Some of us are less motivated when it comes to house cleaning, while others find bliss when taking care of organising and cleaning. It’s normal to feel unmotivated to start cleaning the house, it can be difficult to bypass the procrastinating parts of the brain. Here are some ideas you can try next time you think about cleaning your home, and 10 tips to make it more doable even if you are unmotivated. Plus, after cleaning, you’ll feel more motivated and better without mess and clutter taking up your place.
Why We Lose Motivation
We usually lose motivation to clean the house for obvious reasons. Life gets busy with work, school, or kids’ activities, so there’s a temporary shift in our priorities. When this happens, it feels okay to accept that we’re too busy to worry about cleaning the house. Once we have more time, it’s easier to get back into a cleaning routine.
10 Tips To Get Back To Cleaning
- Start small
- Commit to one area over a couple of days
- Always reward yourself
- Put away one thing at a time
- Have a friend help you
- Invite visitors
- Listen to music
- Set a deadline
- Try a new cleaning product
- Use a trigger
1. Start Small
Begin in one spot, with just one surface. You may want to start with a surface that is used often and affects you personally. Don’t think about any other areas and don’t feel guilty that you’re not yet cleaning more. The first step is simply to just start cleaning something. You may want to start with a surface in your kitchen, perhaps the one you use for preparing food.
2. Commit To One Area Over A Couple Of Days
Once you’ve chosen an area, clear off the clutter, dust it, scrub, and polish it. Treat it for any stains and scratches. Make a point of cleaning it every morning or every night before bed. This focus on one-spot will help to get you back in the habit of giving your home attention, even if you’re starting small.
3. Always Reward Yourself
After cleaning for some days, you deserve recognition. A reward helps to lock in good habits, so it’s important to treat yourself when learning how to break your worst habits. Choose something that will make you feel good about your efforts and your home, making you want to keep going.
4. Put away one thing at a time
If you’re walking through the living room and notice a dirty cup sitting on the coffee table, don’t just leave it there. Simply take it to the kitchen where it belongs and that will help to lessen piles of mess. Accomplishing a small task like this can remind you of how simple the actual job is when you do it. Don’t underestimate how many small things can add up.
5. Have A Friend Help You
With the promise of wine or pizza, your friend will surely say yes to helping you clean. Before you know it, you’ll be chatting and cleaning your bedroom at the same time, while getting rid of a lot of things you don’t need. Also, having a second opinion can help you if you have started to hoard your items.
6. Invite Visitors
A strong motivation to clean your house is inviting guests over to your home. That way, there’s no excuse for you not to clean, unless you want to explain to your guests why your home is so messy.
7. Listen To Music
Whether on the radio, mp3, or from Spotify on your smartphone or computer, music helps the task become more exciting and less boring. Pick upbeat music to help you work faster and make it a bit more fun.
8. Set A Deadline
If you set a deadline for yourself, you’ll be more motivated to clean by that particular time. Make sure to give yourself enough time to get the cleaning done. You may want to use a timer, this can also be quite fun if you involve the kids. With a timer, you can set and beat your records. The kids will be excited to try and beat the clock.
9. Try A New Cleaning Product
Trying a new product or the scent of a favourite product can make you more motivated to clean. Especially if the product is supposed to save you time or money. For example, if you’re learning how to clean shower tiles, check for new cleaning products you’ve never used before at the store, in the hopes of finding a product that you’re excited to try.
10. Use A Trigger
A trigger is an action that spurs a result. For instance, if you always make a cup of tea after loading the dishwasher, it will turn into automatic behaviour. Perhaps it’s a good idea to make a cup before sitting down and learning how to clean a kitchen. It will give you an impulse to start cleaning.
Conclusion
As soon as you experience the feeling that comes from having a clean, decluttered home, you will realise that your efforts were worth it. Don’t forget, you should break up tasks into smaller ones that aren’t so overwhelming to handle. Although some of the houses may still look messy by cleaning in small sections, these small steps are all focused in the right direction. Use the energy you can find to clean what you can for that day. Through small wins, your motivation will grow and you will practice good cleaning habits that will get you closer to a clutter-free, clean home.
If you really can’t take on cleaning right now, you can always book a professional, regular cleaning service with SweepSouth.
