Cleaning is part of adulting, but let’s be real, it’s not exactly the highlight of anyone’s day. Most people don’t wake up excited to scrub the bathroom or vacuum under the couch. If you’ve been staring at your messy house wondering how to get motivated to clean it, know this: you’re not lazy, and you’re definitely not alone.
First, we’ll talk about why things get messy in the first place. Then I’ll give you tips about how to get motivated, fight the overwhelm, and finally get started. I’ll also share more tips in case you struggle to clean because you’re depressed.
Messy house? Now what?
Life happens. A new job, a new baby, health issues, a rough week… all of it can throw off your routines. What used to work may not anymore, and suddenly, your home feels like it’s spiraling out of control. Or your routine may be to clean frantically when you know someone is coming, and you want it to change, NOW!
But know this: mess happens to everyone at some point. It doesn’t mean you’re failing. You’re just in a moment of adjustment. The good news? You can always make progress, no matter how small.
How to motivate yourself to clean
If you wait until you get motivated to clean, odds are you’ll wait for longer than you should. So let’s trick our brains into starting before motivation kicks in.
First, you need to make cleaning as enjoyable as possible. My go-to solution is to listen to upbeat music while cleaning, but it can also be a podcast or an audiobook you can’t seem to find the time to read. For bigger tasks, you can also decide to reward yourself. That cake looks good, doesn’t it?
When I struggle to get motivated, I also think about my future self and how she’ll feel better knowing that the cleaning is done. It’s easy to think that we’ll clean later. But will our future selves be more motivated? I doubt it! I don’t know about you, but I’m more careful of others feelings than mine. So, to be more gentle with tomorrow-me, I think of her as another person. For example, I will think “She’ll be relieved not to have to scrub the oven” instead of “I’ll be happy it’s done”. This switch is simple but strangely powerful.
Last, if a little stress lights a fire under you, you can also set a deadline. Invite someone over (even just for coffee) to kickstart your cleaning in ways pure willpower just can’t.
How to make cleaning not overwhelming?
When your home feels like a mess, it’s easy to freeze and not know where to start. But you don’t need to clean everything at once. To reduce the overwhelm, I suggest you start by getting a checklist like my Purr-fectly Clean Checklists. With everything neatly listed, you’ll beat the decision fatigue and remove the guesswork. Perfect to keep your energy for cleaning.
Then, when it’s time to clean, write a quick to-do list. It needs to stay realistic, so don’t add everything but the kitchen sink in there! And if you want to make the to-clean list part even simpler, follow a schedule so you don’t have to decide what to clean every single time.
Habits have the bad rep of being boring, but you know what? They work! So build a small habit like a 5-minute daily tidy. That will make bigger tasks more manageable, I promise!
Where to get started cleaning first
Still stuck? Start with the kitchen. It’s the heart of the home, and even small wins here make a big difference when it’s mealtime.
Here’s a simple flow:
- Wash the dishes (or load the dishwasher)
- Tidy and wipe the counters
- Wipe the cooker or stovetop
- Sweep or vacuum the floor
- Mop, if needed
Then go to the bathroom. A quick wipe-down of the sink, scrubbing the toilet, plus a fresh towel can really refresh the space.
How to get motivated to clean when depressed
When you’re depressed, even small tasks can feel huge. So be gentle with yourself. Even less than usual, your goal isn’t perfection. Good enough is enough!
To still make progress, write down 3 to 5 small tasks you can manage. When I was depressed, I noted any cleaning task I wanted to do in my bullet journal. Some days, the tasks were “put a load of laundry on, wipe the kitchen countertops, put away the clean dishes” and that was enough. My husband hung the laundry to dry, otherwise it could have been another task for that day. No task was too small to be on the to-clean list, and it made me feel better to know that at least, I did something.
If you follow a cleaning schedule, make room in it for days or weeks when you just can’t find it in you to clean anything. Once you feel better, don’t try to catch up, you’d risk demotivating yourself even more. Instead, clean what you’d be supposed to clean if you’d managed to follow the schedule. The tasks you didn’t complete will come back eventually.
You’ve got this! Depression is a beast, but having a cleaner home can help you feel a little better. So take it one step at a time. Small progress is still progress.
Get motivated to clean and say goodbye to your messy house
Living in a messy house can be frustrating, but it’s still difficult to get motivated to clean. With the tips above, you’ll be able to do just that while avoiding the overwhelm. So put on your favorite music, go to the kitchen and wash these dishes (or a least a few plates). You don’t need to clean everything from top to bottom. As long as you manage to reduce the mess, you’re good to go!
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