How to Get Motivated to Clean the House

Co-authored by Kadi Dulude

Last Updated: October 5, 2022 References Approved

Have you ever planned on cleaning the house but weren't motivated enough to do it? A lot of people drag their feet when it comes to cleaning. Especially if you’re cleaning the whole house or have a big mess to clean up, it can be overwhelming. It's hard to push yourself to start, but once you do you'll find that it's easy to keep going. Just getting the motivation will get you in the groove, and before you know it you’ll have a clean house!

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Motivation Tips

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Imagine your clean home. You can get the motivation you need just from imagining how beautiful and organized your house will look after you’re done. This alone can make you feel like getting up and starting to clean.^{[1]
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- Look at pictures either online or in magazines of your ideal home. Imagine trying to get your own home as close to your vision of the perfect home as possible. Seeing how others organize and arrange their own houses can inspire you to make your home as beautiful as you can.
- You can even look at pictures of your house when it is in its ideal state for inspiration.
2
Think about how much happier you will be after it is done. You probably have also noticed how much calmer and more productive you are in an organized environment. The more cluttered and unclean your environment is, the more stressed you feel.^{[2]
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3
Invite people to your house. If you are cleaning in the afternoon, invite people over later in the day. You will be motivated to save yourself the embarrassment of a messy house. This may seem like an extreme measure, but sometimes you need the pressure of other people seeing your home to really get the drive to clean.^{[3]
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- Make sure to give yourself enough time to clean before your guests come over.
4
Buy something new for your house. Buying something new can give you the motivation to clean because you want to be able to see how your new item fits in with the rest of your house. You will want to give the new item the place it deserves, and this can drive you to clean. Even buying something small like a candle or a vase can give you the incentive to clean.
5
Get a friend to hold you accountable. Call up a friend and tell them that you are having trouble finding the motivation to clean. Ask your friend to check in with you every twenty minutes or so to check your progress. Just the feeling of having someone who is keeping track of your cleaning can be enough to motivate you to do it.^{[4]
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- You can also talk to your friend on speaker phone as you are cleaning. Talking with them will make cleaning more enjoyable, and they can check up on you to make sure you're cleaning.
6
Post on social media. Make a post about your cleaning project. You will receive positive feedback from friends, and you feel accountable now that you have made your goal public.^{[5]
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- To really hold yourself accountable, you can post something like, “Finally getting around to reorganizing my house! Pictures to come.” The fact that you have to show proof of your cleaning will really get you motivated!

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Making Cleaning Easier

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Make a list. If you feel like you don’t even know where to begin, make a list of each part of your house you need to clean. This will break up the work into more manageable bits, so that you can focus on one thing at a time.^{[6]
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- You could make a list of all the rooms in your house that need to be cleaned, such as “Bathroom, Guest Bedroom, Kitchen Closet, Dining Room."
- You can also organize the work by tasks, for example: “Polish silver, dust bookshelves, take out the trash, vacuum carpets."
2
Set an alarm. Setting an alarm can help make cleaning more manageable, because you have a clear idea of when you will be stopping. If you aren’t working within a certain timeframe, you are slower and more easily distracted so that cleaning can take all day. Setting an alarm will help you to stay focused on the task at hand.^{[7]
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- You can set an alarm for each room, or you can set an alarm for the amount of time you’ll be cleaning in general.
- Setting a timer may also motivate you to do a race against the clock, so that you will be cleaning faster and more effectively.
3
Don’t feel you have to clean everything. Remember that even doing a small amount of cleaning can make your home look better. Don’t think of cleaning as an all or nothing task. Instead, do as much as you can manage for that day.
- Try and come up with a cleaning routine. Cleaning a few days a week for forty minutes each time is much more manageable than spending an entire afternoon cleaning.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Making Cleaning Fun

