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Life’s too short to spend hours upon hours each week scrubbing, dusting, and sweeping. Make haste: There’s a new cleaning strategy on the rise, and unlike KonMari, which requires a certain level of contemplation, it’s all about getting chores done fast. Named for author and time management expert Marla Cilley, the FlyLady method focuses on tidying specific zones of the home in 15-minute increments so you don’t get overwhelmed by a single task. Apparently, rushing is the next big thing: Searches for the approach have increased 40 percent on Pinterest this month, while inquiries into Marie Kondo have dropped 80 percent.
There are a few general rules to know before you give it a go: For starters, you don’t roam from room to room for 15 minutes—you pick a zone (the dining area, the bathroom, the office) and focus on that space until the timer runs out. Then you move onto another area and so on. Also, this isn’t the moment for doing laundry or polishing silver. The tasks are meant to be surface level, according to blogger Jen Merckling, who has tested the method. Here are three spots to add to your rapid-fire routine:
The Master Bedroom
Cilley suggests prioritizing the area underneath the bed, which can turn into a super-sized junk drawer. Remove as much stuff as you can, toss anything that’s trash, and return clothes and shoes to the closet. Once the spot is cleared out, get rid of dust bunnies before putting any large storage bins back.
The Kitchen
In such a big space, it’s important to prioritize one section. When it comes to the floors, give them a good sweep and go over them with a damp mop. Then the important part: Wipe down the baseboards. Crumbs like to hide out along the perimeter of the room.
The Living Room
First, make sure it’s clutter-free. With no major messes in sight, you can get onto the crucial steps: getting rid of cobwebs, straightening books on the shelf, wiping fingerprints from the walls, emptying magazine racks, and vacuuming under couch cushions. You can’t hurry love, but you canspeed up chores.
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