Unfuck Your Habitat is the guide you need if you're chronically ill, struggle with mental health issues, have ADHD, or just honestly really hate cleaning. It has a ton of practical and useful tips for getting and keeping your spaces clean, and for being kind to yourself. I love that the author doesn't talk down or judge people who struggle to clean - it is very informed about cleaning-related trauma and psychological reasons that people may struggle to keep their spaces clean. I wish I'd read this book sooner - I was able to find a bunch of tips and tricks I use already because I found them elsewhere, but it took me months of looking all over the internet, spending time on ADHD TikTok, etc. but I kept thinking about how if I'd listened to this at the start of my journey, I would have been a lot less hard on myself and maybe started trying to cut my bad "marathon cleaning" habit earlier. It breaks things down into very manageable steps and starts with tasks that are simple but also make a significant difference so that you get that feeling of accomplishment and can see progress from the start, keeping you more motivated to keep going. I also really liked that it included different types of cleaning - from the "my house is going to be on the next episode of Hoarders if I don't do something now" situation, to the "my dad just called to say he's dropping by in the next 20 minutes" scenario, and even down to the digital life (@ me next time about those thousands of emails, Rachel!)

Each section has "challenges" and "mini challenges" to put the words into action. Reading this back when I first started would have been super helpful and motivating, but reading it now was also a boost of confidence and pride in how much I have accomplished - most of the process is something I already do (other than the 20-10, also known as the Pomodoro Technique, which is supposed to be useful for people with ADHD but something that is not quite effective for me because once I stop, my motivation crawls back into whatever cave-system it usually hibernates in and refuses to come back out. Instead, I use a system I like to call "reward-as-you-clean," by cleaning while listening to a podcast or music or an audiobook).

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

Loved this so much I went out and bought a copy after finishing the Netgalley version! Just what I needed just when I needed it. And a book I will dip in and out of for years to come.

I think this book has some great advice for how to not feel overwhelmed when trying to clean up a really messy home. I need to put it into practice! I also appreciated that the book addressed mental illness and other issues that can make it so difficult to keep on top of housework. I will likely be buying a print copy for myself at some point.

You know, I waited a long time to review this book, mostly because I couldn't quite get the rights words to describe my appreciation for its existence. I struggle with organization and keeping my house tidy, I am disabled and autistic and these things really do limit my ability to keep my surroundings up to the standards I want. So like many others I turn to books, blogs, pinterest...and almost all of them cater to the typical healthy householders with several kids, a dog, and all the energy in the world to make their houses look immaculate. It was disheartening, why could I never find advice out there for people like me?

Then this book came along and boy does it ever make me happy! Honestly the advice was not really new (my mom is also disabled and a neat freak and manages to keep her house immaculate and has taught me many things) the 10/20 technique is one I have taken to heart and it keeps me from overdoing things, but having a book out there that says 'yeah, you are not perfect and your house doesn't have to be perfect' made me very glad for the representation.

I am still hunting the perfect guide to small space organization for someone with the attention span of a noodle and more specific ways to do heavy cleaning and such when your body doesn't work, but I think I need to just go to trial and error. And when I do check out pinterest and its ilk I no longer get frustrated because I know that there is at least one book out there that is not afraid to say fuck it.

I really enjoyed the tone of this. Unlike most books in this genre, it was written for people who have no interest in cleaning, are bad it, never learned how, or have other challenges including depression that prevent them from keeping up with housework. I though the approach was very reasonable, do a little at a time, 20 minutes, then take a break.

I felt that this was aimed at horders and people with serious problems and, as such, more detail on exactly how to mop or clean or similar would have been useful.

“You look around your house and realize that you haven’t picked anything up in weeks,” and you have stuff left out over-crowded counter tops, or your bedroom is full of clutter, and the list goes on and on.

¿Busy or lazy?

“Lots of people in lots of situations find themselves not up to the task of keeping their home in order.” Rachel Hoffman summarizes several cases on her book Unf*ck Your Habitat such as: busy, too broke to have a full-time maid, mental illness or disabilities, on their own for the first time, lazy people or perfectionists.

Whatever the reason for your messy home, whether a lack of skills or motivation, Unf*ck Your Habitat focuses on teaching actions about cleaning, organizing, and housekeeping adapted to your lifestyle and schedule, so “you can finally do the things you want to do in a home that you don’t hate spending time in.”

