"Check the code IN cleaner than you checked it OUT - every single time."
🔸 TLDR
▪️ Make tiny cleanups on every change. Small wins ➜ big maintainability over time 🧩
🔸 CONTEXT
Uncle Bob’s “Boy Scout Rule” is simple:
▪️ Always leave the code a little cleaner than you found it — every single time ✅
Not a massive refactor. Not a rewrite. Just a small improvement that compounds. 📈
🔸 WHY IT WORKS
▪️ It fights “broken windows” 🪟 (mess invites more mess)
▪️ It keeps tech debt from silently snowballing ❄️
▪️ It makes reviews easier and future changes safer 🛡️
▪️ It turns “cleanup” into a habit, not a big scary project 🔁
🔸 WHAT “CLEANER” LOOKS LIKE (PRACTICAL EXAMPLES)
▪️ Rename a confusing variable (x ➜ discountRate) 🏷️
▪️ Extract a tiny method to remove duplication ✂️
▪️ Add one missing test for the bug you’re fixing ✅
▪️ Delete dead code / unused imports 🧹
▪️ Improve one error message or log line 🧾
▪️ Replace a “magic number” with a named constant 🔢
▪️ Add a short comment only where intent isn’t obvious 💬
🔸 HOW TO APPLY IT WITHOUT STARTING A WAR 😄
▪️ Keep it scoped: clean what you touch, not the whole module 🎯
▪️ Do it in small commits (or small PR chunks) 🧱
▪️ If cleanup is bigger than the task, flag it and plan it 🗺️
▪️ Align with team conventions (formatting, naming, architecture) 🤝
🔸 TAKEAWAYS
▪️ Consistency beats hero refactors 🦸♂️
▪️ “Cleaner” can be 1% better — but done daily, it’s huge 📆
▪️ Leave the campsite better than you found it ⛺➡️✨
▪️ Your future self (and teammates) will thank you 🙌
What’s your favorite “1% cleanup” move during a PR review? 👇
#CleanCode #SoftwareEngineering #Refactoring #CodeQuality #TechDebt #Programming #DeveloperExperience #TeamWork #BestPractices #Java #Spring #Architecture