How to Get Into the Cleaning Habit
- 1). Make cleaning part of your daily routine. If you do not already do so, start making your bed when you first wake up, clean your kitchen right after finishing meals, straighten your bedroom as it becomes untidy, and perform other simple household tasks. By doing these things every day, you not only prevent the work from piling up, but you also train your mind to make cleaning a natural, ongoing process, rather than a dreaded, intermittent chore.
- 2). Set up a cleaning schedule. Choose a specific time (or times) each week when you will perform the major tasks like vacuuming, dusting, cleaning windows, scrubbing the bathrooms, and washing hardwood floors. If you have a large home, or if doing everything in one day would prove intimidating, separate your cleaning into multiple weekly sessions. For instance, you may choose a time when you perform one major chore each day, or designate Saturday as a major cleaning day. Stick with the schedule you set for yourself, so that the process becomes habitual.
- 3). Make cleaning fun. Play some of your favorite music to elevate your mood and stay energized, challenge yourself to complete an allotted number of tasks in a limited amount of time, or promise to reward yourself for a job well done. Worthwhile rewards may include a favorite healthy food, a relaxing hike, a movie, or time playing video games.
- 4). Complete your most unpleasant chores first. You may find it difficult to begin cleaning when you feel vexed by one or two particular chores that you hate, such as washing windows or vacuuming a large carpet. When beginning a daily or weekly chore regimen, get your most hated tasks out of the way before anything else. This will help you to stay motivated and feel less overwhelmed throughout the course of your efforts.
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