Gender roles

Even though Rachel Hoffman addresses the traditional gender roles as archaic and outdated, the Working Mother Research Institute interviewed more than 1,000 working parents in dual-income families with kids at home and “79 percent of moms with kids under age 18 at home say they’re primarily responsible for laundry,… Even among moms who are the primary earners in their families, 62 percent claim laundry duty.”

The survey results show “the breakdown in household chores still looks surprisingly similar to our grandmother’s day.” However, the results don’t mean the surveyed are happy with them, as Rachel Hoffman states about gender roles and cleaning, “just offer a handy excuse for half the population to be lazy and the other half to feel guilty.” You can read here how a marriage that participated in the survey dealt with the situation.

3 Unf*ck Your Habitat actions you can take right away

“The first step in turning our messes into something we can happily live with is realizing that it’s time to rethink the way we approach housekeeping and organizing and how they fit into the lives we actually live.”

The 20/10s: It consists on “breaking your tasks down into manageable chunks of time” instead of a “marathon cleaning.” The basic process is cleaning for 20 minutes and afterward taking a 10-minute break. Moreover, you choose how many 20/10s intervals you can go for according to your lifestyle.

A home for everything: “Find a logical home for each item and put it away.” Putting everything in its designated place keeps things in order.

Make your bed: “Taking a minute to make your bed immediately snaps some order into the chaos.” Furthermore, making your bed is a small task to start creating a habit if you are so out of track with your cleaning and organizing routines.

You can check Unf*ck Your Habitat website for cleaning lists and more information about the UfYH system.

Although “it’s not necessarily going to be the most interesting or fulfilling part of your day,” to make a habit of cleaning, organizing and housekeeping is worth the effort so you can spend time in a house that you love despite it not looking like a magazine perfect space.

Unf*ck Your Habitat is a self-help book for cleaning - it's probably primarily aimed at young adults and those leaving home for the first time. Surprisingly, for a book about cleaning, I actually quite enjoyed reading Unf*ck Your Habitat and couldn't put it down!

Personally, I think Unf*ck Your Habitat is the perfect book for those learning to keep a house. It's full of so many tips to help clean and I particularly liked the 20:10 idea, as well as the tips for moving house. I also thought the checklists at the back were very handy and they mean that nothing is overlooked.

I loved that Unf*ck Your Habitat acknowledges that your home will never be a pristine 24/7 and that we don't live in show homes. I mean I think I'm fairly tidy, but life happens and things come up so you can't be chained to the kitchen sink. I also loved that Unf*ck Your Habitat discusses specific issues, such as physical and mental health and even hoarding. These can most definitely hinder someone's ability to clean.

I found Unf*ck Your Habitat to be such a unique self-help book for cleaning (not that I've read many books about cleaning). But the humorous and colloquial language used by Hoffman makes it entertaining and I for one wanted to get up and start cleaning. It's such an easy to relate to book and, dare-I-say-it, it makes the idea of cleaning fun.

I do, however, wish there were slightly more detailed and specific tips throughout Unf*ck Your Habitat. I found that the book spoke in length about a handful of tips really - particularly reiterating the 20:10 idea a lot. I also think the book could have included a few photos or diagrams as examples to reiterate a few points, particularly during the discussions about the benefits of taking before and after pictures.

Unf*ck Your Habitat is a very good read, full of get-up-and-go. I would recommend Unf*ck Your Habitat to young adults and those moving away from home. I think even busy professionals may pick up a few tips too. It's a great starter for cleaning anyway, and I think a lot of people may benefit from this book.

This book made me feel better about my housekeeping situation. I have started decluttering and opening up our spaces. I have also started on my way to settting up my own workalbe cleaning schedule. Thank you so much!

*I received this book through netgalley, but all thought and ideas are my own*

20/10

literally that is the majority of the book. Other than that-- not much seemed to appeal or speak to me. The majority of the book is set up to support the main thesis <b> 20 minutes of work then 10 minutes of a break</b> therefore after the introduction I was pretty bored.

There were some interesting parts and sections I thought would be helpful or reassuring to other people, so I can't totally write it off.

One thing about the book I really am grateful for are the resources and checklists in the back of the book. That is what I will refer to frequently until I've cleaned enough and regularly to remember how often to clean.

I know I've only given it a 3 star review, but I would recommend this book to other people and maybe even friends-- a good library book resource to browse understand.

