March 28, 2024
The Most Practical Cleaning Motivation Tips
Keeping a clean living environment is about more than merely impressing your guests — a clean home benefits mental health. It provides a sense of order and control, while the act of cleaning will release endorphins and help regulate emotions. When it comes to physical health, a clean house is just as important. Living with fewer germs and less dust can help prevent some illnesses and allergic responses.
If you're wrestling with your desire to clean, we've gathered some of the most helpful motivation tips around.
Addressing Lack of Motivation in Cleaning Your Home
If you constantly find yourself putting off cleaning chores, it helps to understand why you are demotivated. There are a few reasons you might feel discouraged by the idea of spending your time cleaning up your home. Here are some of the most common:
- You don’t have the energy: If you’re trying to push yourself to get your chores done after a long day at work, there’s a good chance you’ll end up procrastinating. If you’re exhausted, you should give yourself time to rest before you start adding chores to your to-do list.
- You don’t enjoy cleaning: While some find cleaning a peaceful practice, others dread household chores for the monotony. If you don’t enjoy cleaning tasks, this could be the reason behind your demotivation. However, there are ways to train your brain to feel differently about these chores.
- The build-up of mess is overwhelming: It happens to just about everyone at one point or another — procrastinating cleaning chores until the mess builds up so much it becomes overwhelming. At this point, even those who enjoy cleaning can feel burdened by a growing mountain of chores.
- You don’t have a cleaning routine: Chores can quickly build up without a cleaning schedule. Sticking to a routine is an effective way to stay on top of chores and keep a clean home all year round. You can even choose a cleaning routine that complements your personality.
By devoting a small amount of time to tidying up daily, you’ll only need an extra hour or two on the weekends for bigger chores like laundry, vacuuming, and mopping. If you plan your daily cleaning time well, you can work through your home over the week.
- You don’t have the right tools: If you don’t have the right cleaning supplies, removing mildew growth from the shower can be tedious, and eliminating odors from carpeting can be impossible. Certain chores require specific cleaning supplies. Stocking up on the right agents and tools can make cleaning much less effort.
Now that you have a better understanding of what may be hindering your motivation to clean, you can find ways to overcome these challenges. With these helpful motivation hacks, you’ll find it easier to keep your home spotless.
Focus on One Room
One of the quickest ways to demotivate yourself when it comes to cleaning is to think about the bigger picture. This area of responsibility is best broken up into small pieces. Instead of convincing yourself you need to get everything done right away, focus on one room of your home. Break the chore down even more by first focusing on a single cleaning task. For example, start by clearing the floor, then move on to wiping surfaces or organizing storage space. By breaking things down, you won’t feel as overwhelmed. If you don’t manage to get the whole house clean, at least you managed to neaten one room.
Creating a cleaning checklist for each room is also wise. By following a list, you’ll feel a sense of achievement as you complete each task. Checklists are also helpful for deep-cleaning motivation.
Set a Timer for One Hour
A common reason that many of us avoid cleaning chores is that it feels like tidying up will take the whole day, if not longer. Instead of trying to clean your entire home in a single day, try to devote just one hour a day to cleaning. Set a timer on your phone and get to work. You’ll be surprised at how much you can get done in just an hour. You could even start with half an hour or just fifteen minutes.
Reward Yourself
Whether you end up spending an hour a day cleaning or only managing to clean one area of your home for the week, it’s essential to reward yourself for your effort. In doing so, your brain will associate cleaning chores with a dopamine boost, and you’ll soon feel a bit more motivated to get the dishes done. You’re not just training your brain to associate chores with rewards — you’re also training your brain to consider hard work a reward in itself.
Rewards look different for everyone. For some, a sweet treat is best, while others might prefer a well-deserved day out, sleeping in on the weekend, or even a little online shopping. Whichever way you choose to reward yourself, doing so will help you view household chores in a more positive way, and you’ll get motivated to clean.
Reframe the Way You Think About Cleaning
Another way to trick your brain into enjoying housework is to try and think differently about the tasks at hand. Some studies show that our desire to get things done right away may be more potent than our desire to put things off. Sometimes, negative anticipation can be as beneficial as positive anticipation. For example, a fear of visiting the dentist may actually compel a person to avoid procrastinating.
If your home is increasingly messy and you can’t seem to get started, try inviting a friend over in a few hours. You might find yourself diving right into your cleaning chores as you anticipate your friend’s arrival. Nothing inspires cleaning as much as knowing visitors are on the way.
Another way to reframe your perspective is to turn it into a group activity with your partner or kids. You could even gamify it with timed goals and rewards for the winners!
Hire Maid Bright to Help Tidy Your Home!
While the cleaning motivation tips listed above can help increase your motivation to tidy up, you can also reach out to professional cleaning services for assistance. Maid Bright is a family-owned business dedicated to providing superior one-time and recurring cleaning services. If you need a hand once in a while, schedule a free estimate or book a service. Our residential cleaning services are also customizable, and no contract is involved. Contact us online to learn more about our services in Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland.
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