I was surprised by how much I enjoyed reading Unfuck, which is saying something for a book about cleaning! Books that try too hard to use chatty language can be cringeworthy, but Hoffman writes about how much cleaning sucks but you have to do it anyway in an accessible and friendly style. The concepts in the book all seemed like straightforward, obvious, common-sense things to be doing; yet they were concepts which I had struggled to articulate to myself or habits which I hadn't known needed a name - I didn't know I was a marathon cleaner or how negative that mindset could be. I also greatly appreciated the sections on mental health and cleaning - I had noticed that my anxiety gets worse when things are messy at home but had not drawn a connection between my perfectionism and the struggle to maintain a 'good enough' order in my house.
For me the content of the book fell into 3 categories:
- The Endless Cycle of Mess
- Practicalities
- Overcoming Barriers
The passages that discuss the never ending nature of cleaning provided a bit of a light-bulb moment for me. They articulated what I have always hated about housework - you spend ages on it and then everything gets messed up within 5 mins. As Hoffman puts it: "shit gets messy over and over again, and it needs to be cleaned over and over again". Her message here is simple: suck it up and get on with it. There is no magic wand, there is just your own effort and motivation to have a pleasant living environment. Getting frustrated and discouraged over the basic fact that life = mess is not going to help.
The sections on practical ways to handle mess introduced the concept of the 20/10 cleaning method. You work for 20 mins, then take a 10 min break. I have tried this method several times and find it genuinely useful. It focuses the mind wonderfully to think "in 20 mins that alarm will go off, how much can I get done before then?" It speaks to my innate competitiveness. It is also good when the DC are around as I can say "mummy is going to be in the kitchen for 20 mins but then I will come and play with you for a bit, ok?". I have made a weekly rota with one 20 min task every night - the last thing I want to do when the DC are finally asleep and we have finally eaten and finally have the chance to sit down and rest for 5 mins is to clean. But without that 'little and often' approach things get out of hand quickly.
Aside from 20/10s the other key cleaning tips in the book are:
- put things away once finished use
- flat surfaces attract crap, keep them clear
- declutter and then get good storage for what you keep
- white vinegar is the cleaning product of choice
There are useful checklists of what to do weekly, monthly and yearly, the order in which to clean a room, and little spots you might overlook.
The sections on barriers to cleaning are sensitive and encouraging. There is a chapter on dealing with reluctant partners or flat mates (communication is key), physical disabilities and mental health issues. And of course the barrier that most of us share - that we can't be arsed, or want to relax, instead of just getting on with it. I found the mental health discussions to be applicable not just to my housekeeping but in other areas of my life as well, such as my struggle with weight loss. The messages are simple - be kind to yourself, do what you can, doing something is better than doing nothing, good enough is good enough - but they are nice to hear and bear repetition.
Key quote: "Here's a fundamental part of human nature: It's difficult for us to change. And we spend a lot of time looking for the miracle that's going to change us, only to be disappointed when human nature wins out and change proves harder than we hoped".
TL;DR: readable and fun with sensible advice, some useful practical tips, and a sensitive approach to mental health barriers. I have found that Unfuck has genuinely changed the way I look at housework and that change is for the better.