Struggling to keep the house clean because you aren’t motivated? These tips will help you get motivated to clean in no time!
I blog about homemaking and cleaning so surely I enjoy cleaning and I’m a naturally neat person, right? Actually, I’m naturally pretty messy and cleaning isn’t my favorite thing to do. It’s not that I don’t prefer a clean home, I’m just great at procrastinating and easily distracted.
Staying motivated to clean can be a struggle, especially when you are really busy. I keep thinking I will be less busy someday but that doesn’t seem to happen. Though I am managing my time better these days.
We will all have times when we need extra motivation to clean. Over my years of having to overcome my procrastination and lack of self-motivation when it comes to cleaning, I’ve come up with some tricks to keep motivated.
Get Motivated to Clean!
- Turn on some music. Upbeat music can really help energize you. Find something you like to sing or dance to and let yourself get really into it. Focusing on the music makes the cleaning go faster. Amazon Prime Music is a great way to keep finding new music and fun playlists.
- Listen to an audiobook or podcast. If you get bored while cleaning this can really help. Lately, I’ve been listening to vintage radio shows while cleaning. Right now I’m listening to My Favorite Husband, it’s from the late 40’s and features Lucille Ball. I also love using Audible, I don’t have as much time as I’d like to read so this is a great way to kill two birds with one stone. You can get two free books from Audible with a free 30-day trial, that’s how I got my first books.
- Invite someone over. This is the trick that will motivate me the most. No one wants guests over when their home is a disaster. When I know someone is coming over I want to clean everything. It’s amazing how much faster I work when I have this deadline.
- Use scent. Using products that smell good, having a diffuser going, or lighting some candles can help my your nose think your home is clean and can actually be really motivating to get the job done. Citrus scents are what smell clean to me so I like to diffuse them while cleaning and add some citrus essential oils to my DIY cleaners.
- Use a Timer. I like to set a timer for around 30 minutes and clean as much as I can in that amount of time. Then I will let myself do something I enjoy for about 10 minutes. Often it’s watching a YouTube video, play around on Pinterest, or I’ll work on a puzzle.
- Reward yourself. I like to have a cup of tea and a little treat after cleaning. Find something that you enjoy and helps motivate you to get the job done. Knowing I have that cup of tea and treat waiting for me makes me want to hurry and get it all done.
Motivation is wonderful but also work on finding a schedule that works for you. Some people work better cleaning all in one day, I do better having different tasks each day. Find what works best for you, it may take trial and error. There is no one right way to clean!
And don’t do it alone. Unless you live alone you aren’t the only one making the mess. Make sure your family pitches in. How much depends on the family member and what works for you. I’m a full-time homemaker and my husband works full time so I do most of the housework. He does, however, help with tasks around the home.
We divide tasks based on skills and preferences. My husband will be the first to admit that detail cleaning is not a skill he has so you won’t find him vacuuming the edges of the room and removing everything to dust. This is a skill I do have so I do the deep cleaning. I also have quirks when it comes to cleaning the kitchen so that remains my job. He is great at yard work though so most of the yard work is his job. He also doesn’t mind vacuuming and that’s something I don’t really like and we do a lot since we have a dog. I do a weekly vacuum but the extra vacuuming during the week is something he helps with.
It will look different for every family but play to each other’s strengths when deciding how to divide jobs. Also, take into account responsibilities outside of the home. Cleaning is hard enough without resentment so be sure all parties know what is expected of them. We aren’t mind readers after all!
What helps motivate you? How do you divide the workload between your family members? Share in the comments, I love hearing from you!
Heather with WELLFITandFED says
The timer and the music are the two that help me the most. I have always been responsive to being timed. My mum used to time me to get ready for school as long back as I can remember.
Lisa Sharp says
It’s helpful for so many. I get distracted easily so the timer helps me stay on track.
Karen says
Great tips! I always listen to music and use cleaners that are scented. There is nothing like a fresh smelling clean house!
Lisa Sharp says
It is pretty wonderful.
Amanda | Glitter & Spice says
I love this. It takes so much for me to motivate myself to clean but whenever I start it’s like I’m IN THE ZONE and can’t stop haha. Thanks for sharing 🙂
XO Amanda
Lisa Sharp says
Motivation is such a big part of the battle!
Beth Patterson says
I need all the help I can get to clean! I’ve found it is easier when all of us working, even if it is in separate rooms. Maybe it is because misery loves company or because we are working as a team, either way, it is better when my kids and husband are cleaning too.
Lisa Sharp says
Yeah who wants to clean when others are having fun?! 🙂
Samara Thiessen says
Definitely tips I could use this Friday afternoon. I have some friends coming this weekend, and really need to get off my behind.
Lisa Sharp says
Good luck! Hope these tips help you out.
Hannah Stein says
Girl, I needed this post more than you know! I’m so bad about cleaning because I always feel like there are more important/better things I should be doing. But your tips are so wonderful and I’ll definitely be using them. I like the idea of setting a timer and doing just as much as possible in that time.
Lisa Sharp says
The timer tips is one of my favorites. Makes it into a game of sorts.
Brie says
I always have the hardest time getting motivated to clean! Music usually helps, but I’d never thought of listening to a podcast…I’m definitely going to have to do that!
xo Brie
Lisa Sharp says
It’s fun to mix it up so if I’m not feeling like listening to music, podcasts are a good option. Plus I rarely seem to make time for them so I can finally start to get caught up while cleaning!
Crystal // Dreams, etc. says
I have to listen to music or an audiobook when I clean, otherwise it just isn’t going to go well. Great tips! 🙂
Medha says
Use of scents is a great idea. I love fresh flowers at home but as they are not readily available, diffuser is?Thanks for the tips, I am feeling motivated by reading the article