Cleaning.motivation

[Merseymum1980]

Motivated for cleaning.
How do u motivate your self i work long hours at home and at my business. Im shattered and just want to spend time with ds on a weekend rather than cleaning.
Any tips for me to get off my fat bum

Get a cleaner?

Music and turn into a workout

Start by prioritising the kitchen and bathroom. Then everything else. Do a bit at a time. It's tedious, I know.

Think how nice your home will look and smell afterwards.

My motivation is that 1) I like a clean/tidy house (some people are genuinely less bothered) and 2) I’m very busy, and have a stressful job, and if my home environment feels chaotic it’s not good for my mental health.
Those are enough to get me shifting on an evening to keep on top of everywhere.

Ive considered this but im not sure i could afford

I split the chores with dh and we spur each other on. I tend to combine it with a podcast

If you're the type of person who feels better in a tidy environment.Just imagine how you will feel when it's clean and tidy in your home.

So im fine with tidying i just hate the weekly deep clean faff on x

I just can't clean during the week, OP. Not proper cleaning, anyway. I will obviously clean up after dinner, put a wash on, and tidy round quickly, put clothes away. I might spray the bathroom sink and wipe it over and throw some bleach down the bog but that's about it. I'm mid 50s and work full time and just don't have the energy anymore to come in after being on the go for 10 hours straight and start doing anything beyond making sure DH and I are both fed.

So my main cleaning has to be done at the weekends. But, you know, life. Parents to visit. Shopping to do. Front and back garden need attention. Ironing Life admin. When uni kids are home we're spending time with them. Somewhere in that I need fun and proper rest.

So I've just dropped my standards. The house isn't as clean and tidy as I'd like. DH does a lot but he works 50 hours plus a week too. We just don't examine the skirting boards closely, and we ignore finger marks on doors or windows till I've got time when I'm off work to clean things like that once in a blue moon. There's a lot of stuff and clutter just shoved in cupboards but who has time to declutter regularly?

Tis what it is!

Watch a hoarding documentary

Give myself small achievable goals eg clean the toilet. What often happens is that I’ll find myself cleaning the bath and the wash hand basin as well before I have even realised. And even if I don’t do the unplanned extras, I will usually always do the small thing I have set out to do. I make a plan every evening, which is always a must do/minimum plan. Probably more than 9 times out of 10, I will do everything on the list and probably at least 5
times out of 10, I do more.

The Organised Mum Method app is good. It gives you a list of jobs to do every day. The list only takes about 20 minutes a day, you don't have to clean at weekends. Ticking off the tasks feels very satisfying.

I actually spent less time cleaning with TOMM than I did before, but my house was cleaner and I felt on top of things instead of overwhelmed.

I dont let it get dirty. As soon as I can see soap scum or dust, it's game over and needs "proper cleaning" which takes much longer.

So I try to just pick up an odd job most days, be it hoovering and then mopping floors one day, wiping all the sinks down the next and scrubbing the toilets every few days. Do the shower before having a shower at the weekend. Cleaning the kitchen is a daily job, I don't go to sleep without it fully wiped after every meal and all dishes away at night. Always straighten the sofa hoover the sofa as a BAU task when hoovering lounge. I normally do that while DC have breakfast.

I just don't sit down in the morning because I know I won't do it in the evening.

Motivation is deceptive. You don't need to be motivated, you just need to put headphones in and do it.f
Try not to engage in the brain monologue.

Visitors. I only clean properly when I’m having people to stay. I do keep the bathroom and kitchen clean, but they are both small.

And I run a duster and hoover round weekly downstairs, fortnightly upstairs.

Il check her out this sounds helpful.
I have a major back issue and awaiting a knee op so this is the main issue. So little and often may help

When you say you don't sit down in the mornings, well, neither do I, I get up and showered, breakfast then out to work. So do you get up earlier to fit some cleaning in?

Even if it was once a week, it would be a help.

Im kinda thinking of trying this on a morning to get the weekends back

Don't do the wknd whole house deep cleans. Select one area/room and give that a good clean or just a part of it. Do the same the next wknd, etc.

During the week, wipe around and sweep/hoover where you can.

Listen to the podcast Clutterbug she speaks to me so much.

She’s brilliant in explaining about why homes get messy, why some people find tidying and cleaning up harder (me being one of them) and how to change mindsets etc.

she gives you tips and plans as you go along. Think she also does guided clean alongs but haven’t done one of them yet.

I despise housework I know it’s vital but I feel angrier about it as I get older as would rather be doing a million different things. Sometimes I’ll crack the Prosecco open just to give me a buzz as it stops me feeling pissed off so much and gives me the energy to push through.

While I was having my breakfast this morning I was doom scrolling Instagram and Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners came up. After watching a few videos I got started on my home and feel very virtuous now 🤣 Still have the dusting and polishing to do, but bathrooms, kitchen are deep cleaned and everything is put away where it should be!

Small task every day so not to overwhelm.

Tidy as you go in day to day life (wipe down hob after making dinner etc)

decluttering is your friend. The less stuff you have the easier it is to keep the house clean and tidy.

I protect my evenings so you wont find my arse off the sofa after 7pm.

To answer your questions, I shower at night and I don't eat breakfast.

I get up at 7am, get the coffee on, pack lunches and clean the kitchen, floors, stairs, sofas, toilets while chatting to DC. I'll eat somewhere around 11am and again at 4pm. I don't sit down for my coffee. I'm restless once I'm up and moving and hustling people around.

Oh I love cleaning.

1. Find a good playlist. I love listening to motown/Madonna/abba as reminds me of cleaning with my wonderful aunt. I can't clean without music.

1. One room at a time. I live in a bungalow so work from bathroom to the kitchen. When I lived in a house it was start at the top work my way down. Just one room a day is fine so Monday bathroom, Tuesday bedrooms ect. Living room & kicthen gets done daily as most used.

1. Set a timer. I have fibro & M.E now so I get exhausted quickly so I set myself a 20min timer so I don't over do it because once I start I sometimes can't stop.

If you can afford a cleaner just once a month to do a big clean or one off clean it will be easier for you to keep on top of. Xxx