As a huge fan of the Tumblr site Unfuck Your Habitat, I was thrilled when I learned Rachel Hoffman had secured a book deal. This how-to manual on developing a housekeeping and organizational system for those of us who have been past failures in these areas is perfect, both helpful and hilarious. Hoffman takes a realistic approach to these tasks, addressing living situations other than that of the everyday homemaker usually depicted in most books of this genre. Her engaging manner keeps readers’ attention and breaks tasks down into their simplest forms so that even the most domestically challenged person can find success. {Thanks to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley}

Very good book full of tips on how to order and clean your home!
It is a book with very useful information that part considering the fact that you may never have acquired those skills and do not know where to start. What I liked is that Rachel Hoffman is very honest in her recommendations, for example, that each person can be solved by the most economical means, or that you don't need specialized stuff to clean. I myself have some experience because I lived alone for years, and have carried out practices that suggests the author and acknowledge that they are functional.
Everything is explained in a very grounded way to reality, with a lot of common sense. She also tells us about the importance of organizing stuff in the house, how to develop skills and habits slowly but steadily. There are tips in each chapter, for example, how to do a little each day to get more efficient cumulative results, various cleaning solutions and supplies, reaching agreements with other people with whom we share the space. The newfangled part of the book is the chapter on Special Cases, where it makes pertinent suggestions for ordering and cleaning in record time a disastrous house to receive a visit, or prepare for a move, and even clean up our digital virtual space. The book ends with a very useful "How to" and cleaning check lists.
My gratitude to the Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review the book

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

Listen, I’m not a slob. Or a hoarder (well I do like my books!) But a couple of years ago, I was having my bathroom re-done and during that time I had the brilliant idea of hiring someone else to do several things to my house ( most specifically- giving me a Carrie Bradshaw style closet from Sex and The City: The Movie). Because I knew people were going to be in and out working, etc I decided to start downsizing some books and other assorted things. As I interviewed person after person, got prices, etc it became clear to me that no one in my area was interested in doing this job or if they were interested, they wanted to charge the price of a fully loaded SUV. So, I put that idea on the backburner.

However, the appeal of having a place that was eye-catching, comfortable and most importantly… RELAXING still appealed to me. Here is where Unf*ck Your Habitat came in.

After seeing this book on Netgalley, I was hoping for something that would light a fire under me, get me motivated to make my place the best possible version. I was also hoping for some Sarah Knight-ish laughs and wisdom ala The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck.

While Rachel did not provide the laughs, I was hoping for- she did have some ideas and methods that I have been using and they really do make sense.

I adore Rachel’s 20/10 plan (clean for 20 minutes, rest for 10- adjust the numbers if need be!) And I liked her reassurance that your house doesn’t have to be Southern Living ready to be clean, organized and relaxing.

Her ideas are not ground-breaking, but they are common sense-type ideas to give you the motivation to get things how you want them. There is also notes on how to not resent the roommates, etc that might be standing in your way of having the house you envision and how to help a friend who needs help.

Bottom line: While not funny as I had hope, Rachel Hoffman does give you a good foundation of rules for getting your area in shape!



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*



Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,

T @ Traveling With T

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started Unf*ck Your Habitat. I’m someone who adores Marie Kondō’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up but finds it highly impractical for real life. The blurb (and, of course, title) for Unf*ck Your Habitat caught my eye, so I had to give it a try.

Rachel Hoffman has a friendly, no-nonsense writing style that makes her relatable from the start and is sure to set any reader at ease. What sets Unf*ck Your Habitat apart is that Ms. Hoffman recognizes that a large majority of people who are cleaning and organizing their space aren’t traditional homemakers. This book addresses a wide range of people, highlighting issues that arise for single people with full-time jobs, those with roommates, students in dorm rooms, people with mental illness or physical limitations, and so forth. I was impressed by the inclusiveness of this book first and foremost. Ms. Hoffman provides helpful tips for multiple situations and gives ideas on how to talk people should you require assistance. I have never before seen a cleaning/organizational book that addresses such a wide range of people who don’t live in the traditional homemaker model, and I really appreciated it.

Glossy magazine articles and idealized Pinterest home organization pins give the idea of a home that is just not attainable for most people. Ms. Hoffman’s 20/10 system (twenty minutes of cleaning and then a ten minute break) is modifiable for those who need it. Furthermore, her method of cleaning and organizing is one most people can adapt to their needs. In this book, there’s no shame in being overwhelmed and not knowing where to start. Ms. Hoffman’s tips and tricks keep you on-task and prevent you from getting worn out and giving up. All in all, I found Unf*ck Your Habitat to be an interesting, motivational, and – most importantly – practical book for a wide range of people interested in, well, unf*cking their home.