Why experts swear by the '6/10 cleaning method' for a spotless home

Cleaning can often feel like an arduous chore that can end up taking a whole day if you let the mess build up. 

Cleaning professionals are recommending the 6/10 cleaning method for anyone wanting to maintain a consistent cleaning schedule. Essentially, you simply have to decide on a few quick daily and weekly cleaning tasks to help you create a clean and calm living environment that is always ready for visitors.

By following these cleaning tips you will reduce the build-up of mess that will save you time cleaning in the long run, making it the perfect way to clean a house fast. 

How to use the 6/10 cleaning method

Karina Toner, cleaning expert at Spekless Cleaning says, 'The 6/10 cleaning method is a fantastic approach to maintaining a clean and organized home. It's all about creating a structured cleaning routine that covers daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly tasks.'

Karina Toner

Karina is the Operations Manager at Spekless Cleaning, a trusted maid service based in Washington D.C. The team has over five years of experience providing top-quality cleaning services for both residential and commercial clients. Karina oversees every aspect of the business, ensuring that every client gets the same top-notch service and a spotless clean every time.

How to get started

Muffetta Krueger, cleaning expert and founder of Muffetta's Domestic Assistants advises, 'Start by identifying the key areas or tasks you want to address during your 6/10 cleaning routine. Make a list of daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning goals to stay organized.'

This is also the perfect way to plan your fall cleaning checklist. 

'In essence, the daily six and weekly ten work together to strike a balance between daily maintenance and more in-depth cleaning,' says Karina Toner. This approach ensures that your home remains clean, organized, and manageable without feeling overwhelmed by a constant cleaning burden.'

Stephen Nuamah at Elite Maids House Cleaning advises, 'Before starting, outline your 6/10 cleaning list. Identify which tasks are general and which are detailed. This will help you manage your time effectively.'

Muffetta Krueger

Muffetta Krueger is a cleaning expert and founder of Muffetta’s Domestic with over 16 years of operational management experience in the service industry. Muffetta’s Domestic Assistants provides housekeepers, house cleaners and maids, and is based in New York.

6 daily cleaning tasks

Aim to spend around 10 minutes on each of the daily cleaning tasks. Below, our experts have suggested potential areas you could focus on when completing the six daily tasks. Nathaly Vieira recommends focusing on high-priority areas that will easily become  messy on a daily basis:

1. 'Start with decluttering. Spend 10 minutes each day organizing and tidying one area or room. This prevents clutter from accumulating and makes cleaning more manageable.' You can check out our guide for the places organizers declutter daily.

2. Nathaly Vieira, continues, 'Dusting surfaces and wiping down countertops, tables, and appliances should be the next focus. This regular maintenance prevents the buildup of dust and grime.

3. 'Spend 10 minutes on bathroom cleaning. Wipe surfaces, clean the sink and toilet, and ensure it's fresh and hygienic.

4. 'Dedicate 10 minutes to cleaning your kitchen. Clean up spills, wash dishes, and wipe down countertops. This keeps the heart of your home clean and functional,' says Nathaly Vieira.

Karina Toner adds, 'Take a moment to wipe down kitchen surfaces that tend to get dirty during the day.

'Keep the kitchen sink clear by washing dishes daily. You should also quickly give your kitchen sink a clean to keep it shiny and sanitary.'

5. As another busy area in your home, allocate 10 minutes to clean your bedroom. Start your day by making your bed. Put away any clothes or clutter, wipe any makeup or bedside tables. This is especially important since a tidy bedroom promotes restful sleep.

6. Empty full kitchen trash cans and replace with fresh liners. This is the number one way to prevent any odors. You can also empty all bins in the house on a regular basis.

These areas are the places in your home that should receive the most attention daily since they are mostly high-use and traffic areas of your home, so will likely become dirty or messy. However, this is not a strict list – plan where in your home would benefit the most from receiving a daily clean.

