Prioritize things that make the biggest difference
Unexpected appointments with friends or relatives often make many people worried when the house is not tidy. However, according to Shira Gill - an American house arrangement expert and author of the book "Minimalista", effective cleaning is not about the time spent but about how to identify the right goals.
Ms. Gill said that before starting to clean up, everyone should clearly define what they want to achieve. It could be creating a neat feeling for the living room, clearing the table surface, or simply removing distractions. Clear goals help maintain motivation and avoid wasting time on unnecessary tasks.
To speed up the cleaning process, Ms. Gill recommends preparing trash bags, recycling bags, donation bags and a basket to collect items that need to be moved to another area in the house.
Focus on removing excess instead of perfectly arranging
One of the immediate effective steps is to remove garbage and items that do not belong to the space being cleaned. Advertising letters, old bills, used cups or items that are in the wrong place should be handled in advance to clear the surface and create a clean feeling.
Shira Gill said that many people often confuse cleaning and arranging. While arranging takes a lot of time, removing unnecessary items can make a clear difference after just a few minutes.
If there is still time, users can review items that have not been used for a long time to consider donating or removing them. Reducing the number of items not only makes the living space more airy but also makes cleaning later simpler.
Experts also believe that when feeling overwhelmed by a messy room, instead of setting a goal to clean the entire house, each person should start from a small area for about 10 minutes. A step-by-step approach will help reduce psychological pressure and create motivation to continue completing work.
