When you first rent your own studio apartment, move into an apartment with roommates or purchase a new home with your spouse, cleaning can feel new and exciting. Instead of your parents telling you what chores you have to do and how and when to do them, you get to make the rules. Seeing your new space all shiny and clean is exciting, and you gladly keep up on daily and weekly chores to keep it looking fresh. But after a while, the novelty wears off and you’re back to a sink full of dishes and an unmade bed. So, how can you make cleaning fun again when you’re feeling uninspired?
- Keep your cleaning products neat and organized in storage. Cleaning is more enjoyable when you can find all the things you need to clean because everything has a place. Use small storage baskets or bins to store separate cleaning products in a large drawer, under your kitchen sink or in your mudroom or pantry. If you have shelves in your laundry room, keep small items like dryer balls, spot treatment and laundry soap sheets in a bin to save space.
- Research ways to make cleaning easier. It can be hard to find the motivation to get started if you’re overwhelmed with how difficult cleaning seems. Cleaning is more fun when it’s not a struggle. Social media platforms are stocked with content creators who want to teach you how to clean your bathroom in six simple steps. Cleaning blogs have tips on the easiest way to clean your fridge or microwave.
- Purchase cleaning products that make you feel like you are making a difference. It’s not fun to clean using products that you know are harmful to the environment. Instead, opt for natural fiber sponges, reusable cleaning brushes, natural cleaning sprays and eco-friendly laundry products that you know will get the job done while helping you tread more lightly on the planet.
- Use cleaning products that you actually enjoy using. Stock up on sleek, glass sprayer bottles and fill them with premium natural cleaning products. Opt for scents that you know you like and have different options for different moods. Use lavender dish soap when you want to relax into washing the dishes or use orange-scented cleaning spray when you need a little more energy to get through disinfecting all the door handles and light switches in the house.
- Work together. It’s more fun when you have a cleaning buddy. If you live with your spouse or significant other, ask them to help you make the bed in the morning before you both go about your day. Offer to cook and clean up after dinner together to make both tasks more enjoyable. If you live with roommates, see if everyone can commit to a weekly cleaning party together. Take turns being the DJ while you all sweep and mop and dance your way through each room together. If you have kids, find ways to make it easy and fun for them to help.
- Purchase home accessories and decor that will encourage you to keep your house clean. Use luxurious organic linen bedding – the more you wash it, the softer and more beautiful it gets, which will make you want to keep your bed made and your room clean. Keep decor items simple and minimal to make dusting less tedious and store excess trinkets in enclosed storage. Purchase a machine-washable cloth shower curtain liner instead of a plastic one — so that you can throw it in the wash as needed to keep it fresh — and purchase shower curtain hooks that allow you to easily remove both the curtain and the liner.
- Less mess equals less stress, so try not to add to it during the process of cleaning. Use zero-waste cleaning products so that you don’t get overwhelmed with the mess created by the very products you are using to clean. Reusable paper towels made of soft, absorbent cloth eliminate the need for disposable paper towels so your trash can won’t be overflowing by the time you finish disinfecting all the surfaces and cleaning all the mirrors and glass. Replace the disposable dryer sheets floating around the laundry room with reusable dryer balls that keep your laundry wrinkle-free and static-free – plus, they smell great if you add a drop of essential oil to each one before popping them in the dryer. Wipe any drips on your cleaning product bottles before putting them away so they don’t leave a mess behind in your drawer or on your shelf. They’ll be clean and ready for the next time you need them.
Cleaning doesn’t have to be a struggle. By making a few small changes to the process, you can get back to feeling motivated and actually enjoy the process of tidying your space.
