Keep Your Home Tidy Daily with the 6/10 Cleaning Method

Keeping your home clean can feel like a never-ending battle, can’t it? I used to spend hours scrubbing and still felt like the mess was winning. That’s when I stumbled upon the 6/10 cleaning method, a surprisingly simple system that breaks chores into daily and weekly chunks. It’s not about cleaning everything at once or following a rigid schedule—it’s about small, consistent actions that make a real difference.

What I love about this method is how approachable it feels. You get six essential tasks for each day and ten focused chores for the week. That’s it. No overwhelming lists, no guilt if you miss a day, and no wondering where to start. Over time, it becomes a habit, and your home stays consistently tidy without stress.

In this article, I’ll walk you through exactly how the 6/10 cleaning method works, why it’s effective, and how you can adapt it to fit your life. By the end, you’ll see how a little structure can completely change the way you keep your space clean—and maybe even make it a little enjoyable.

What Exactly Is the 6/10 Cleaning Method?

When I first heard about the 6/10 cleaning method, I thought it might just be another trendy checklist. But the more I explored it, the more I realized how simple and practical it is. At its core, the method is exactly what it sounds like: a way to break your cleaning into manageable chunks so you don’t feel buried under chores.

This method designed to make daily and weekly cleaning achievable without stress. The principle is straightforward: 6 priority tasks every day and 10 focus tasks each week. That’s it—no overwhelming rules or complicated schedules. By consistently doing these small tasks, you naturally keep your home in order. You can even add monthly or quarterly tasks if you want, but the beauty of the system is that the daily and weekly lists alone are enough to maintain a clean and organized home, as highlighted by Southern Living’s guide to the 6/10 cleaning method.

The name “6/10” isn’t some fancy math—it’s just a simple way to divide chores into manageable sections so you always know where to start, which is explained clearly on HomeMade Simple. Once I realized that, I started seeing cleaning not as a dreaded chore but as a series of small wins every day.

Here’s how it typically breaks down:

Daily (6) tasks:

• Make the beds
• Run a load of laundry
• Wash dishes or load the dishwasher
• Scrub sinks or wipe bathroom surfaces
• Wipe down counters and tables
• Sweep or vacuum high-traffic areas

These six tasks are carefully chosen because they have the highest impact on how clean your home feels. By tackling them daily, you prevent messes from piling up, which means fewer overwhelming cleaning days.

Weekly (10) tasks:

• Deep-clean bathrooms (toilet, shower, mirrors)
• Mop all floors
• Dust furniture and shelves
• Wipe down appliances
• Tidy pantry or cabinets
• Change bed linens
• Laundry catch-up (towels, sheets)
• Vacuum under furniture
• Take out trash/recycling
• Quick declutter of common areas

Adding these weekly tasks ensures that the home stays consistently clean, without you needing to block off an entire day for intensive cleaning. Personally, I’ve found that keeping this system flexible—adjusting certain tasks depending on your household—makes it much easier to stick with long-term.

The 6/10 cleaning method works because it chunks chores into bite-sized, manageable pieces. Instead of feeling like you have to do everything at once, you focus on a few things at a time, which makes the process much less intimidating.

Why It Works: The Psychology and Practical Logic

I’ve tried countless cleaning routines over the years, but what always tripped me up was the feeling of being overwhelmed. The 6/10 cleaning method works because it doesn’t ask you to do everything at once—it breaks chores into small, manageable pieces that feel doable every single day.

Here’s why it actually sticks:

1. Chunking tasks reduces procrastination: When you only have six daily tasks to focus on, it’s easier to start. I’ve noticed that even on my busiest days, I can knock out these small wins in under 30 minutes. That’s enough to prevent a small mess from turning into chaos.

2. Builds lasting routines and habits: Doing the same daily and weekly tasks consistently trains your brain. You start doing them almost automatically, without thinking. This approach is especially helpful if you have ADHD, a busy lifestyle, or just hate large, all-day cleaning marathons. The creators at Organized Chaos emphasize that it’s consistency, not perfection, that counts.

3. Avoids “all-or-nothing” cleaning days: One of the biggest mistakes I made before was waiting until I had an entire day free to clean everything. By then, the mess had multiplied, and I’d often skip it entirely. With the 6/10 system, even a short 15–20 minute effort daily keeps your home in control and prevents overwhelm.

The Core Breakdown: Daily (6) Tasks

Now that you understand what the 6/10 cleaning method is, let’s get into the heart of it: the six daily tasks. These are the small, consistent actions that keep your home feeling orderly without overwhelming you.

