Opening Thoughts

Do you ever feel like collapsing on the couch when you come home to a cluttered house? As a newly employed worker, I totally understand this feeling. I used to be troubled by this too: even after spending an entire Sunday cleaning, within a few days, my home would look like a mess again. It wasn't until I mastered some cleaning techniques that I finally solved this problem. Today I'll share my insights with you, guaranteed to improve your quality of home life!

Paradigm Shift

Honestly, before learning these cleaning techniques, I was literally killing myself cleaning. I remember once spending an entire afternoon cleaning my 400-square-foot apartment, only to find another layer of dust on the floor the next day! Later I realized that I had been cleaning the floor until it shined, then cleaning the ceiling and walls - wasn't I just making things harder for myself?

This situation is all too common around us. Take my roommate for example - she would clean wherever she saw dirt, a bit here today, a bit there tomorrow, seemingly never finished. Then one day, while scrolling through short videos, I accidentally discovered the "top-to-bottom" cleaning principle, which completely changed my life! Now I can clean the same area in just one hour, improving efficiency several times over.

Core Principle

The "top-to-bottom" cleaning principle might sound mysterious, but the principle is super simple - all cleaning actions should follow a high-to-low order. Doesn't this method sound logical? After all, dust doesn't float upward, it always falls down!

This method was first proposed by Japanese housekeeping guru Noriko Kondo. She reportedly found that using this method could reduce cleaning time by over 40%. For us office workers who frequently work overtime, every minute saved is a minute earned!

Noriko Kondo particularly emphasized one point: cleaning isn't just physical labor, but work that requires wisdom. Through proper planning and correct methods, we can achieve better results in less time. This reminds me of the "work smarter, not harder" concept we often talk about in coding - turns out housekeeping follows the same principle.

Practical Guide

So how do we implement this? Let me share my practical experience. First, you need proper tools, like a long-handled duster. I used to tie a cloth to a mop because I thought it was easier - it looked funny, but worked surprisingly well!

The first step in cleaning starts with the ceiling. To be honest, I felt uncomfortable doing this at first, thinking the floor was dirtier and should be cleaned first. But after several attempts, I found this order truly scientific. After cleaning the ceiling, proceed in order to clean chandeliers, wall-mounted items, windows, various furniture surfaces, and finally the floor.

I've also developed a small tip: when cleaning each surface, make sure to clean it thoroughly in one go. Just like when we're coding, try to avoid repetitive work. For instance, when cleaning a bookshelf, rather than hastily wiping it once, take all the books down first, clean the shelf thoroughly, then clean each book before putting them back. Although it might take more time initially, at least you won't need to keep wiping repeatedly.