It’s Not Too Late to Join the January Cure… Here’s How to Catch Up in One Hour

January is a month for new beginnings. After all, the calendar starts with a clean slate—so why can’t you?

Because we’re about all things home here at Apartment Therapy, we know the best way we can help on the path to a better you is by giving you advice, tools and encouragement to create a calm and clean space. That’s why we dedicate the start of each year to the January Cure.

Here’s how it works, and how to join and catch up:

The Cure is a one-day-at-a-time email series that’s designed to give you a refreshed space by the end of the month.

Each weekday morning, all month long, we send out a new small assignment for you to tackle that day. It might be making a list, or fluffing the sofa cushions, or cleaning out your medicine cabinet—just something direct and doable that you can get done in probably an hour or less. As the host of the cure (Hi, I’m Taryn, Apartment Therapy’s cleaning and organizing editor), I’ll give you clear directions to follow and helpful tips to get you going on the day’s assignment.

If you follow along with us and complete the assignments, we promise your home will feel cleaner, leaner, and more organized than ever before.

You just need to sign up with your email address. We’ll handle the rest.

Each weekday morning, look out for a new assignment, and make a dedication to get that one small thing done. Or don’t. One of the reasons the January Cure has become such a staple for Apartment Therapy is that it’s adaptable. Our community of readers (who you’ll see in the comments of the post each day) often chime in to share how they’re remixing that day’s assignment to suit their space, or even skipping the assignment if they don’t have time.

The important thing is that you commit to trying, and find moments throughout the month to do something small to make your home a happier place to be. It’s about progress, not perfection.

The Cure kicked off on January 2, so we’re a few days in. But no sweat! You can can catch up in about an hour.

First, I’ll outline the assignments so far (I’ll include links so you can see the original posts), plus a crash course version of each one to get you on track.

The cure kicks off with an assignment to declutter a drawer, anywhere in your home. The idea is to learn how motivating and impactful small efforts can be.

Shortcut: Set a timer for five minutes and pick a drawer (or closet, or cabinet, or any area) to declutter. Remove anything you don’t need, and put it into a bag or box—we’ll come back to it in a second.

Time: 10 minutes

The second step of the Cure is walk around your home and make a list of projects you want to work on—anything from quieting a squeaky door, to replacing the sheets on the bed, to dusting and reorganizing the bookshelf.

Shortcut: Make a list of rooms in your home, then identify three things in each room that need work.

Time: 15 minutes

On weekends during the Cure, we start with putting out flowers to add life to our space, then dig in on a deep clean in one area. This weekend, it’s the bedroom.

Shortcut: Gather your cleaning supplies, then set a timer for 30 minutes. Use the time to clean as much as you can in the bedroom. Start by picking up clothes and belongings, then dust your surfaces, vacuum the floor, and make the bed. Then get yourself some flowers later to reward yourself for getting all caught up on the Cure. See you Monday!

Time: 35 minutes

That’s it! You’re ready for the rest of the Cure!

There’s a handy PDF calendar to keep you on track, and you can visit the January Cure page any time to see all the assignments.

See you Monday!

Visit the 2019 January Cure Main Page

Download the printable PDF calendar: January Cure 2019

Share your progress on Instagram: #thejanuarycure