Let’s face it – cleaning isn’t anyone’s favorite thing to do. However, if you don’t do it, your house will quickly fall into chaos, which can affect your mood and health. If you hate cleaning, though, that makes the prospect of doing it even worse, right? With these 10 tips, you can learn how to clean when you hate cleaning and find yourself enjoying the benefits of a tidy home in no time!
1) Start With Simple Tasks
The biggest thing that can hold people back from cleaning is that they think of it as a big task. Think about all of those small tasks, like making your bed in the morning, taking out garbage and recycling, or wiping off your desk at work. If you start doing these little things throughout your day, it will make it much easier for you to tackle bigger chores. There is even a great book called “Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World” written by a navy seal, Admiral William H. McRaven, that describes how making your bed can improve your mindset. Start with those simple tasks, and then slowly start adding in bigger ones until cleaning becomes a habit for you!
2) Choose Your Tools Wisely
The first step in cleaning is choosing your tools. First, you want to pick a broom with sturdy bristles for sweeping up large amounts of dust and dirt. Next, get a good vacuum—not just any vacuum, but one that can thoroughly clean carpets and bare floors alike. Our cleaning professionals at Plan: B depend on high-quality and efficient vacuum cleaners. So we recommend checking out Miele canister vacuum cleaners and finding the right fit for you. Finally, don’t forget to grab a mop or sponge—these are essential for scrubbing hard-to-reach areas like kitchen counters and bathroom sinks. Once you have these items, it’s time to start cleaning!
3) Divide and Conquer
Is cleaning your entire home one project too daunting? Break it down into smaller steps. Start with one room or part of a room and go from there. As you tackle each area, think about what you can do in just five minutes—this should keep you moving at a steady pace while still ensuring that you don’t get bored by longer projects. In addition, these short spurts of time are much easier to carve out in your busy schedule than larger chunks would be.
If you find yourself getting stuck on something, give yourself permission to stop for now and come back later. Remember: If it doesn’t look like it needs doing right now, leave it alone! That way when you pick up where you left off tomorrow, you won’t feel overwhelmed.
4) Take Small Breaks in Between
Too much cleaning at once can be tiresome or even stress you out. So, take small breaks in between tasks to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed. If you need a break, get up and stretch your legs for a few minutes before returning to work. It's also a good idea to change up your routine every so often by doing something different with each task. This will help you focus on what needs to be done instead of getting bored with repetitive chores like washing dishes or vacuuming floors. Grab some water while you're at it! Staying hydrated is important, especially when you're working hard.
5) Avoid Clutter at All Costs
Having a messy house isn’t just unsightly—it can also wreak havoc on your mental health. While more stuff does not equate to a better life, living in constant disarray can be incredibly stressful and, if you have children, dangerous. So if you hate cleaning but want to get organized once and for all, avoid clutter like the plague. Declutter your home by making three piles (keep, donate/recycle, trash) whenever you bring something new into your home.
6) Find Supplies Suited for You
It sounds trivial, but when you hate cleaning, spending a lot of time and energy on supplies is frustrating. Therefore, in order to effectively get your house clean when you hate cleaning, it’s important that you stock up on supplies that make scrubbing your house easier.
For example, if mopping irritates your back or knees then opt for a Swiffer Sweeper rather than a mop and bucket. If dusting makes you sneeze, try investing in some microfiber cloths so you can dust without all those irritating allergens flying around. Here at Plan: B Cleaning we love our microfiber towels. They do a great job at picking up dirt, dust, and germs. For your home we’d recommend considering the perfect clean microfiber or the Buff ™microfiber product from microfiberwholesale.com.
Vacuuming can also be a hassle if you have a lot of space to clean or find yourself vacuuming often. If vacuuming feels like too much work, invest in a robotic vacuum cleaner that will do all of the hard work for you!
7) Add Music
Most cleaning chores can be made easier if you have a great playlist on your phone. If you don’t have one, it’s time to get busy! Create a playlist of songs that are upbeat and inspiring. The right music will inspire you to clean up and help clear your mind when you are too stressed. This is an easy way to make cleaning more fun! And what could be better than that?
8) Keep a Routine
Of course, no amount of cleaning products or techniques will work if you don’t keep them up consistently. That’s why it’s important to try and get into a routine that fits your life and stick with it as closely as possible. If you can make daily maintenance part of your schedule, then you’ll be less likely to let things slip through the cracks. And when things do slip? Don’t beat yourself up—just start again! It may take time to find what works for you, but in time you’ll have an effective system down pat. The key is to not give up and always move forward.
9) Do it in little bits of time
Like anything you’d rather not do, cleaning can be a pain. But chances are there are little pockets of time in your day where you aren’t doing anything important—waiting for the coffee to brew, standing in line at the grocery store, staring into space during a meeting—that you could use for scrubbing and polishing. This is especially true if you have pets or children—two groups that typically require frequent cleanup! Set aside time each week and make it a habit.
You might even surprise yourself with how much you enjoy it. If nothing else, you’ll feel accomplished when you walk away from a clean house (and won’t be as tempted to leave things undone).
10) Hire a cleaning service
Hiring a cleaning service is one of those luxuries that make life so much easier. If you do hate cleaning, paying someone else to do it for you could be just what you need. Fortunately, Plan: B has an excellent cleaning service! It’s definitely worth considering if you’re looking for help with housework.
Call today to set up your cleaning service at (317) 572-8515 or visit www.planbcleaning.com. Plan: B Cleaning services the Hamilton County area, including Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield, Fortville, and Geist.
