7 clever cleaning lessons I learned from Monica Geller and use daily – this beloved Friends character was doing it right all along

Friends may have aired over 20 years ago, but its comedy remains iconic to this day – and so too, it turns out, is Monica Geller’s cleaning advice.

While some might call her obsession with cleaning and organization borderline neurotic, her dedication to maintaining a perfect home was rooted in brilliant cleaning tips that I've learned so much from.

These are the seven most valuable lessons I have learned about cleaning from Monica, played by Courteney Cox, which I will use in my home for the rest of my life.

7 brilliant cleaning tips I've learned from Monica Geller

So no one told me life was going to be... spent in a vicious circle of cleaning a house when you’re busy, but so much of adulting is about keeping your home in order.

Friends fanatic and Head of Solved at Homes & Gardens, Punteha van Terheyden shares, 'I not only watched every episode of Friends when it first aired, but it remains in constant daily play in my house even now.

'Whilst Monica was portrayed as a funny, cleaning-obsessed character, now, as a fully-fledged adult, I can see she was actually pretty smart about keeping her quirky apartment clean. Neurotic or not, there's a lot to learn from Monica.'

1. You need to clean your cleaning tools

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In 'The One Where Chandler Gets Caught', the Friends walk into Monica's apartment and watch silently as she uses a handheld vacuum, like the Black & Decker Dustbuster from Walmart, to hoover her best upright vacuum. She straightens up and says, 'If only there was a smaller one to clean THAT one!'

It might be all a part of a larger joke about Monica’s OCD, but there is a valuable lesson to be learned here – you have to keep your cleaning supplies clean. Failing to do so can drastically shorten the lifespan and functionality of your appliances.

Dan Fauzi, home tech editor for Homes & Gardens, explains that in the case of the vacuums, ‘It is essential to replace and clean a vacuum filter regularly, or you will notice a loss of suction over time, meaning dust, debris, and mites can be left behind on your flooring.’

Your other essential cleaning tools need just as much attention. Knowing how to wash a microfiber cloth correctly with gentle laundry detergent such as Tide Free & Gentle from Walmart, and no fabric softener, for example, can keep them absorbent for longer while avoiding common dusting mistakes that are making your home dirtier.

Similarly, knowing how to clean a mop head will help you clean floors without streaks, saving you both time and energy.

2. Having guest towels is smart for sanitation

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How many towels do you need? According to Monica, a lot. In the episode where the boys compete with the girls to win Monica's apartment, Ross sets a quiz and in a crucial moment, asks how many categories of towels Monica has. The answer, which Joey and Chandler guessed correctly, was 11, including 'fancy towels' and 'fancy guest' towels.

While you probably don't need that many, it helps to have several sets ready to go in your towel storage ideas to help keep things sanitary for when guests do come round.

Jolene Monaco, certified professional organizer at Habitually Organized, explains, ‘For bath towels, it's recommended to change them after three uses. Based on this, each family member only needs two to three bath towels. Hand towels and washcloths have different guidelines.

'Washcloths should be replaced every one to two days and should be fully dried between uses. If you use washcloths in the shower, consider doubling the quantity for each person. Hand towels, especially if used for both hands and face, should be changed every two days as well.'

Here's a quick formula to help you figure out the right number of towels you should have for your household and any guests. How many Monica-style categories you have is up to you!

• Bath Towels: 2-3 per person
• Hand Towels: 6 per person
• Washcloths: 10 per person

Brooklinen offers super plush turkish cotton bath bundles with all the towels you need in a set, perfect for stocking your bathroom up with matching, luxury linens.

3. Cleaning baskets are essential

Monica was the queen of chore and time management skills for a smooth-running home. Her best tip for cleaning efficiently was definitely to organize your cleaning supplies for quick and easy access.

The Friends character was seen many times throughout the 10 seasons, happily cleaning her famously purple apartment, with a loaded double cleaning caddy, like this YouCopia SinkSuite Cleaning Caddy from The Container Store. She usually kept it under the kitchen sink, but was often spotted cleaning her bathroom with one too.

Monica was so organized, she even had a ribbon storage ideas tucked into the drawer under the TV.

Monica's Totally Normal Cleaning Tips | Friends | Max - YouTube

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4. Cleaning can be self-care

Many of us don’t tack ‘cleaning’ onto the list of ways to create a self-care space, but it can be the perfect remedy if you are feeling overwhelmed by your home.

