Many people struggle to get motivated to clean and organize their house
There are a lot of reasons this is the case. For some, it might be that it feels like there’s no immediate need to clean, and for others, it can be something more serious like depression.
As moms, we all struggle at times with finding the energy to keep the house clean and tidy. Even the most motivated moms have days they just want to take a break. Others think, “My house never looks clean, so why bother anyway?” (It is REALLY hard to be motivated to clean your house when you feel like you are fighting a losing battle.)
No matter which mom you are, figuring out how to get motivated to clean your house and declutter is a must. The truth is that other people in your house are probably relying on you to make it happen.
There are 10 tricks I know of that busy moms can use to find the motivation to clean and I am certain one of them is just what you need to hear to make it happen.
This is a guest post from Lisa at Cheerfully Simple. Motherhood doesn’t need to be complicated, and she is dedicated to helping new moms learn the ropes about becoming a mom, baby tips, and ideas for kids. She’s a former teacher, now stay at home mom. She enjoys time with her family, whether it be playing or learning together. Stop by and see what’s new!
Wondering how to get motivated to clean when overwhelmed by mess?? Read this! => How to Clean When You Feel Paralyzed by the Mess
Listen to Music
I don’t know about you, but a good, upbeat playlist helps me clean.
I need something that I enjoy moving to that can help keep my mind off the fact that I’m cleaning.
Maybe it’s something old school, the radio, or even something on your favorite music app.
Think about it- if people make playlists to listen to while working out or running, it really shouldn’t be a surprise that making a playlist for cleaning is a thing.
If you enjoy listening to audiobooks, that is always another option too. Some people feel like they’re wasting time cleaning, but if you can check a book off your list WHILE cleaning, that’s a double win!
Figure out what keeps you moving and listen to it.
Start Small
Don’t add “clean the house” to your TO-DO list. I can tell you, it won’t get done.
Creating this false expectation for yourself that you know you won’t meet is only going to make you become resentful.
It’s hard to get the motivation to clean when you’re overwhelmed by the mess. I totally get that!
Start small.
Find one or two things you NEED to start doing on a regular basis and do them.
For instance, one thing we struggle with at our house is keeping up with the dishes and keeping the kitchen table cleared or stuff.
So, those are the two things that I mindfully try to keep up with daily.
Once you’ve mastered keeping up with the daily house chores, you can move on to bigger things, like cleaning the garage, or clearing out and sorting through closets and cabinets.
Don’t set yourself up for failure before you’ve even started. Start small and work your way up.
Here’s some great advice about how to set up a cleaning schedule!
Reward Yourself
Chocolate and ice cream.
I can seriously convince myself to do JUST ABOUT anything if I promise myself chocolate or ice cream.
I’m not all about it, but I can’t deny that I use bribery at times with my kids. It works.
Why not bribe yourself to do the housework?
Clean the bathrooms, have a scoop of ice cream.
Mop the floors, catch up on an episode of your favorite show.
This isn’t anything complicated.
Find something small that you enjoy and bribe yourself to just do it.
Get the Kids Out of the House
Swap your kids.
OK, so that isn’t really a thing. (Though some days many of us might like the sound of that.)
What I mean is swap babysitting with a friend. You watch their kids while they do some things, and they watch your kids while you clean up on housework.
Although there are plenty of other things, I’m sure you’d rather do with that time, it is certainly going to be time well spent.
Related: How to Clean with Small Kids in the House
Sometimes, it’s just easier to get everyone out of the house to clean.
I get discouraged cleaning at times because I feel like I clean one thing, and while I’m working on that, my kids have created 5 more things I now have to clean up.
Get your kids out of the house and try to get as much done as you can.
And then…. Chocolate.
Try a New Product
Do you get excited when you buy a new product for your hair?
I bet you do!
You want to see what it can do for your hair and see if it has the results you’re looking for.
The same can be found with cleaning products.
Ok, so maybe it isn’t quite as exciting as a new hair product but trying a new cleaning product can possibly help clear up a frustrating situation.
If you’re having trouble with water stains, maybe you find a product that’s supposed to clear that up.
Maybe it’s a new carpet deodorizer.
You pick.
But, try a new cleaning product and see if that gives you some motivation to clean and organize your house.
Track Your Time
So, I have to giggle at this one.
