Plus I have other aspirations beyond my 9-5 job, and unfortunately, keeping my place clean just eats up too much of that time.

So yes it is a big deal. Most of the commenters don’t have co-habitant issues. Most have a time issue.

James Says:

March 2nd, 2008, 13:15 pm

I recommend the Roomba. We’ve had ours for 6 months

I bought it for my wife as a novelty, but it quickly has become the mainstay of our housecleaning. It picks up an amazing amount of stuff, and it works unattended.

If you quickly broom out the 4 corners of a room and tuck the cords up, the Roomba does a great job

I got mine for $99 on woot.com…

Tubin Says:

March 3rd, 2008, 0:32 am

Many people have commented on Roomba pro and con. I bought mine after we moved our (king-size) bed for some reason. The layer of dust underneath was so thick, you could sprout seeds in it. Even if I was diligent enough to crawl around trying to vacuum under the bed weekly, my vacuum extension hose wasn’t long enough to do a decent job under there. And physically moving the bed weekly just ain’t gonna happen.

Roomba is short. So it cleans everywhere and my allergies are much happier. Yeah, there’s a few corners it doesn’t really get; my old vacuum didn’t get those either so I had go run around and get them by hand from time to time. Big deal.

miran Says:

March 3rd, 2008, 11:41 am

The combo Washer and Dryer are typically not Vented. This is not ideal for energy efficiency. If you have a Vent available for your dryer, you want a vented dryer.
I would up getting a stacking set as I could not find vented combo unit near me.

websim Says:

March 6th, 2008, 12:19 pm

Once I got so fed up with the dishes piling up in the sink that I threw everything away (it filled up half the collective bin!) except for one plate, one cup and one set of cuttlery. I clean my plate as I go directly at the dinner table, using a kind of silicone spoon, paper towels and a little water (learnt this technique at a zen retreat). The same plate is used for all meals. I also have disposable plates to implement.
Around the house, I have several inboxes and outboxes for each room for use during the week: things that belong to that room are thrown into the inbox and things that have to be carried to other rooms are thrown into the outbox. On week ends I take all the boxes and put things to their proper place. No matter what, on week ends I sweep the floor and empty dustbins wich is done rather quickly. In this way, I feel I have not much chores to do but my house isn’t super clean though. But I can live with it because I prefer that to being a slave to the cleaning routine.

penggrong Says:

June 14th, 2008, 9:20 am

wow… that great work

Dan Devine Says:

November 9th, 2008, 3:18 am

I like the article on minimalism in housework. I have a more global approach and yet, as I battle procrastination, I hope to complete some of it on my blog tonight.

TaraLily Says:

May 9th, 2009, 12:15 pm

If only I lived alone, my house would be clean. I’ve given battling against the tide of displaced items, clutter and dirt my family seems to enjoy (kidding). I just can’t do it any more. I love a clean home. I grew up with a bee of a mother and I learned to clean as I go. Best habit my mother ever instilled in me. I can cook a full course meal and have every pan clean before people sit down to eat. It’s all in the timing. And I can do it without frustration, it’s just part of my nature, who I am. But keeping the house clean while living with good but overtly messy people????? Like shoveling into wind, like holding back the tide. . . I swear I make a clean spot and my family sees a spot in need of use. Doesn’t help we bought a house 15+ yrs ago which needed/needs work because my husband knows how to do the work needed to be done, yet doesn’t know how to finish a job. And asking him to finish is considered me nagging, etc. So I’ve learned to focus on things other then a neat house to bring me contentment because at one point I was such a mess and such a bee myself that it was destroying me and my family. Now I find myself able to say “I love a clean house, but my husband prefers it messy. He says it’s more comfortable that way. What’s a wife to do?” (lol)

rufus Says:

May 19th, 2009, 0:22 am

“Thoreau, of course, had three simplifys in his famous quote, but I’ve simplified that rule even further. :)”

haha that made my day. thank you

How to jump Says:

May 21st, 2009, 16:15 pm

Leo, I like this new theme very much. It is so minimalistic, great design, once again I like it a lot.

free divorce papers Says:

June 13th, 2009, 1:01 am

As I mentioned in my comments on your other posts, I am already practicing the clean-as-you-go policy in the office and at home. It saves me time and effort. I can keep everything clean and in proper order with less stress.

bianca badger Says:

June 17th, 2009, 23:16 pm

Your advice are good. While I always have no time to do it. So laundry and cleaners will be a better option for me. Sometimes, I can have time to deal with these, such as a weekend night. However, comfortable bed will be more attractive for me. I have planned to do these work and expected I can do it by myself.

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