The Easiest Way to Motivate Yourself to Clean

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If you're struggling to find motivation to clean, you're not alone - which is why there are so many different methods that involve giving yourself a small reward when you complete a difficult task. You can use apps to gamify your productivity or follow the tried-and-true Pomodoro method. However, those approaches may not work for everyone, so why not try changing things up a bit.

Reward yourself when you complete a cleaning task.

Patric Richardson, author of House Love: A Joyful Guide to Cleaning, Organizing, and Loving the House You're in, suggests that the next time you buy cleaning supplies, you also buy a favorite candy—but don't eat it until it's time to clean. The idea is simple but brilliant: Eating a favorite "cleaning candy" while you work will give you something to look forward to and may even make you want to clean.

Set timer for 5 minutes

Try to get as much done as possible in those five minutes. 'I find this really helpful because most people struggle to get started, but once they start cleaning, they find that they often have the energy to keep cleaning even after their timer runs out,' says Courtney Morgan, a licensed therapist and founder of Counseling Unconditionally. 'And even if they only get five minutes of cleaning done, it's still better than doing nothing at all!'

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Plan

Inviting people over can be a great motivator to clean. No one wants to have friends over in a 'disaster' area of ​​the house.

Create a sorting box

When clutter gets out of hand, go around your house and put everything out of place in a 'sorting box.' Then, go around again and put everything away. 'This eliminates the need to go around putting things away one by one,' says Audrey Schoen, a licensed marriage and family therapist. 'Your house instantly looks cleaner just by putting things away. And emptying the boxes gives you a very satisfying sense of accomplishment.'

Turn on the music

If you listen to good music, you'll be more motivated to clean because you'll probably get up and dance. Plus, the rhythm will help you work faster.

Jessica Tanner

Update 12 September 2024