If you’ve ever looked around your home and felt utterly overwhelmed by the mess, you’re not alone. Even the internet’s most beloved cleaning social media personalities, like Anna Louisa, have been there.
With over 4 million followers hanging on her every cleaning hack, you’d think Anna was born with a mop in one hand and a label maker in the other.
But as she candidly admits, ‘I’ve never been a naturally tidy person— I had the typical teenager “floordrobe”—and, when I became a mum, my home was rarely tidy and I always felt “behind” on the housework.’
Does this sound familiar? For many people, especially those juggling work, family, and the general chaos of life, keeping a perfectly tidy home can feel like chasing a mirage.
Anna’s story is a breath of fresh air: she didn’t start loving housework or have hours to devote to cleaning once she became a parent. The pressure to keep everything perfect just made her feel worse.
So, what did she do? She turned to social media, sharing her struggles and searching for simple, realistic solutions.
The result? The now-famous 5-Minute Clean Routine, which she details in her new book and which has taken the internet by storm.
The concept is delightfully simple: pick one spot, set a five-minute timer, and start. There is no pressure to finish the whole room—do what you can in that window.
Anna said, ‘The magic is in building the habit, not smashing your way through everything at once. Once you see how much you can do in five minutes, it gets easier to keep going.’
This approach is a game-changer for anyone who’s ever felt paralysed by the sheer scale of the mess.
Five minutes feels possible, even on the busiest or most overwhelming days. And those little wins? They add up, giving you a sense of achievement and control, even when everything else feels hard.
Why does it work?
Let’s be honest: cleaning is a never-ending job. There’s always something else to do, and when you’re already stretched thin, tidying on top of everything else can feel exhausting before you’ve even started.
‘There’s this idea that if you can’t do a full deep clean, it’s not worth doing anything at all—and that’s just not true. The five-minute routine breaks that cycle. It gives you permission to do something, even if it’s small, and reminds you that effort counts—not just perfection.’
Research into habit formation and motivation supports this. When a task feels too big, we’re more likely to avoid it altogether.
But breaking it down into tiny, manageable chunks makes it much easier to get started—and once you start, you often find the momentum to keep going.
Anna’s book offers suggestions for daily five-minute tasks, but she encourages you to start with whatever feels most urgent.
The best part of the five-minute routine is that it takes away the most daunting part of any big job: getting started. Five minutes won’t keep your whole house spotless, but it’s not meant to.
The real power is in the momentum it creates. What started as a quick tidy of my worktops was a deep clean of my kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom.
Anna weaves these five-minute bursts throughout her day—while the kettle boils, during nap time, or in those odd minutes before heading out the door.
‘You can do as many five-minute bursts as you need, but even just one or two a day can make a big difference. It’s not about how much time you spend—it’s about being consistent and giving yourself credit for the effort,’ she said..
‘Some days that’s five minutes, some days it’s nothing. That’s okay. It’s a flexible routine, not a rulebook.’
For many Australians, life can be busy in different ways. Maybe you’re caring for grandkids, working part-time, or enjoying retirement, but you still want a tidy home without cleaning all day.
The five-minute routine is perfect: it’s gentle on the body, easy to fit into any schedule, and doesn’t require a marathon effort.
Plus, as we get older, it’s important to avoid overexertion. Regular bursts of activity are much kinder to joints and energy levels than hours of scrubbing. And let’s face it, we’ve earned the right to take it easy!
Have you tried the five-minute clean routine, or do you have your quick cleaning hacks? What works for you when it comes to keeping your home tidy without feeling overwhelmed? Share your tips, stories, and questions in the comments below.
Also read: Try the 60-second rule that transformed cleaning for one woman
