How To Get Motivated to Clean – Especially When You Don’t Feel Like It
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure and privacy policy for more information. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I think every homemaking mama has been here. Life has gotten in the way, the kids keep on making messes, meals keep on getting made, but you have lost your motivation to clean and keep up with it all. First off, don’t panic! All hope is not lost. Despite feeling like the walls are closing in, you can get back on track. I’m going to share with you how to get motivated to clean.
How can I motivate myself to clean?
Your messy house is nothing to be ashamed of. We all deal with messes from time to time, and whether it’s because we are busy with work, down with an illness, or caring for another person, it is very easy for the mess to feel like it’s getting out of control.
If this is how you’re feeling you’ve reached the point where you know you need to do something about it. You know it’s time to clean house. This is how we’re going to get it done.
Watch the show “Hoarders” or Some Cleaning Videos
One of the absolute best ways for me to find some cleaning motivation is to watch the show, “Hoarders.” It’s available on Netflix. That show gives me the heeby jeebies and gets me up off the couch tidying my home in no time.
If you’d like some cleaning inspiration that is a little less gross, find a cleaning mama on YouTube. There are TONS of videos of other women cleaning their homes and you just may find a little push to get you in the mood for cleaning, too. (Pro tip…Look for a YouTuber with a “normal” looking house, not someone with an immaculent, all-white mansion.)
Think About Your “Why” for Cleaning
The first step in finding cleaning motivation is asking yourself, “What is my reason for cleaning?” Do you have little kids in your care who depend on you to provide them with a clean environment? Are you struggling to find items you use on a daily basis because you’re dealing with so much clutter? Are you frustrated because no one has cleaned out the fridge or pantry in weeks and there are empty or nearly-empty containers everywhere?
Whatever your reason for needing to clean, think about the most important thing and lock that reason into your mind and get determined.
Need some help with decluttering? Read my post on how to declutter your whole house for help!
Make Cleaning a Habit
One great way to help your house stay cleaner for a long time is to make cleaning a habit. For example, start the habit of wiping down the bathroom sink every time you brush your teeth. Make a habit of folding the laundry as soon as you pull it out of the dryer. Make it a habit of wiping down your kitchen countertop after you’ve done the dishes and put away food items after dinner.
These small cleaning habits will go a long way in establishing small steps that lead to big changes in your household.
Follow a Cleaning Schedule
Speaking of cleaning habits, another way you can find some motivation to clean and make sure your home gets cleaned on a regular basis is to follow a cleaning schedule.
I have established three cleaning routines that allow me to keep my home clean on a rotating schedule so all rooms are cleaned on a regular basis.
The first cleaning routine I follow is my daily cleaning schedule. These daily tasks include making my bed, doing a quick declutter, doing one to two loads of laundry per day, cleaning cat litter and wiping down our bathrooms.
I also clean up my kitchen, sweep, and deal with dirty dishes daily. You can read about how I break these daily cleaning tasks into a morning cleaning routine and an evening cleaning routine.
Next up is my weekly cleaning routine. These are the tasks I do once a week and they include dusting, cleaning mirrors and glass, vacuuming, mopping, and doing a deeper clean of the bathrooms such as wiping down the sinks/counters, cleaning the tub and toilet, and mopping the floor.
Lastly, I have my zone cleaning routine. I have broken my house down into zones and work on the deep cleaning in each zone once per week. These deep cleaning tasks are actually therapeutic for me and help my mental health because I know that I only have to do a couple of small tasks at one time instead of a huge deep cleaning job once or twice a year.
All of these cleaning routines may seem completely overwhelming, but I organize them with my monthly cleaning calendars. Each day is assigned certain chores, which really helps me break the cleaning down into small steps and makes everything much more manageable.
Set a Timer
Another way to motivate yourself to clean is to set a timer and focus on a small task. If you know you only have 10 or 15 minutes to accomplish a task, you may be even more motivated to get the tasks accomplished.
Remember, you don’t have to clean your entire house at one time. A little bit can go a long way in motivating you to clean.
I love setting a timer and telling my kids it’s time to clean. I’ll tell them we have 15 minutes to clean the living room and everyone needs to pitch in before we can sit down to eat dinner. I’ll have one child clean up the floor, another clear the coffee table, and another take out any dirty dishes.
We all learn that hard work can be done in a short amount of time if we work together. Don’t forget, you can ask a family member to pitch in and clean up after themselves. In fact, I insist that you do!
Assign Cleaning Chores
Along the lines of asking a family member to help, do assign chores to your kids. I know it may seem like pulling teeth to convince them to actually do their chores, but you have to motivate and incentivize children just like you have to yourself!
Don’t allow them screen time until their chores are done, or whatever else it is that they enjoy. Children need to learn responsibility, how to handle household chores, and how to work together as a family. Check out my list of age appropriate chores for ideas.
