We Asked 4 People to Clean and Declutter Their Homes and Tell Us What They Learned — Here’s What They Said
When our sister site, Apartment Therapy, launched its Fall Declutter Cure, we couldn’t sign up fast enough. A 20-day guided class to refresh our hectic, multitasking-more-than-ever homes? Yespleasethankyou. In partnership with The Libman Company, the Declutter Cure delivered daily assignments, tips, and motivation until we could practically hear our spaces sighing with relief. (Sorry you missed it? Don’t be! It’s all right here for you to do on your own time.)
We also wanted to know how everyone else fared, so we asked four Cure participants to tell us how it went for them. We also provided them with Libman cleaning products to execute the cleaning portion of their declutters. Here’s what they accomplished…
Becky Hardin, The Cookie Rookie
It took the Declutter Cure for Becky Hardin — the brains behind the easy, delicious recipes on The Cookie Rookie — to see how lax she’d gotten about organizing the fridge during quarantine. Luckily, the 20-minute timed fridge clean-out of Day 12 gave her some relief.
On the assignment: “I didn’t realize the stress that having a messy fridge was subconsciously putting on me. Doing a timed clean-out was so liberating! Taking 20 minutes to clear out expired products, produce, and leftovers made me breathe easier. I was able to see what we had and realized I could put down Uber Eats and make dinner. A weight has been lifted, and our home is happy!”
On the cleaning: “I loved the Libman Whisk Broom and Dust Pan for cleaning out our fridge. It’s the perfect handheld size for brushing out each shelf and drawer before giving a deeper clean with the fabulous Microfiber Sponge Cloth, which got in all the nooks and crannies. My fridge is cleaner than it’s ever been!”
Angela Davis, The Kitchenista
Food blogger and recipe developer Angela Davis, aka The Kitchenista, is a powerhouse in the kitchen, but her dining room had gotten a bit out of control. So on Day 5 — the one-room reset — she emptied the room completely then added items back more intentionally. She took the opportunity to give the room a good, deep clean.
On the assignment: “I hadn’t seen my dining room empty since we moved in. The clean slate helped me reassess what makes sense in the space and what I didn’t need anymore. I ended up moving some furniture to the living room, which completed that space perfectly, so that was an unexpected bonus! After completing the exercise, I feel much less stressed about my dining room. I now have more space to work on making this room functional so we can stay free from clutter.”
On the cleaning: “The Tornado Mop was easy to use and dries quickly, which is so important for wood floors, and I liked that it worked to dust around the floorboards as well. The Microfiber Duster made an easy job of cleaning my bookshelves and the most neglected spot in the room: my ceiling fan. It was great to clean the underside of shelves and get into nooks and crannies. I feel much less stressed about my dining room.”
Amy Palanjian, Yummy Toddler Food
Mom-of-two Amy Palanjian, who creates kid-approved recipes at Yummy Toddler Food, hadn’t seen the floor of her daughters’ bedroom in ages. It was a problem made for Day 18 of the Declutter Cure: finding a home for everything that accumulates on the floor.
On the assignment: “I had recently added a bunch of bins to the room my girls share, but they were all on the floor, so cleaning was a challenge. (Plus, my four-year-old usually emptied them all out!) Now, I’ve moved the bins into the closet and have her bring one out at a time. The mess is more contained, and it makes my weekly floor cleaning much faster. It’s been a relief to feel like their room is more organized so they can be more in charge of putting their things away at the end of the day.”
On the cleaning: “I love how easy the Libman Freedom Spray Mop is to fill and use and that it was so quick to clean up the dust around the edges of the room. (It’s also made cleaning my bathroom floor so much faster!)”
Naomi Robinson, Bakers Royale
Naomi Robinson, the cookbook author and sweet-treat maker behind Bakers Royale, also needed to hit reset on one space: her reading room, an unruly area of books and random items from elsewhere in the house.
On the assignment: “I never realized how much detoxing a space could boost my mental focus. Once the room was empty, all the surfaces and emptied areas needed a deep clean. Now, I enter my reading room with intention and focus. No more carving out paths to get around the things or trying to ignore the clutter so I can focus.”
On the cleaning: “For the surfaces, I used the Libman Microfiber Duster: The large cleaning pad and microfiber fingers actually capture the dust and allergens rather than just agitating them into the air. For the floor, the Libman Tornado Mop was an absolute game-changer — it took half the time to go from grimy to shiny!”
Inspired to start your own Declutter Cure? Head here to see all 20 days and DIY your way to less stress. And check back on Apartment Therapy on November 7, when we’re launching our special Holiday Cure!