As a Solved editor for Homes & Gardens, I spend most of my week thinking, reading, and writing about house cleaning. While interviewing thousands of experts in the field has set me up with pretty good tips, it also means cleaning has become the last thing I want to do at the end of the day or on weekends.
In short, it has made me a serial procrastinator when it comes to keeping my house clean. That doesn’t change the fact that chores still need to get done, however.
Here, I share the ways I get motivated to clean even when I feel burnt out, and how these simple tricks stop my home falling into cleaning chaos.
5 ways I motivate myself to clean as a serial procrastinator
Finding the right cleaning balance in my home is something I struggled with for a long time, and is one thing many people who juggle cleaning a house when you’re too busy will likely relate too.
While I have really cut back on my obsessive cleaning tendencies as of late (I no longer fret about cleaning the tops of doors or window tracks, for example), I still needed to find ways to help me clean when I feel overwhelmed to keep my space sanitary.
Now, I find these five approaches make all the difference.
1. I split chores with a partner
As someone who specializes in cleaning, I generally take on a lot of the household chores. This is my choice, as I like things to be done in very particular ways using the smart cleaning tips I learn from experts.
However, I could never do it all alone. One of the most invaluable ways I manage my chore list when I am feeling demotivated is to split chores with a partner.
Early on in living together, we split certain chores between the two of us. Cleaning the kitchen is always my job, for example, while my partner always cleans the bathroom. Splitting up the biggest household chores such as these gives us both equal responsibility while lessening both of our workloads.
Smaller tasks are split up too. My partner always empties and cleans the kitchen trash bin, while I always wash up the dishes after dinner. It helps to reduce mental load as I don't have to think about the logistics of cleaning my own home as much.
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My partner and I keep mental notes of chores we need to do, or use apps on our phones to remind us of chores, but it can be useful to have a visual reminder in the home for everyone to see. A dry erase whiteboard is a great tool for this.
2. I employ myself to clean
I love to spend money – it is my fatal flaw. One of the best ways I have found to motivate myself to clean as someone who would rather be spending time on the couch scrolling through online stores is to employ myself to clean.
The system is simple, you set yourself an hourly rate (I use the minimum wage for my area) and then ‘pay’ yourself for the hours it takes you to clean. For example, if it takes me two hours to work through my to-do list, I pay myself for those two hours.
I move the money I pay myself from my main bank account into a separate ‘spending’ account, helping me save up in for bigger purchases or the sales season.
This method is doubly effective, given that I have to test out so many cleaning and home organizing ideas for my actual job. I first tried it out back in December 2023, and it is something I still do on occasion today – usually when I have procrastinated for a little too long and my chores are building up.
3. I use cleaning products I love the smell of
One of my top priorities is making my home smell nice. I am a sucker for the best candles and best oil diffusers that I place all over my home (The P.F. Candle Co, Soy Candles, available at Amazon, are a personal favorite of mine).
However, I quickly learned that fragrance layering is not just limited to candles and room sprays. Cleaning products also play a huge role, especially when it comes to banishing bad kitchen smells, or adding a personalized scent to upholstery.
One of the ways I get motivated to clean is by picking the essential cleaning supplies that I love the smell of. This usually boils down to Method cleaning sprays, as they have wonderful fragrances and don’t smell strongly of chemicals. They are non toxic to boot.
I alternate between the Method Pink Grapefruit and Wild Rhubarb sprays for generally cleaning my home. I use their multi-purpose sprays for everything from refreshing kitchen counters to cleaning my coffee table.
I used to hate bathroom cleaning days because of the strong chemical smell afterwards. That is until I found the Method bathroom sprays that leave a refreshing minty freshness behind without sacrificing on results.
Degreasers are usually horrible snelling things, with strong chemicals to help break down tough grease. The method degreaser, on the other hand, gets rid of kitchen grease without the nasty odor. Instead, my kitchen smells lemony-fresh
4. I never clean in silence
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing like a bit of silence in your day to help your mind relax. But for me, that quiet time is not compatible with cleaning.
One of the best ways I can get my chores done is to make them feel a little less like they are eating into my relaxing time. That is why I always clean when watching my favorite YouTubers or a comfort movie I have already watched before, popping them on my tablet so that I can carry it around the house with me as I work. This makes my chores feel less like a time drain and more of a mindful activity and can be a great way to overcome a decluttering roadblock.
I tend to avoid watching anything new, or that needs too much concentration, however, as this will lead to me getting distracted – anything I put on has to be background noise to keep me company.
If you are anything like me, then you might find ‘body doubling’ videos on YouTube to be particularly helpful. Body doubling is the act of doing the same tasks along with someone else. While you can do this by working alongside a member of your household or friend, there are thousands of videos online of people cleaning and organizing their homes that can help you feel more motivated – Cozy K on Youtube is a firm favorite of mine for cozy cleaning vibes and relaxing full home resets.
5. I generally don’t stick to a schedule
Creating an achievable cleaning routine and schedule certainly works for a lot of people, but I am not one of them. My week changes too much for them to be reliable. If I miss a designated cleaning slot, it only works to demotivate me, meaning I will procrastinate the task even further.
Instead, I will clean my house when I feel it needs cleaning. The catalyst for cleaning a bedroom, for example, is usually noticing a bigger build-up of dust on the bed frame or nightstands. For vacuuming, it is spotting more debris or fluff on my white area rug.
There are some important exceptions to this rule, however. My kitchen deep cleaning is always done weekly on Fridays to maintain general cleanliness, while I always change bed sheets bi-weekly on Sundays when I know I am at home to do laundry.
I don't have a laundry schedule besides washing bed sheets on weekends. Instead, I will put a laundry load on whenever I see that my laundry hamper is full. Pre-sorting clothes for laundry into colors makes this even easier to stay on top of.
Given that I tend to clean as I go, or clean when it's needed, I find it helpful to stash a microfiber cleaning cloths in most rooms. I have several in the bathroom, then one in m bedside table and one on my home office desk for quick tidy ups
A good handheld vacuum cleaner is a great investment if you like to clean your house in small chunks like I do. I use mine for picking up crumbs from kitchen counters or sofa cushions to save pulling the big vacuum out every time.
Finding the motivation to do chores when you feel burnt out can feel like an uphill battle. In my case, the longer I procrastinate, the worse and bigger the household jobs get, and the more I put them off.
However, finding these five approaches to slow cleaning and putting more emphasis on the mindful home aspect of household chores has gone a long way into making these weekly essentials less of a drain on my energy levels throughout the week.
