I know I'm not alone when I say that cleaning is equal parts overwhelming and time-consuming. If I don't do the cleaning, I'm thinking about it. If I do do the cleaning, I've put it off for so long that it always takes me so much time. Plus, throw two small kids into the mix and the mess just keeps getting... well, messier.
With summer fast approaching, I know my time to clean is about to get even shorter. The kids will be home from school, giving me even less opportunity to get it done. It's also just an even better excuse for me to push my chores to the next day (and the next) to sit outside in the sunshine.
With this in mind, I've been on the hunt for a cleaning rule that could work within a busy schedule. Whether it's work, kids, a busy social life or all three making cleaning a hard task, there's a method I've stumbled upon that may well be the solution. It's called the '30-3' rule, and here's how it works.
What is the '30-3' cleaning rule?
The '30-3' cleaning rule is a method dreamt up by stay-at-home mom of five, Rylie Jasmine, known by her almost 80k followers on Instagram as @rylie.jasmine.
In simple terms, she explains that her rule means she must clean for 30 minutes, three times a day. And in her Instagram post, she explains: "This means you only need an hour and a half per day dedicated to your home to keep things not only tidy, but very clean."
The reason? Well, with five kids around the home, there can be a lot of mess and not much time in your day to clean it up. Considering I can't even keep it clean with two kids, I had to try it.
Rylie adds that: "The key to this system is prioritization and pre-planning as to make sure you are not cleaning something that is already clean or will be cleaned shortly."
What happened when I tried it
I love writing lists, and Rylie suggests the best way to make the '30-3' cleaning rule work for you is by being ready for those three allocated shifts. For this, she divides them into morning, afternoon, and night. So, I grabbed my pen and paper and wrote out three different lists and assigned my 30 minutes of chores to each. This felt easy enough, but I hadn't actually cleaned anything yet.
I wrote down the non-negotiables from emptying the dishwasher to putting on a load of laundry, which are things I already do every day. But then, I had extra time to play with (I guessed around 20 minutes), which I assigned to a quick hoover around all the carpets downstairs and a wipe down of the kitchen surfaces.
Having 30 minutes, three times a day, was so much easier to handle than letting myself become overwhelmed with a big chunk of cleaning all in one go.
In the afternoon, Rylie suggests doing a weekly chore, and with summer coming around I've been putting off rotating my kids' wardrobes. So, I told myself that I'd start doing this every day until I could move onto a new chore. And that laundry wash from the morning now needs hanging up (I don't need one of the best dryers when the sun is shining). Second shift done.
For the evening, I implemented the 'wind-down rule' that I've previously discovered, where you straighten up the house with a quick tidy, load the dishwasher, turn off the lights and reset the home ready for the morning.
Having 30 minutes, three times a day, was so much easier to handle than letting myself become overwhelmed with a big chunk of cleaning all in one go. It's also much more realistic with kids running around your feet, especially in the summer.
I even timed my morning and evening chores when the kids were asleep or just getting up and having breakfast. This meant they were happy, and after a bit of vigorous cleaning, so was I.
I'll definitely be using the '30-3' cleaning rule in my home and I'm glad I found a solution for summer. When my kids are home, that'll be the true test.
