Getting Started with TidyTimer: A Free Online Timer for Tidying Up
OBARA Hiroki · Developer
Tidying up rarely fails because it is hard. It fails because it feels open-ended: no clear start, no clear finish, and no obvious first step. TidyTimer gives a session a clear start and a clear finish. In this post I will walk through your first session, from opening the timer to lining up your tasks, so you can go from thinking about tidying to actually tidying in under a minute.
What Is TidyTimer?
TidyTimer is a free online timer designed for tidying up. It runs right in your web browser on your phone, tablet, or computer, with no installs and no accounts. Nothing stands between you and getting started.
The design stays deliberately minimal. You get a large, easy-to-read countdown, eight durations from 5 to 90 minutes, and a task list of up to five tasks to keep your session on track. Sound, vibration, and notification alerts tell you when time is up.
Step 1: Open It in Your Browser
There is no setup to speak of. Visit the TidyTimer site in any browser, and the timer is ready to use. Because it is a web app, it works the same way on a phone in your pocket, a tablet on the kitchen counter, or the laptop on your desk, whichever screen happens to be nearby when the urge to tidy strikes.
No sign-up form appears, and nothing asks for your email. You open the page and you are looking at the timer. That is the whole onboarding.
Step 2: Pick a Duration
Open the settings icon in the top right and you will find a dropdown for the time. You can choose 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 60, or 90 minutes, and it starts at 5. The time you pick is remembered the next time you open the page. Which one should you choose? That depends on the job, but here are a few suggestions to start with:
- 5 minutes for a quick reset: clearing a desk, a countertop, or the floor of one room.
- 15 to 30 minutes for a focused sprint on a single area, like a closet shelf or the entryway.
- 60 to 90 minutes for a proper deep-clean session when you have a free block of time.
If you are not sure, start small. A five-minute session you actually finish beats a ninety-minute session you never start, and when it ends you can press play again to run the same time once more.
Step 3: Line Up Your Tasks
Before you press play, take a moment with the task list. Write down what you want to tackle in this session, for example “clear the table,” “sort the mail,” or “put away laundry.” Lining up tasks gives the session a clear goal from start to finish, and it keeps you from standing in the middle of the room wondering what to do next while the clock runs.
Type a task in the box and press Enter to add it. The list holds up to five tasks, and the box disappears once you reach five. You can check tasks off, tap one to edit it, and drag to reorder. Keep the list realistic for the time you picked. A short session pairs naturally with one or two small tasks, and a longer one can carry a fuller list.
Step 4: Press Play and Tidy
Start the timer and get moving. The controls are simple: play, pause, and reset, with nothing extra to fiddle with mid-session. Reset stops the timer and returns it to the time you set.
How the end of a session is announced depends on the device. On a phone or tablet, you hear one short beep, and the device vibrates if the browser supports it (Safari on iPhone does not). On a computer, you get a browser notification if you allowed notifications, and a beep if not. The alert comes from the page itself, so keep the TidyTimer page open. Whether it sounds while the screen is locked or you are in another app depends on your device and browser. Set it, keep the device nearby, and tidy.
When the alert goes off, you are done. Whatever got finished, got finished. That built-in ending is what makes it easy to start again tomorrow.
Where to Go Next
Once you have a first session behind you, there is more to explore. See how it compares with other timers, browse practical tips for everyday sessions, or see who TidyTimer is for, including uses beyond tidying. You can find all related posts under the tidytimer tag.
If you want to try it, pick a duration, line up one small task, and see how much you can finish before the timer rings.