1
Have your friends come help. Have friends come over while you clean. This will make your cleaning more like a party than a chore. Even if your friends don’t help, just talking and laughing with them will make the cleaning enjoyable, and before long you will have a clean house!^{[8]
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- You can even order a pizza to add to the fun! Just make sure not to cause a mess.
- Make sure that you aren't too distracted by your friends. You still want to get work done!
2
Play music while you clean. Music is a great motivator and mood-booster. Play energetic and positive music. This will get you up and moving. You can even play music that makes you want to dance!^{[9]
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- Make a playlist of fun, energetic songs to listen to while you’re cleaning. This way you don’t have to keep pausing to change songs.
3
Listen to a book on tape or podcast. These are great ways to be entertained while cleaning. Unlike a movie or TV show, there is no visual aspect, so you can give it your full attention while you clean. Cleaning can feel boring and mindless, which is why listening to a story can be a perfect thing to get your brain going while you are doing chores.^{[10]
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4
Give yourself small rewards. After completing each task, give yourself a small reward. It could be something like a cookie, or a few minutes to surf the Internet. It will make you more motivated to do the tasks, and will make the overall process of cleaning seem less like a chore.^{[11]
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Save a big reward for when you complete your whole cleaning goal. For instance, your reward can be a night out on the town, or buying yourself a nice bottle of wine. This will motivate you to complete the whole goal, and not just part of it. Just having something to look forward to can give you a reason to push on until the very end.^{[12]
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Use a nice smelling cleaning product. Buy a new cleaning product with a pleasant smell like lavender or lemon verbena. If you love the smell of your product, you will be more motivated to use it. Go to the store and find a product you will be excited to use.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Getting Started

1
Remove all distractions. Turn off your phone, computer, or any other device that may distract you from your cleaning. Don’t do a project like cooking at the same time that you are cleaning. You want cleaning to be your sole task, so eliminate anything else from the equation that may get in the way.^{[13]
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- Put all of your electronics in another room.
- You can also give them to a friend and tell them to only give them back to you once your house is clean.
2
Start with one task. Pick one task to begin with. It doesn’t have to be the biggest task. In fact, choosing something small might be a good way to start, because the sense of accomplishment you will have when you finish it will make you want to keep going.^{[14]
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- Don't think too hard about where you should begin. Just starting anywhere will give you the momentum to keep going.
3
Don't be afraid to throw things away. Carry a trash bag around with you as you are cleaning. Throw away or recycle things like empty boxes or items you don't use anymore. Getting rid of excess items in your home can de-clutter your house and make the rest of the cleaning process more manageable.^{[15]
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4
Save less noticeable tasks for last. Don’t start with dusting or any other task that has a small reward. If your bedroom is a mess for example, pick up all the clothes on the floor. This will make your room look a hundred times better. Doing tasks that make a big difference will make you want to keep cleaning.^{[16]
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Cross off tasks from your list as you finish them. Crossing off what you have already done on your list will give you a huge sense of accomplishment. It also is a good way to show yourself that you are making progress, and that you can complete your goal if you keep going. ^{[17]
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Take before and after pictures. Take a picture before and after you have completed each task. This will show you the progress you have made and will make you feel great about the work that you’ve done.^{[18]
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Don't get distracted on breaks. Taking breaks every thirty minutes or forty minutes may be necessary, but be careful to time these breaks. Give yourself ten or fifteen minutes, and then get back to work. Don't allow yourself to take breaks longer than fifteen minutes.
- Consider setting an alarm your breaks to make sure you don't get caught up.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do I stop being so messy and lazy?

Kadi Dulude
House Cleaning Professional
Kadi Dulude is a House Cleaning Professional and the Owner of Wizard of Homes, a New York City-based cleaning company. Kadi has over 10 years of experience and manages a team of over 90 registered cleaning professionals. Her cleaning advice has been featured in Architectural Digest and New York Magazine.

Kadi Dulude

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

Look at the big picture. Once your home is clean, you'll actually be able to enjoy and appreciate your space. Think about how good it feels to spend time in your freshly-cleaned home.
Question

How do you not get distracted when cleaning?

Community Answer

Put all your distractions away. Put your phone on silent or in a separate room, and turn off the TV. Make sure that cleaning is your only task, so your mind isn't on something else. Also make sure that if you live with other people, they know that you are cleaning and will either come help you, or will give you space while you clean.
Question

Where should I start cleaning?

Community Answer

Start cleaning with the smallest room, such as the bathroom. If you clean in the biggest room first, you'll be tired once you finish and not have the energy to finish anything else.

Warnings

Don’t wait too late in the day to clean. You could get tired or lose motivation.

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Always make sure the room is well-ventilated when you are using powerful cleaning products.

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