The 20 Minute Cave Clean Routine

Broom head on wood floor

If your spring clean takes up the whole weekend, you are doing something wrong. Cleaning is much easier when split into small, recurring sessions instead of a single one so massive it’s branded as an annual event.

So why do we continuously let things accumulate? Is it because we don’t know where to start? Is it because we have better things to do? We would rather watch TV than to dust windowsills but I think the issue is with not knowing where to start and how often to do it.

By creating and sticking to a plan until it is second nature (roughly once a week for 3 months), not only will you have a clutter-free space, but you will get to relax while others go into spring cleaning season.

Step 1: Assess the situation

Close your eyes and picture what your man cave looked on the day it was complete. The placement of the coffee table, the surround sound speakers with nothing on top. Every little detail.

Open your eyes and point out all the unnecessary junk and rubbish in front of you. Situation = accessed!

Did you open your eyes and see the same? Huge props, you’re already a cleaning master.

Time: 2 minutes - 18 minutes to go!

Step 2: Take away the dishes

A normal Wednesday and the day after the game both result in dishes needing to be cleared. Pizza boxes used as coasters, bottle caps dispersed around the room, bowls doing a balancing act on the edge of the cabinet. Throwing these things out or chucking them in the dishwasher makes the biggest impact on a clean room.

Time: 5 minutes - 13 minutes to go!

Step 3: Put things back in their place

During your tidying rampage you may have bumped into your recliner, knocked a light over, or flung a charger across the room. Once you have got your breath back, put them back into place.

This includes folding up the camping chairs and putting them in the closet, filing away loose bills.. you get the idea.

Time: 3 minutes - 10 minutes to go!

Step 4: Vacuum

The most dreaded task of them all - vacuuming. Just thinking about dragging a bulky vacuum to your den, plugging it in, and all the while risking your back giving out will make a man cringe.

Again, make your life easier and get a handheld vacuum! We recommend the Bissell’s Hand Held Corded Vacuum found here.

Use a broom to sweep the floor and push everything to one corner. Flick on your new hand-held companion and go to town. Run it across the windowsills, console tables, picture frames, down the crevices of your couch - basically, if it has a surface, it has a coating of dust.

Time: 10 minutes - mission complete!


Make the process less daunting by:

  • Putting on music
  • Starting a countdown timer and racing yourself
  • Trick your kids into helping out
  • Reward yourself with a cold, refreshing beer