I Tried the 6/10 Cleaning Method, and Honestly, I Have Mixed Feelings

Keeping up with the regular regimen of dishes, laundry, and such is no easy feat. Fortunately, there are a variety of cleaning schedules and methods available to help individuals and families maintain a tidy home. One approach that has gained popularity in recent years is the 6/10 cleaning method, also know as the “6/10 List.”

I tested out this method for myself and understand now why it’s gained so much traction, but I do have mixed feelings.

What Is the 6/10 Cleaning Method?

The 6/10 cleaning method is a helpful approach to household cleaning that organizes common chores into six daily tasks and 10 weekly tasks. It also includes a monthly list, five tasks, as well as a quarterly list, six tasks.

The 6/10 List was created by Audrey Barton, a busy mom and content creator who publishes organization and cleaning tools and resources under the better known brand name, Organized Chaos.

Barton understood personally the struggle we all face to keep up with cleaning habits and designed this method to help herself and others make consistent cleaning easy to manage and maintain.

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The 6 Daily Tasks

The 10 Weekly Tasks

The 5 Monthly Tasks

• Scrub showers
• Deep clean appliances
• Clean out garage
• Vacuum vehicles
• Clean bathrooms

The 6 Quarterly Tasks

How Did It Go?

I have mixed feelings about the 6/10 cleaning method. I liked the simplicity of six daily tasks and 10 weekly tasks, but I didn’t feel like all of the chores Barton outlined were the best fit for my lifestyle.

Additionally, I liked that the clear structure of the two lists helped me stay focused on a task, but was frustrated that it still took quite a while for me to complete the lists.

Here are my honest thoughts on the 6/10 List: what liked and what I didn’t like.

The Lists Are Straightforward

Oftentimes I postpone certain chores, because I’m too busy fixating on the master list of to-dos. I get overwhelmed before I’ve even begun. With that said, the simplicity of six daily tasks and 10 weekly tasks made the larger goal of a clean home feel attainable.

The Lists Helped Me Stay Focused

As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes I start cleaning my kitchen counters and somehow end up purging my closet 30 minutes later. Barton’s cleaning method helped me stay focused rather than getting distracted with extra, often low-priority, tasks.

The Lists Helped Me Prioritize Chores I’ve Neglected

I consider myself a “tidy” person, but I wouldn’t say cleanliness is my forte. Consequently, the 6/10 List acted as a sort of accountability partner for me. It felt like Barton was tapping on my shoulder, reminding me that it’s been a little while since I’ve vacuumed, and my car could probably use a good clean too.

The Lists Were a Little Time-Consuming

For me, the daily tasks took anywhere from five to 15 minutes each, which means following the schedule would require about an hour of cleaning every day.

The weekly tasks varied, from less than five minutes to clean the pet bowls to 30 minutes for the bathroom. In the future, I’ll spread out the weekly tasks over a couple of days, but I don’t think I will continue spending an hour each day on the six daily tasks.

The Lists Didn’t Fit My Lifestyle

I think the 6/10 List has good bones, but it certainly need a little tweaking to better accommodate my lifestyle. For instance, tenants live below me, so I won’t be vacuuming every day, and one load of laundry per day is a bit excessive for just me and my dog.

The same goes for Barton’s weekly list; I don’t think I’ll clean out my fridge every week, but I definitely should prioritize deep-cleaning my bathroom more often.