The 10-Minute Tidy: Your Daily Secret to a Clutter-Free Home

Have you ever looked at your clutter and thought, ‘I just don’t have the time’?” Would you believe me if I told you that all it takes is 10 minutes? Then let me introduce you to the 10-Minute Tidy. This is a technique we use in my house and something I recommend to all my clients with great success.

Why 10 Minutes?

It is a small amount of time that feels manageable to even the busiest of mum’s or the most unwilling of kids. But it is also long enough that a lot can get done, especially when the whole household joins in.

Kids, and many adults, often struggle with tidying up because it is viewed as a boring, endless task.  Having a set time helps them see there is an end to the task and when everyone is working together, they start to see it not as a chore, but as part of the family routine.  It is a wonderful way to keep your house in order and teach your children valuable life skills.

The Technique in Action

• Set a timer: Dedicate 10 minutes at the end of each day for a speed tidy up.  Use a timer to show that the task has a clear end.  Once the timer goes off, that’s the end.  Don’t be tempted to continue for a minute or two more to finish the job.

• Make it a game: Turn the tidy into a race or challenge.  Kids against parents, boys against girls, to see how much they can tidy up in the allotted time.

• Work as a team: Tackle the tidying as a family.  Leave tasks like dishes and deep cleaning out of this quick tidy.  This is a quick reset to put everything away at the end of the day.

• If you find that tidying up at the end of the day takes much longer than 15 minutes, it may indicate that your organisation system is too complicated or there are still too many items.  In this case, think about whether you might need a good declutter or consider reaching out for help from a Professional Organiser.

10-Minute Tasks – Another 10-minute technique

Below is a list of tasks that can be completed in 10 minutes or less.  This is perfect for fitting in quick tasks when you have a few spare minutes. It can also be handy for getting the kids to participate and complete some chores.  Show your kids the list and allow them to choose which task they want to perform. You can use this list as a starting point and add or subtract tasks to suit your home.

Car Tidy	Take a garbage bag out to the car and remove any rubbish.
Mail Sort	Sort through the mail and remove anything that can be discarded and recycled.
Phone Tidy	Go through your phone and uninstall any unwanted Apps. Move frequently used Apps to your home screen.
Old Meds	Go through your medication cabinet to remove any out of date medication or supplements.
Wallet Declutter	Go through your wallet or handbag and discard any unwanted receipts.
Sock Pair	Go through your odd sock pile or laundry basket and pair up your socks.
Cutlery Drawer	Remove all your cutlery and give the drawer a good wipe out.
Bed Make	Simple yet effective, make the bed.
Pantry Declutter	Choose a shelf or section of your pantry and discard any out of date food.
Junk Drawer	Go through the junk drawer and remove any, well, junk.
Clothes Roundup	Take a washing basket and go through each room of the house picking up dirty clothes.
Personal Tidy	Great one for the whole family. Each person gets a basket and goes through the house finding any of their belongings that are out of place.

How to make it work:

Choose a task from the list and set a timer for ten minutes.  Focus solely on the task for the duration of the timer.  Knowing there is a set time limit can create a sense of urgency and boost motivation.  After the timer goes off, take a moment to appreciate what you have accomplished.  Even small tasks add up and contribute to overall organisation.

A word on timers

There are many ways to time your tidying time.  Visual timers that show the remaining time as a red section on their face and hourglasses are great for anyone that likes to have a visual representation of how time is moving.  If you hate the noise of a timer going off, an hourglass could work for you. A fun way to set a time without the implied urgency is to create a playlist of a few favourite songs that will play for 10 minutes.

Keeping Momentum Alive

Decluttering and tidying are often a matter of momentum. Just getting started is often the hardest part. By telling ourselves that we are just going to do 10 minutes, can make starting easier.  Once you begin it becomes easier to do a bit more and a bit more and before you know it, you have done much more than you first intended.  Just be careful when it comes to tidying with kids.  Don’t push them beyond their capacity and if you ask them to help with a 10-Minute Tidy, keep to your word and let them finish once the timer ends.

Conclusion: A Little Time, Big Impact

The magic of the 10-Minute Tidy is that it harnesses simplicity and consistency. With just a handful of minutes each day, you can transform chaos into calm and teach your family that keeping things tidy doesn’t have to be exhausting—or boring. The next time clutter threatens to take over, set a timer and see just how much you can accomplish.