POV: binge-watching The Home Edit while surrounded by mess—cardboard boxes strewn about, dirty clothes on the floor, dishes that have been in the sink long enough to become hospitable to multi-cell organisms, etc. It’s not that we don’t want a clean house … it’s just that actually cleaning seems completely overwhelming. One of the best ways to get over this hurdle: commit to just five minutes. Set a timer, and stop cleaning when it goes off. This helps break down the chaos into manageable chunks.
To help make the most of those five minutes, we rounded up our favorite quick cleaning hacks from TikTok. Check them out below.
1. Remove everything that doesn’t belong
Tidy up a room in less than five minutes with this checklist from @neat.caroline. Pick up everything that doesn’t belong in the room being cleaned—like the dirty laundry on the ground. Put it all in a basket to sort through later. Grab a spray bottle of cleaner and a rag, and do a quick wipe down on any visible smudges or marks.
2. Easily dust your fans without making a bigger mess
If you don’t regularly clean, the blades of your overhead fans are probably lousy with dust and dirt. To clean them without making a bigger mess, try this trick from @cleanitup. Grab a step stool and a pillow case, and place one of the blades entirely into the pillow case. Gather it at the base and slide your hands down to the end of the blade, keeping the dust inside the pillow case. Repeat for the rest of the blades.
There are countless TikToks about washable rugs, and if you have kids, pets, or are just a clumsy person in general, they will be your new BFF. Instead of going through the whole rigmarole of spot- and steam-cleaning (which, let’s be honest, we were pretty unlikely to do anyway), simply toss the entire thing into the washing machine. We’re into Revival Rugs’ latest batch of washable rugs, which are insanely pretty and affordable (seriously, the most expensive size, 8’x10’, rings in at $329).
4. Vacuum your couch, fluff the pillows, fold throw blankets
We were shocked by how much nicer this made the entire living room look and feel. Bonus points for lightly misting the couch and cushions with fabric deodorizer at the end.
5. Keep a refillable dish wand in your shower
Housekeeper @vanesamaro91 will change your life with her tips and tricks, like this one for keeping the shower clean. She says to get a refillable dish wand, fill it with equal parts dish soap and vinegar, and keep it in the shower so you can nip any grossness you notice in the bud.
6. Put your duvet cover on with ease
We cannot think of a more Sisyphean task than putting a duvet back into a duvet cover, which explains why our current bed situation looks so messy. This hack from @vanesamaro91 is super easy and takes barely any time at all. Lay the cover on your bed with the opening facing the duvet. Reach inside the cover and find the ties at the bottom two corners. Tie those to the bottom corners of the duvet. One at a time, push each side back into the cover. Grab onto the corner from the outside, and hold on as you pull the duvet cover up. Watch the video if you’re a visual learner.
Or try the burrito roll hack. Place the duvet cover inside-out on your bed, with your comforter on top. Roll the comforter into the duvet, pull the roll through at each end, and *voila* unroll for a covered duvet. Again, watch the video for a visual.
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