The “Surface Sweep” Trick Is So Smart and Easy, You Need to Steal It
Apartment Therapy’s January Cure is a free 20-day program that’ll help you refresh your home for the year ahead. Sign up here and get all assignments delivered to your inbox.
It’s the little cleaning habits you do regularly that make the biggest impact on the overall cleanliness of your home, whether it’s cleaning as you go so no mess can actually accumulate or shutting down the kitchen every night so the place is left spic-and-span. Here’s another smart practice you can incorporate into your cleaning routine, and it might just be the quickest one you’ve ever heard of: It’s called the surface sweep.
Day 16: Do a three-minute surface sweep.
Here’s how the “surface sweep” trick works: Grab a box or bag, set a timer for three minutes, and then spend that time clearing surfaces. You can stay in one room that has a lot of surfaces to get through, or move around your whole home.
Gather anything that doesn’t belong and put it in the bag or box you are carrying with you (think: trash, drinking glasses, charging cords, etc.) and work quickly. Once the timer is up, you’re going to go through your bag or box, return the items to their rightful place, and discard any trash. That’s it!
What simple habits have made a big difference in your life? Share it with us in the community forum.
More ways to participate in the January Cure:
- Sign up for email updates.
- Visit the 2026 January Cure page and catch up on assignments.
- Download the January Cure calendar.
- Activate your free membership to talk about all things Cure in our community forum, check off completed tasks, and track your overall January Cure progress!
The Cure Program is a tradition here at Apartment Therapy — it happens every January, April, and September. Click here to learn more about the year-round program and when to sign up.