10 weekly cleaning tasks

Our experts have provided some suggestions for your weekly 10 deep cleaning tasks to inspire you:

1. Karina Toner says, 'Give the bathroom a thorough cleaning, including scrubbing the toilet, cleaning the sink and faucet, wiping down mirrors, and mopping the floor.' Don't forget to consider the places in your bathroom that might be easy to forget to clean, to avoid neglecting any areas such as cleaning grout or cleaning your shower curtain.

2. Karina Toner continues, 'Change the bedding: strip the bed sheets and replace them with fresh, clean ones.

3. 'Dust all surfaces throughout the house, including shelves, tables, and electronics.

4. 'Vacuum all carpeted areas and mop hard floors, paying special attention to high-traffic areas.

5. 'Clean the inside of the microwave, oven, and refrigerator. Wipe down the exterior surfaces of all kitchen appliances.

6. 'Do a thorough laundry session, including washing, drying, folding, and putting away clothes.

7. 'Change towels and linens. Replace kitchen and bathroom towels with clean ones, and replace hand towels and dishcloths,' advises Karina Toner.

8. Clean sink drains to remove unwanted build-up and put your dishwasher and washing machine on self-cleaning cycles.

9. Tidy and organize your pantry and kitchen shelves.

10. Finally, Karina Toner recommends, 'Take a few minutes to inspect the home for any maintenance issues or items that need replacing, such as burnt-out light bulbs or leaky faucets.'

Again, these are just suggestions, you can pre-plan which areas you think would be the most beneficial to focus on during a weekly clean or staggered throughout the week.

Pro tips

Our experts have provided some top tips for increasing your efficiency when doing the 6/10 cleaning method.

1. Stephen Nuamah from Elite Maids House Cleaning recommends, 'Invest in quality tools. Good, reliable cleaning tools can make your job easier and more efficient, and they’re usually more durable.' Whether this is high quality cleaning brushes that are easy to use will last a long time, such as this Electric Spin Scrubber from Walmart, or eco-friendly products such as this ECOS Parsley All Purpose Cleaner. Prerna Jain, owner of Ministry of Cleaning comments, 'Choose cleaning products that are effective and safe for the surfaces you're cleaning. Consider using multipurpose cleaners to streamline your cleaning routine.

2. 'Concentrate your cleaning efforts on high-traffic areas first, such as the kitchen, living room, and bathrooms. These areas tend to get dirtier quickly, so addressing them early ensures a more consistently clean home.

3. 'During your cleaning time in each room, prioritize tasks based on importance. Focus on cleaning surfaces, removing dust, and tidying up before moving on to more specific cleaning tasks,' continues Prerna Jain.

4. 'Clean from top to bottom,' advises Stephen Nuamah. 'Start with high tasks like dusting ceiling fans or shelves, then work your way down. This ensures you’re not
knocking dust onto areas you’ve already cleaned.'

5. Monitor your time. Stephen Nuamah suggests, 'Spending 60% of your time on general, large-scale tasks (like vacuuming or mopping floors), and the remaining 40% on detailed tasks (like scrubbing the bathroom sink or dusting ornaments). Keeping track of how long you’re spending on each category of tasks helps maintain the 60-40 balance.

6. 'Remember to take breaks. Cleaning can be physically tiring, so it’s important to rest between tasks. This will help maintain your energy levels and prevent burnout.'

7. Don’t forget hard-to-reach areas. For example, there are some hidden areas in the kitchen we often forget to clean. 'Include tasks like cleaning behind appliances or under furniture in your detailed cleaning list,' says Stephen Nuamah.

Remember, the key to the 6/10 cleaning method is staying consistent. Regularly sticking to your cleaning schedule makes maintaining cleanliness much more manageable.

FAQs

The 6/10 cleaning method is both time-efficient and effective in ensuring that no single area of your home is neglected for too long, making deep cleaning less daunting.