Were you competitive in school?
Maybe you tried to finish your assignments faster than everyone or you wanted to be the quickest person on the track team.
Take that attitude and start timing yourself at cleaning things. Time yourself one week cleaning the bathroom and then the next week see if you can beat your time.
Obviously, you don’t want to compromise the quality of your cleaning in the midst of the game but finding a way to challenge yourself can be fun too.
It’s hard keeping this house clean when you’re working full time. Been there, done that. Heck, I’m at home most days, and it can still be a struggle.
By tracking your time, you may also find that things you think will take a while, actually don’t take much time at all.
That alone may give you the motivation to clean a thing or two here and there when you have a moment instead of trying to find time to fit cleaning into your busy schedule.
Create a Routine
If you’re a type A personality like myself, a routine is everything.
You function best on some sort of schedule and when that schedule gets rocked, it throws you off.
The same can be said for a cleaning schedule.
If you sit down and create a cleaning schedule of what you want to accomplish each day of the week, you’re more likely to complete it.
Related: 6 Rules of Decluttering
Maybe Monday is bathroom day, Tuesday is vacuuming, Wednesday is dusting, etc.
You pick how it needs to work for you.
Maybe you only want to clean 2 days a week. This is me.
I pick those two days to knock everything out and then don’t worrying about cleaning the rest of the week.
Creating a routine will also help to hold you accountable to yourself and your family.
Break It Down
There is no reason to believe that you can’t wipe out cleaning your entire house in a day.
But I don’t know many busy moms who can do that on a regular basis.
If you’re lucky enough that your kids still take naps, maybe you choose a couple of days to clean during naptime.
Or if you’re trying to tackle a bigger project, like cleaning out the basement, you’ll want to break it down into smaller tasks.
Sort through the shelves first. Then start working on the drawers. Then maybe you take a look at what’s on the floor.
I think all too often with cleaning, we overload ourselves too much in the beginning and get defeated before we’ve made any real progress.
By breaking down larger tasks into smaller pieces, you see yourself completing parts of the project and you’re more likely to continue on.
If you’re struggling to set and reach, I’ve shared some really useful tips for busy moms who want to set and reach goals.
Invite People Over
One of my greatest incentives to clean my house is to have people over.
No lie- this is awesome for me.
Every Sunday night we have Bible study at our house.
We start picking up the house on Saturday evening, and then we do the cleaning throughout the day on Sunday.
This is a total win for me. Since my entire family is home on Sunday, I am not the only one doing the cleaning. Everyone is pitching on.
Sure, we aren’t cleaning the shower, or working on anything in our bedrooms, but the “major” things like the sinks, toilets, and vacuuming get done.
If you can find a way to have your family help, always take advantage of that.
This is the perfect opportunity to teach your kids how to clean!
Having people over on a regular basis is a huge motivation to clean and organize.
Maybe you can start off by planning to have people to your house twice a month for dinner.
Make sure you’re inviting people over who will expect your house to be somewhat clean and tidy.
Create a System
I feel like if you aren’t a type A personality, creating a system is essential.
Even as a type A person, I know that without some sort of system, I would fail.
Here’s an example.
One thing I really struggle with is staying in the same room.
If I start cleaning out a drawer or cabinet in one room, and I go to another room to return something, I often find myself then staying in that room and starting another project.
So, then what happens is I now have created two messy situations instead of focusing on one thing at a time.
By creating a system, you’re more likely to complete a project. Instead of moving around from room to room, maybe you have boxes available that you put stuff in that can be returned to where it belongs once you’re finished with the project.
This would alleviate you leaving the room and moving onto another until you’ve completely finished a project.
Find the Motivation to Clean and Organize
There is no right or wrong way to do things.
I have offered some helpful suggestions for things you can do around your house to help add some structure to your cleaning schedule.
Out of this list of 10 suggestions, maybe you choose 2 or 3 to start with.
Then as you progressively get better at maintaining a cleaning schedule that works for you and actually keeps you motivated to clean, you can take on bigger projects and goals.
Related: 7 Things You Aren’t Cleaning (but should)
But even then, it’s important to make sure you’re not tackling anything too big at one time.
Break it down into reasonable tasks that will help keep you motivated as you complete them.
You’ve got this momma!
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