Why My Phone Timer Is My Most Useful Cleaning Tool

My brain needs deadlines to get stuff done. Fortunately, I've chosen a career in magazines that revolves around deadlines, so that works out pretty well. At home, however, when I'm managing the administrative tasks of my own life—like cleaning and organizing—the lack of hard and fast deadlines often holds me back. I've frequently found myself pushing a task into the future and thinking, why do it now when I could just do it later? This becomes especially problematic when home tasks build up and I don't know where to start or how much time I need to get everything done.

To get out of this unproductive cycle, I've found it helpful to start setting up short, immediate deadlines for myself to tackle chores that feel overwhelming. The best tool to help me implement this method is the same app that helps me wake up on time every morning: my phone timer.

How I Use My "Timer Method" When Cleaning

One of my biggest hangups when tackling cleaning projects at home is that I don't know exactly how long things are going to take. That's partially because home cleaning doesn't ever really end. There's always another area to clean up or another item to put away—and this thought alone can make me want to just do nothing at all. The only way I can really get stuff done is by creating a clear start and end time for a project, even if I'm making it up. What that often looks like for me is simply setting a timer for around 15 minutes and getting to work on one specific task.

When it comes to a project like getting multiple loads of laundry folded and put away, 15 minutes on the clock might mean that I only get the first part accomplished. However, I'm much more likely to stay on task when I know I only have 15 minutes before the timer goes off, rather than, say, an hour to take my time and get distracted by other things. Plus, I've also found that once I've completed 15 minutes of a task, I'm usually pretty motivated to add another 15 minutes or so to the clock and get back to work.

My personal "timer method" is somewhat similar to the idea behind the Pomodoro Technique, which has been around for about 30 years. This method involves setting a timer for 25 minutes to focus on a task, then taking a five-minute break before going back to another 25 minutes of productivity. My method is a bit less structured and is just based on what works for me in that time.

One of my favorite ways to use my timer for a quick home cleaning session is to get something done before I shower and get ready to leave the house. I've done this several times in the morning before leaving for work if I have a sink full of dishes that I didn't get to the night before. I'll give myself 10 to 15 minutes on the timer to complete the dishes and get my hands dirty before hopping in the shower. That way, the shower becomes somewhat of a reward for getting a cleaning project done, and since I have to leave the house at a specific time anyway, that time restriction is already built in.

I used to feel a bit of shame for not being naturally motivated to do my homekeeping projects without some kind of hack or trick to get things done. Now I'm just glad that I've found a method that works for me and is easily adaptable to my schedule and needs.