Here’s a typical daily checklist I follow:

• Make the beds – It instantly makes bedrooms look tidy and sets a productive tone for the day.
• Run a load of laundry – Staying on top of laundry prevents it from piling up and taking over your living space.
• Wash dishes or load the dishwasher – A clean sink and kitchen feel so much more inviting.
• Scrub sinks or wipe bathroom surfaces – Small touch-ups daily prevent bigger cleaning jobs later.
• Wipe down counters and tables – Keeps crumbs, spills, and germs at bay.
• Sweep or vacuum high-traffic areas – Floors can accumulate dirt fast; a quick sweep makes a huge visual difference.

These six tasks are chosen because they have high impact. If you only did these every day, your home would already feel cleaner and more organized than most people manage with bigger, irregular cleaning sessions. If you want to explore a slightly different approach, the 20/10 cleaning method breaks chores into a similar daily and weekly system that’s easy to follow.

Weekly (10) Tasks You Should Know

Daily tasks alone aren’t enough for a truly clean home. That’s where the 10 weekly tasks come in. These are slightly bigger chores that complement the daily ones and prevent backlogs from piling up.

A standard weekly list might include:

• Deep-clean bathrooms (toilet, shower, mirrors)
• Mop all floors
• Dust furniture, shelves, and corners
• Wipe down appliances in the kitchen
• Tidy the pantry or cabinets
• Pet-care cleaning (litter, bedding, feeding areas)
• Change bed linens
• Laundry catch-up (towels, sheets, etc.)
• Vacuum under furniture and rugs
• Quick declutter of common areas

The weekly list focuses on areas that aren’t addressed daily but still impact the overall cleanliness of your home. When paired with your six daily tasks, it creates a rhythm that keeps your home consistently clean without requiring a massive all-day effort. For a more detailed plan covering both weekly and monthly tasks, check out the ultimate whole-house cleaning schedule.

Making It Your Own: Customizing the 6/10 Method

One of the things I love about this system is how flexible it is. Your version of the 6/10 method doesn’t have to look exactly like anyone else’s. You can adjust it depending on your lifestyle:

• Pets – Add extra litter box cleaning, pet hair vacuuming, or feeding station wipe-downs.
• Kids – Factor in toy organization, school laundry, or shared spaces.
• Small apartments – Some daily or weekly tasks may overlap, so you can combine steps to save time.
• Full-time work schedules – Spread tasks throughout the day or week instead of trying to do them all in one go.

You can also swap tasks between daily and weekly depending on what works best for your home. Printable lists, habit trackers, or calendar reminders can help you stick with it, even on busy weeks.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even with a simple system like this, it’s easy to fall into traps if you’re not careful. Here are the mistakes I’ve seen most people make—and how you can avoid them:

• Trying to do everything at once – Focus on your daily six tasks first; weekly chores will follow.
• Ignoring the weekly or quarterly elements – Skipping these leads to hidden messes piling up.
• Not tracking progress – Without a checklist or habit tracker, it’s easy to forget what needs doing.
• Unrealistic expectations for busy weeks – Some days will be lighter; that’s okay. Consistency over perfection is the goal. If you want to dive deeper into common pitfalls and how to fix them, check out 7 cleaning mistakes that could be making you sick.

By being mindful of these pitfalls, you’ll find it much easier to stick with the 6/10 system and actually enjoy a clean, organized home without stress.

Tools & Tips to Stay Consistent

Even the simplest system can fail if you don’t have the right support. Over time, I’ve found a few tools and habits that make sticking with the 6/10 cleaning method much easier:

• Timers – Set a 15-minute block for daily tasks. You’d be surprised how much you can get done when you focus for a short, timed session.
• Cleaning caddy – Keep all your essentials together: sprays, cloths, sponges. No more hunting for supplies mid-clean.
• Printable checklists and calendars – Seeing your daily and weekly tasks visually helps you stay on track and prevents tasks from slipping through the cracks.
• Short video inspiration – TikTok or YouTube clips showing quick cleaning routines can give ideas, motivation, and even hacks to speed up your workflow.

Using these tools doesn’t just make cleaning faster—it makes it feel manageable and even satisfying. You’ll start noticing a difference within days, not weeks.

Wrap-Up: Your Daily Cleaning Made Simple

The 6/10 cleaning method works because it’s simple, flexible, and focused on small, consistent wins. Six daily tasks plus ten weekly ones are enough to keep your home looking and feeling tidy without stress.

Remember, it’s not about perfection. It’s about adapting the system to your life and sticking with it consistently. Start small, track your progress, and let the method work for you.

If this article helped you see how easy daily cleaning can be, I’d love to hear from you! Share your favorite daily task, a tip that works for you, or any questions in the comments below. And if you want more practical tips for building habits that stick and making your home truly feel like new, check out my website Build Like New.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Results may vary depending on your home, lifestyle, and personal habits. Always adapt cleaning routines to what works best for you and your household.