Unf*ck Your Habitat: You're Better Than Your Mess

by Rachel Hoffman

Finally, a housekeeping and organizational system developed for those who'd describe their current living situation as a 'f*cking mess' that you 'really need to get around to fixing one day'.

Rachel Hoffman began Unf*ck Your Habitat as a Tumblr blog using daily, weekly, and mini challenges to motivate the lazy to get up and start cleaning. She launched Unf*ck Your Habitat in book form, for anyone who has been left behind by traditional aspirational systems. The ones that so often ignore single people; people without kids; students; people with pets or roommates; those with full-time jobs; and people with mental illnesses, chronic illnesses, and physical limitations.

Most organizational books are aimed at devoted homemakers, DIY-ers, and people who seem to have unimaginable amounts of free time. They assume we all iron our sheets, have linen napkins that match our table runners, and can keep plants alive for longer than a week.

Basically, they ignore most of us living here in the real world.

Interspersed with lists, challenges and other how-tos, this no-nonsense advice relies on UfYH's 20/10 system (20 minutes of cleaning followed by a 10-minute break; no marathon cleaning allowed) in order to help you develop lifelong habits. It's designed to encourage the reader to embrace a new lifestyle in manageable sections, so they can actually start applying the tactics as they progress. For everyone stuck between The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Adulting, this philosophy is decidedly more realistic than aspirational, but the goal is the same: not everyone will have a showcase of a home, but whatever your habitat, you deserve for it to bring you happiness, not stress.

• ISBN10: 1509830200
• ISBN13: 9781509830206
• Publish Date: 29 December 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Bluebird
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[Jamie]

I thought this book was good and aligned with things that my mom has taught me over the years. Definitely took some notes, which I will be referring to in the future.

[merryfaith]

I know I at least started the physical version of this years ago, but I don't have it in my goodreads history so maybe I didn't finish before the library loan was done? Or I just forgot to log it. Anyway, since I'm working through Cleaning Sucks (Hoffman's journal/workbook with the UFYH ethos) now and the audiobook was available at my library, I thought it may be worth it to refresh my memory.

I really like this book, and UFYH in general, but I am definitely its target audience: someone who doesn't currently have even a basic cleaning/tidying/etc routine and almost always has her house out of control (or headed that way) until company comes (and even then, it's a lot of shoving things into closets and rooms and shutting the door). This book is a good primer for those of us who need to figure out how to keep housekeeping manageable, maybe we're often overwhelmed or really busy, but don't find other more stringent systems (like Flylady) work for us. It's also GREAT for people with mental health or chronic health problems because the majority of cleaning books and systems don't factor in the impact they have on even the most basic duties.

So, this may not be for you. I think most books in this genre can be hit or miss for folks. Definitely check it out from your library if you can in one format or another and glean whatever is useful for you and do away with the rest. Or, just check out the UFYH website/blog/app and checklists.

But if you're like me and have been looking around your home and feeling distraught, and just end up on the couch or bed with netflix or a book because you don't know where to even begin (and it seems too exhausting to, and who is coming over in 2020 anyway??)- this is for us.

[ibeforem]

This was a good quick read, though it's nothing earth-shattering. It's basically about getting your house/life clean 20 minutes at a time. It's a good method, especially if you've let things get out of control and just don't know where to begin. It also gives some attention to people that have disabilities or mental illness or just situations in their lives that means cleaning falls to the back burner.

On the practical side, she does include some checklists and tips for you to follow. It's a motivating little read -- just don't be afraid of a little bad language!

[Hillary]

This is a book that felt like it was written just for me. I admit it. I am a slob. However, my relationship with the Elf Prince has taken a serious turn, and I guess he expects the house that we will live in in the future to be reasonably clean. SO TIME TO GET MY ASS IN GEAR.

What I like about this book is that even though the author does have some nice talk moments most of the time it s advice like "ya gotta get off your ass" "it is gonna suck, no one likes cleaning" somehow hearing that cleaning sucks but that I DO deserve to live in a clean environment, so I just need to get up off my ass and do some 20/10's.

The 20/10 is my favorite thing I have read out of all my cleaning books. I used to do the infamous marathon cleaning and let me tell you it has NEVER worked out well and it NEVER will. So I read to do what you can in 20 minutes and then take a ten-minute break. I downloaded the app onto my phone and made a list of all the shit I need to do and got my ass in gear and did some 20/10 and guess what my apt is now passably clean after only three days. I feel so proud.

She also gives the exact kind of pep talk that people like me need. Yes, Hillary, You have bipolar, and some days you won't be able to get out of bed. That's OK but the days when you feel fine to GET UP OFF YOUR ASS AND DO SOME 20/10'S!!! That kinda talk just fires me up. I know some people wouldn't take kindly to the harshness of it, but for me, if you start me down the road to self-pity I will go down that path and never find my way back. I cant afford to do that, so I like the people that scream at me that all I need to do it to get off my damn ass and do some 20/10's. Go to the Gym and even if you only walked ten mins that are better than sitting on my ass. Get up take a shower and put on clean PJ's. Some day the gym and showering and putting on clean pj's then going back to bed are all I can do, BUT I GOT OFF MY ASS. So see this is why I feel this book was written just for me.

I admit I was so inspired I bought the audio version to listen to while I clean. Hearing gets up off your ass, and all of that does pump some much-needed motivation in me.

Like I said I downloaded the app in the app store and made a list of all I need to get done and it will keep time for you. You push start and do everything you can in 20 mins then take a ten min break then work and break until u start to feel tired or antsy.



I am gonna be honest most of my cleaning fears are because when I tried to help my mom when I was small, she would yell and scream at me for not doing it perfectly, so I quit. I DO have negative emotions tied to cleaning, and the book even addresses that. I was pleased. I was even more pleased with her suggestion you do 5 20/10? TREAT YO SELF! Go to the bookstore or get a massage or something. You gotta retrain your brain to like cleaning. I took it a step father and went and got some Mrs. Meyers stuff cause it all smalled like lavender. It cost a shitload in the health food store but I am going to try  Grove Collaborative         I will let y'all know how it goes.

No matter WHY you are a slob she addresses various reasons AND gives ways to get past the block and to get your house in order because the author is right, you DESERVE to live in a  clean environment, and you are better than your mess so buy this book and join me as we work to put out houses together!This review was originally posted on Adventures in Never Never Land

[Kait ✨]

I don’t know what it is about books about cleaning but apparently that’s my jam (???). This one would be useful to young people just moving out of home or people who just never learned to clean, as it’s pretty basic. I already do pretty much everything this book discusses... except I will admit my floordrobe can get pretty out of control.