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Photo: Netrun78/Getty ImagesWith the constant juggle of work, caregiving, running errands, exercising, and trying to get some quality sleep, maintaining an orderly living space can seem like an impossible feat. When it’s late at night, and you’re ready to head to bed, the last thing you want to face is a sink full of dishes or a laundry pile that won’t quit.
KC Davis, author of How to Keep House While Drowning, understands this challenge all too well. Her work presents a compassionate perspective on housework, along with practical advice for keeping things in order when life’s other demands pile up. “When we stop viewing housework as a measure of our worth and start seeing it as functional tasks that support our well-being, we realize these chores don’t need to be perfect or aesthetically pleasing,” Davis explains. “This shift makes the to-do list feel smaller and less overwhelming. We become more empowered to find systems and hacks that work for us, making our lives simpler.”
Keep reading for expert-backed strategies to maintain a functional home, even when the hours in the day feel too few.
1. Learn the Difference Between Tidying, Cleaning, and Organizing
These three tasks are distinct and cannot be done simultaneously. When resetting a space, start by tidying: put away items that belong somewhere, throw away trash, and create a pile of items that need sorting. Next, clean: dust, mop, vacuum, and sanitize. Finally, organize: return items to their rightful spots and sort the remaining things. Breaking these tasks into three clear steps makes them more manageable and easier to fit into a busy schedule.
2. Try the “Five Things” Tidying Approach
Davis points out that cluttered spaces only contain five types of items: trash, dishes, laundry, things with a home, and things without one. Tackle them in this order. During a busy week, spending just two minutes tossing out stray water bottles or food wrappers can drastically improve your living space. If you have more time, continue working through the list.
3. Give Dirty Dishes a Dedicated Spot
“Dishes are like the Mount Everest of chores,” Davis remarks in an Instagram reel. She recommends using a dish drying rack as a station for dirty dishes. Instead of piling them in the sink, place them in the dish rack; this not only keeps the sink empty and functional, but also reduces visual clutter. When you have time, simply move the dishes to the dishwasher.
4. Who Says Laundry Needs to Be Folded?
For Davis, folding laundry didn’t truly enhance the functionality of her home, so she stopped. “I eliminated any tasks that didn’t make sense for us,” she explains. “We don’t fold clothes; instead, we hang shirts and toss the rest into organized baskets.” Recognizing tasks that don’t benefit you allows you to remove them from your to-do list entirely and create alternative organizational methods that save time.
5. Create a Closing Routine
At the end of the day, set aside a specific amount of time—however much you have—to focus solely on the most important tasks for preparing your space for the next day. Davis follows a routine with three to five tasks she completes in the same order every night. “They’re simple actions focused on functionality,” she explains. “For example, taking out the trash, clearing the kitchen island, packing kids’ lunches, and loading the dishwasher ... The house doesn’t need to be spotless, but it must function, and these few tasks are essential every day,” she says.
You can tailor this to your own schedule: perhaps you only have five minutes to clean your coffee mug for the morning and wipe the counters. By ensuring the most crucial tasks are done each night, you can rest a bit easier knowing your home is ready for the next day.
6. Leave Your Vacuum Outside the Cleaning Closet
This applies to any cleaning tools you frequently use. While it may seem more visually appealing to store all your cleaning supplies neatly in a closet, leaving them out makes them readily accessible when you find the time or motivation to tidy up. Davis believes in the philosophy that your space should cater to you, and however that manifests is perfectly acceptable.
7. Try a Room Reset Board
When your mental energy is drained, identifying what needs to be done to restore a space can feel overwhelming. Davis devised the room reset board as a way to ‘delegate your executive function’ during such times. Tasks start in the 'to-do' column and are moved to the 'done' column once completed. If a task needs attention again, move it back to the 'to-do' column and forget about it until you’re ready. This approach simplifies the process, reducing the mental load and stress of figuring out what to do next.
8. Use a Timer
Davis points out that we often misjudge how long a task will actually take to finish. Using a timer—preferably a visual one—can show us that a task we anticipated would take forever might only require a few minutes. Alternatively, if you find yourself overwhelmed with commitments and only have 15 minutes a day to clean, try setting a timer and see how much you can accomplish in that short span. When the time's up, simply stop. Being aware of how much time you truly have can be incredibly helpful in managing it during hectic weeks.
9. Establish a Routine That Suits You
One of Davis's top time-saving tips is to design a routine that fits your personal needs, rather than sticking to one that’s ineffective. If cleaning as you go during the week isn’t feasible, consider crafting a weekend ritual to prepare your home for the week ahead. If you require your weekend to relax and recharge, try organizing a list of "closing duties" that aligns with the limited time you have during the weekdays.
“We need to begin by questioning the assumptions we have about why we believe certain cleaning tasks must be done in specific ways,” says Davis. “Once those assumptions are dismissed, we can ask ourselves: ‘Between cleaning in short bursts throughout the week and cleaning for a longer stretch once a week, which is more practical for you? Which method do you prefer, and why?’” Ultimately, adopting this compassionate and self-aware approach to housework is the most effective strategy for optimizing your time and energy when your schedule is already packed.