In one episode, the Friends cancel their plans, and Chandler calls Monica out, saying, 'You're going to stay home and clean, aren't you?’ Monica conceded that was exactly what she was going to do, and was supremely gleeful about it.

Ironically, romanticizing cleaning like Monica always did can indeed make the task feel less daunting, helping you to clean your home when you feel overwhelmed.

As Samantha Shpeen, controller and chief home officer at Cleancult, says, ‘Cleaning doesn’t have to feel like a chore; it can be grounding, even meditative.’

This doesn’t have to be a laid-back, relaxing activity, either. You can also try rage cleaning, using the repetitive and often arduous task of scrubbing to help alleviate your stress, just as Monica did in The One With The Stain, where she said, ‘Usually, when I'm this anxious, I clean!’

5. If you see it, clean it

I can only dream of having the same levels of self-discipline, determination, and motivation to clean as Monica did throughout the epic decade-long comedic journey that was Friends. The closest I can get is by following Monica's one-touch tidying rule, and cleaning things whenever I notice that they are dirty.

In one episode, Monica is listing off everything in her very elaborate list of essential cleaning supplies, and she mentions a car wash product. Chandler points out that Monica doesn't even have a car, to which she admits that there was a dirty car parked at the front of the building once, which she just had to tackle – along with six others.

While I am certainly not in the habit of washing my neighbor's cars (I hardly do my own), cleaning as you go is a very useful trick to save time and energy while keeping essential spots sanitary.

The experts love it too! Productivity expert and author of Time Bandit, Michael Cupps shares, ‘Small daily resets, like making the bed or tidying up after breakfast, prevent messes from accumulating and create a sense of order.’

6. The humble label maker is king

Label makers, such as the DYMO Letratag Handheld Label maker, from Walmart, are the unsung heroes of the organizing world, being one of the best time-saving tips for organizing a home – especially if you are trying to encourage family to clean and tidy.

Monica loved hers so much, she packed it in her bag and took it to the apartment of a stranger that her brother Ross had briefly dated. He'd dumped this fleeting chracter because her home was so messy. Monica, however, was so excited to use the label maker, and we don’t blame her.

Creating organizing systems that you and other members of your household can maintain in the long term will be transformative for staying on top of mess and retaining functionality. Head of Solved Punteha adds, 'Like Monica, I love a label maker and I used mine to label up every shelf in my kitchen cabinets.

'This was especially helpful for my husband, so when he was cooking, he could put the right spices and herbs back in the right places, and maintain my organization system permanently with ease. When unloading the dishwasher, the labels meant my husband would put cups and other things back where I had specifically allocated them to be for my ease of access, as I am disabled.'

Finding a happy medium is key because there is such a thing as over-organizing your home, and labelling everything you own can be a little much. We have amassed a list of the signs your home is already organized enough, so you know when to put the label maker down and step away.

7. Everything should have a home

In the epidose where new roommate and old school friend Rachel rearranges Monica's living space, she moves an footrest a few feet out of its usual spot to serve as an extra seat for get togethers. A nervous Monica picks it up and says, ‘Just for fun, let’s just leave it there for a while,’ before placing it back in its original spot.

Whilst her perfectionism is on the more extreme end, actually, Monica was on to something. If every item in your home has its own dedicated spot, your space and surfaces won’t get cluttered up – it’s easily one of the best home organizing ideas out there.

Lauren Saltman, professional home organizer and owner of Living. Simplified. agrees, saying, ‘Knowing what you have in your home prevents you from buying duplicates, whether it's a book you want to read, a winter coat you think you need, or even food to feed your family.

'One of my favorite benefits of keeping your home decluttered and organized is that with fewer items to dust/tidy/clean, you'll have more time to do the things you want to do.

'Everything from spending time with your friends and family to taking care of yourself. Similarly, you won't waste time looking for things like your shoes, keys, cell phone, or important papers.’

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Meet the experts

Jolene Monaco, CPO®

Jolene is a professional home organizer, space consultant, and professional member of the NAPO.

Samantha Shpeen

Samantha Shpeen is the controller and chief home officer at Clean Cult, where she helps bring sustainability into every corner of the home. A mom of two and passionate advocate for practical eco-living, Samantha serves as the brand’s go-to expert on household sustainability.

Lauren Saltman

Lauren is a professional home organizer who specializes in working with busy families and retirees. She empowers her clients to take control of their environments for increased confidence at home.

While you are tackling your household cleaning à la Monica Geller, why not try out some of the most valuable decluttering lessons I have learned from the experts, too, for a full home refresh.