We’ve all been there. You start off the week with good intentions. The house is clean, the laundry is caught up, and the dishes are done. But then life happens. The kids have soccer practice, you have to work late, and suddenly the house is a mess again. It can be frustrating trying to keep up with it all.
Let’s face it, cleaning the house is not most people’s favorite activity. It’s easy to let things go and let the dirt and dust accumulate. However, there are some good reasons to keep a clean house. A clean house is a healthy house. It’s also been shown that people are more productive in a clean environment. If you’re having trouble mustering up the motivation to clean, here are some tips to help you get started.
Start Small
Don’t try to do too much at once or you will quickly become overwhelmed and discouraged. Pick one room to focus on or one specific task such as vacuuming or dusting. Once you’ve tackled that, move on to the next thing on your list.
For me, I always start from the kitchen because it is the heart of our home. I would clear the dishes, wipe down the countertops and sweep the floor. After that, I would move on to the living room. Once those two rooms are done, I’ll continue with the bathroom and bedrooms.
The key is to take it one step at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed.
Set a Timer
Sometimes all it takes is to set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes and see how much you can get done in that time. Once the timer goes off, you can take a break. More often than not, you’ll find that you want to keep going and finish what you started.
Setting a timer is a great way to trick your brain into getting started. Once you start, you’ll often find that you don’t want to stop.
Make It a Habit
One of the best ways to find the motivation to keep your house clean is to make it a habit. That means setting aside time each day to tidy up, do the laundry, and run the vacuum. It doesn’t have to be a lot of time, just enough to keep things from getting too out of control. And if you can get everyone in the family involved, that’s even better.
Just like brushing your teeth or taking a shower, making cleaning part of your daily routine will help make it feel less like a chore and more like second nature.
Create a Cleaning Schedule
Once you’ve made cleaning part of your daily routine, you can start thinking about creating a cleaning schedule. This will help you stay on top of things and make sure that everything gets done on a regular basis.
Start by making a list of all the tasks that need to be done each week, such as dusting, mopping, vacuuming, etc. Then you can break those down into daily or weekly tasks. For example, you might vacuum every other day and mop once a week. Or you might dust on Mondays and Wednesdays and vacuum on Thursdays and Fridays. Whatever works for you!
Create a Cleaning Playlist on Spotify
Add some of your favorite songs to a playlist on Spotify and listen to it while you clean. This will help pass the time and make the task feel less like a chore. The upbeat music will also help give you a boost of energy and make you want to move around more.
Invest in a Good Vacuum Cleaner (or Any Cleaning Gear)
This may seem like an odd tip, but hear me out. If you have a good vacuum cleaner that you enjoy using, you’re more likely to use it more often. We’ve had our share of cheap vacuums over the years and they’ve all been terrible. But when we finally invested in a good one, it made such a difference.
The same goes for any other cleaning gear you use. If you have mops and brooms that are comfortable to use and make the task easier, you’re more likely to want to use them.
I still remember the site when I brought home our sparking new robot vacuum for the first time. The kids were thrilled and couldn’t wait to see it in action. They sat on the sofa and watched as it went around the room, picking up all the dirt and debris. It was so satisfying to see the house getting clean without any effort on my part.
Set Some Goals
Another great way to find motivation is to set some goals for yourself. For example, maybe you want to declutter your home or get rid of anything you don’t use or need. Or maybe your goal is to deep clean your kitchen or bathroom once a month. Whatever it is, make sure it’s something that you can realistically achieve so that you don’t get discouraged along the way. And speaking of goals…
Give Yourself Some Rewards
Let’s be honest, cleaning isn’t always fun (despite what those cute little Clorox commercials would have us believe). But that doesn’t mean we can’t give ourselves a little something extra for a job well done!
Maybe after you finish dusting all the furniture in your living room, you treat yourself to 10 minutes of reading or watching TV before moving on to the next task on your list. Or maybe after vacuuming all the floors in your house, you give yourself permission to take a nice long bubble bath (with no interruptions!). Whatever it is that makes YOU feel good, go for it! You deserve it!
Conclusion
Cleaning can be tough—but it doesn’t have to be! Although it’s not the most glamorous task in the world, it’s important to keep our homes clean and tidy. By following these tips, you can make cleaning a little bit easier and hopefully even find some enjoyment in it!
What are your best tips for making cleaning more bearable? Share them with us in the comments below!
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