Cleaning a house in ten minutes feels a lot like a pyramid scheme—too good to be true. The word "cleaning" alone might make you sigh, roll your eyes, or mentally compile a list of excuses to avoid it.

You don’t always need a shopping trip or fancy products to make your house feel clean. A lot of what makes a space feel messy has more to do with what’s left out, what piles up, and how often you let ...