Most people will ask, ‘how do I motivate myself to start cleaning?’ Honestly, you shouldn’t even attempt to clean if you are not in the right headspace. Cleaning isn’t always something we want to do and most times have to talk ourselves into our cleaning chores.
Keep in mind that we all have different things that motivate us and you need to know what your pressure points are for them to be effective.
The beauty of cleaning is that once you get in the groove, it gets easier to keep going and before you know it, you will have a clean house!
Here are a few things we think will get you motivated to turn your space around.
1. Clean in the Morning
I read somewhere that if you put the most daunting task of your day at the beginning of your day, it will get done quicker and you will end up enjoying the rest of your day knowing that you have taken care of the biggest, most overwhelming job. The best part? You get to go through the rest of your day with a wonderful sense of accomplishment.
2. Recognize that you can do a lot in a little time
The fear for most people when it comes to cleaning is that it will take a lot of time before they can achieve a sparkling space, but in truth 10 minutes can go a long way in house cleaning. All you have to do is focus on the important areas. Remove clutter and dust, and in no time there is facelift done in the apartment.
3. Always de-clutter
Most of us hold on to old things like a pack-rat, we hoard a lot of items that has zero value to anyone. ‘Whatever does not enrich your life, should not be in your house’, should be your motto, making it much easier to clean your house because it won’t be filled with junk you don’t need.
4. Set a Schedule – and Stick to It.
Things that get scheduled have a better chance of getting done – plain and simple. Now, I’m not talking about setting a schedule for each room that needs to be cleaned (although this is a good idea), I mean you schedule yourself an hour each week that you dedicate to cleaning. Give yourself an hour to get some sort of cleaning done, and then if you feel like it keep going, and if not, you have done your time!
5. Have a Routine
A great way to effectively use your time while cleaning is to have a routine. What might that be? you ask, Easy, it’s a list of cleaning tasks that you will follow to help you stay on track. Think of it as Google maps for your cleaning – it’ll help you get where you need to be in a quick, efficient manner!
6. Listen to some music or audio book
A little music can go a long way. So, have some playing while you are tending to your cleaning. Maybe its classic rock, disco, hip hop or country – there’s some music that you can listen to, that will help you get into the cleaning groove! So enjoy, lip sync and clean to some good music. Alternatively, you can listen to a motivating (or just entertaining) audio book or podcast while you work.
7. Save less noticeable tasks for last.
Don’t start with dusting or any other task that has a small reward. If your bedroom is a mess for example, pick up all the clothes on the floor. This will make your room look a hundred times better. Doing tasks that make a big difference will make you want to keep cleaning.
8. Have a clean room
This is a thing of the mind, have a room that always has to be clean, it is this room that acts as a trigger to get you to clean other areas of the house. The room that if it is dirty you will not be comfortable with yourself or in the house. For some people it is their bathroom and for others it is their kitchen, now the trick is once you get into cleaning one room it becomes easier to just do the whole house. Build that mindset and you will always have a clean house.
9. It’s a team effort.
Getting everyone to pitch in and clean together can be a big challenge. Teaching a common responsibility for every member of the household is key to making sure that your home stays clean. It may take a little adjusting to get everyone on board, but the benefits of having everyone pitch in will become obvious quickly as your home seems to run itself with help from each family member.
10. Avoid Distractions
These days we have more distractions than ever and while checking your text messages might only take you 10 seconds – it takes you away from your cleaning just long enough to completely lose focus. So now, you have to go through the re-starting process all over again. So, to avoid temptation, turn off your cell phone, TV, laptop, tablet etc. Just turn off and tune out entirely. This is your time to care for your home. It might difficult at first, but you need to discipline yourself and showcase that inner strength.
11. Don’t be Perfect
Let go of making things perfect. Remember, you are not trying to clean house to prepare for a visit from the President. You’re trying to take 60-90 minutes each week and clean as much as possible without spending too much time in one particular place. Don’t get caught up for 20 minutes treating one carpet stain when you can spend that time vacuuming, making beds and clearing clutter from the living room. Frustrating yourself over one small thing can lead to losing interest in the whole process – and that’s what we want to avoid!
12. Invite People over
Let’s be honest though, most of us do at least a little cleaning up before having people over. Knowing that someone will be showing up at your home can give you a deadline to get things done. Suddenly you begin to look at your home as a guest might, and the undone tasks stand out waiting to be accomplished.
We all want to keep a clean, tidy and healthy home; but for some of us, this is easier said than done, but it does have to get done! Our family’s health is important and a dirty and dusty home is a breeding ground for different germs and avoidable ailments. So if your house could use a little pick me up and so could you – Get up, choose one of these tips, and get started right now! Your home and your family will thank you.