Invest in the Right Cleaning Tools
Whether homemaking is your primary job or not, you need the right product to do the job. This motivation tip cannot be overlooked. You wouldn’t try to run a cake business with a rusted old cake pan, so you shouldn’t try to clean your home with worn out tools that just make the job more difficult.
I enjoy using cleaning products that both smell good and get the job done. You can do your own research on how toxic certain products are, but whatever you choose make sure it’s something that you enjoy using.
At minimum, I recommend you have an all purpose cleaner, a glass cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, tub and tile cleaner, and some sort of disinfectant at minimum to keep your home clean. You can even try some of my DIY cleaning recipes if that’s your thing!
As far as cleaning tools go, always make sure you have a good broom, cleaning rags, microfiber cloths (great for wiping down glass and stainless steel), a scrub brush, a quality vacuum (I actually really like this Bissell for an option less expensive than a Dyson), and a good mop system.
Many people enjoy the O’Cedar spinning mop bucket, but I do just fine with an O’Cedar Micro Twist mop and a regular old bucket.
If you have hard water stains or grout that needs to be cleaned in your bathtub, I highly recommend this electric spin scrub brush. It saves my arms!
Make a Cleaning Caddy
One of my best easy tips to make cleaning actually easier is to make a cleaning caddy for each of your main rooms and keep that caddy in that room.
For example, I keep a little cleaning caddy in each bathroom that contains toilet bowl cleaner, tub cleaner, and glass cleaner along with a scrub brush.
I keep a cleaning caddy in my kitchen with all purpose cleaner, disinfectant, stainless steel cleaner, and stovetop cleaner.
I promise, having everything you need to get the job done right where it’s needed will make you more likely to just get it done.
If you like shopping for cleaning supplies at the Dollar Store, check out my blog post What Cleaning Supplies to Buy at the Dollar Store.
Focus on One Small Area at a Time
Another way to find some cleaning motivation is to keep your focus on a specific area. It’s so easy to end up like that mouse in “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.”
For example, let’s say you start cleaning your kitchen and you find one of your kids’ toys in the kitchen. Instead of finishing the kitchen you go into your child’s bedroom and start tidying there, and before you finish there you pick up some dirty laundry and take it to start a load, and so on and so forth.
Don’t let that toy derail you! Instead, bring a basket to the kitchen to put clutter in while you finish cleaning the kitchen. Then, when you are done cleaning the kitchen deal with the other items.
Listen To Your Favorite Music or Podcast
Don’t let cleaning be boring! Listening to your favorite music can be a fun thing to do while you’re cleaning. You can even do a little bit of dancing while you’re vacuuming and wiping things down. Choose upbeat music to keep the mood positive.
I love to listen to podcasts while I’m doing the household chores. No one says you can’t make cleaning fun or learn some new things while doing it. Here are a few of my favorite homemaking podcasts:
Invite Someone Over
Okay, here is one of the biggest cleaning motivators I can personally use. If I know people are coming over to my house, I will make sure that I get to cleaning ASAP. I will make sure all of the main areas of the house are picked up and that the guest bathroom is for sure clean.
One of the easiest ways to deal with clutter that may be laying all over your house is to keep a clutter basket. I keep one of these in my dining room area, so that way when I need to quickly declutter the main areas of my home I can throw everything into the basket and put it away at a later time. Those baskets and bins sure do come in handy!
If you have someone coming over, make sure you give yourself enough time to clean, and try out my 30 minute tidy cleaning routine!
Plan a Reward for Yourself
Keeping a house clean is hard work. It requires a little bit of forethought, plus your time and energy. It’s always nice to reward yourself for a job well done.
After I get done with a big cleaning job, I love to light a nice smelling candle, sit down on my couch, and relax with a good book. Maybe you’d rather have a cup of coffee or tea and watch your favorite show.
Whatever you do, choose something that will motivate you. Something that you will look forward to doing when you get your cleaning job done. Having a clean home reduces my stress levels, which is great! After all, you have a clean house you might as well enjoy it for the short amount of time it will stay clean!
More Cleaning Inspiration
Are you finding you need even more inspiration for keeping your home clean. Check out these posts that have helped me keep my house clean even with a large family!
- Homeschool Cleaning Schedule
- How To Make a Cleaning Schedule Even If You Have Little Kids
- My Large Family Laundry Routine
Need actionable steps to find cleaning motivation? Take my eCourse, 5 Days of Cleaning Motivation.
Need some cleaning tutorials? Check these out:
Not sure how to clean certain items in your home? I have a lot of great tips and cleaning tutorials to help with that! When it comes to keeping a clean home, actually knowing how to clean is a huge help. Check out my cleaning tips below:
