(Or Maybe Even Your Whole House!!)
It’s true, one of the best ways to get a good night’s sleep is to have a fresh-smelling clean room but some days, it is just hard to get motivated! You may look at your messy bedroom (or your kid’s room) and think, UGH, I’m just not feeling it. But take heart! We’ve got some awesome cleaning inspo for you!
Simple things that will increase your cleaning motivation include daily and weekly checklists, taking before and after photos, and watching speed-cleaning videos. Buying yourself some new bedding, throw pillows or bedroom decor is another great incentive to get motivated to clean your room.
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20 Easy Tips For Cleaning Inspiration & Motivation
What’s Inside:
- Use a checklist
- Watch “clean with me” videos
- Buy some new cleaning supplies
- Arm yourself with the proper tools
- Crank up your favorite cleaning playlist
- Open the windows
- Listen to a podcast
- Set a timer
- Buy some new bedding or throw pillows
- Make a linen spray with essential oils
- Invite someone over
- Plan on taking before and after pics
- Print out some clean bedroom pics
- Remind yourself how amazing it will look (AKA positive self-talk)
- Wear comfortable clothes
- Have a bite to eat first
- Diffuse essential oils
- Pick a specific starting point and clean left to right
- Enlist some help (eg. kids, partner)
- Promise yourself a reward when you’re finished
Of course, cranking up your favorite tunes is one of the most common ways to get your cleaning groove on. But there are many more things that work just as well.
I guarantee, out of this whole list below, you will find a few useful tips that really speak to you. You will turn into a cleaning tornado! Just like a lot of things in life, the hardest part is taking the first step but once you get the ball rolling you are on your way.
Once you start seeing (and smelling!) progress, you will be encouraged to keep going until your room is sparkling clean.
20 Tips To Get You Motivated To Clean Your Room (even if you are feeling Super Lazy)
- Write it down or use a checklist. A tangible plan of action in the form of a checklist or to-do list is a great way to get started. There are a ton of free printable checklists you can find on Pinterest. Just be careful not to go down the Pinterest rabbit hole or you won’t get anything accomplished.
- Watch “Clean with me” videos on YouTube. If you’re unsure what or in what order to make your checklist, many lifestyle YouTubers love to help and inspire cleaning. Search clean with me or speed cleaning tutorial videos. Often they break down the order of their cleaning tasks, and what supplies they like to use, and you get to see their results as they go. I always find these a great way to get motivated to clean any room!
- Buy some new cleaning supplies and/or products (or make some DIY cleaning recipes with essential oils). Grab yourself some new, great-smelling cleaning products to try and a set of brand-new microfibre cloths.
- Make sure you have to right tools before you get started: Microfibre cloths, an all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, vacuum or mop and bucket, disinfectant, and a garbage bag. Microfibre glass cleaning cloths come in handy as well.
- Grab your headphones and crank up the tunes. This is probably one of the things we all do when we want to attack the house. Whatever your jam is, choose music that will get you moving and energized. If you don’t have your own playlist, just search YouTube for “housecleaning playlist” or “housecleaning music”. You’ll find a nice variety of music genres.
- Open up the windows for some fresh air if the season allows. When the warmer weather starts to make an appearance, I love opening up all the windows when I’m cleaning. You might even get inspired to do the windows too. Just do the inside though, save the outside for a whole other day.
- Check out a podcast. If loud music doesn’t suit you, listen to a podcast, or a book on Audible. Maybe learning a new language interests you. An audio Spanish or French lesson could help to pass the time.
- Set a timer. This is a great tip for when you really don’t feel like cleaning. Set a timer for just ten minutes and tell yourself that’s all you have to do. You will be surprised at how much you can actually get done in a short time frame! If that gets you going, reset it for a little longer and keep going. If you find this tip does work to get you motivated, set it for an hour. You will probably be done cleaning your room before the timer goes off.
- Buy some new bedding, throw pillows, scented candles, or bedroom decor. Now, obviously, this isn’t something you are going to do every time but I know for me this is one of the best ways to get motivated to clean my room. There’s something about hitting Homesense or Marshalls and having a little retail therapy session in the home decor department. And once you have all those lovely new goodies, you’re not going to want to put them in a dirty, cluttered bedroom, guaranteed.
- Whip up a nice DIY linen spray with some essential oils like lavender or sandalwood and spray on once you have the bed freshly made.
What Does Sandalwood Smell Like?
- Invite over some guests. This one actually works more when it comes to cleaning your whole house but I included it anyway. You’ll be amazed at how much cleaning you can get done in the hour before your Mother-in-law comes over! Haha. If you invite someone over, you are going to get cleaning, and fast.
- Snap some before and after photos for future cleaning motivation. Some people do the whole before and after pics and proudly post on social media. It’s especially a great thing to do when you are decluttering and organizing your closets.
- Print out your clean bedroom photos and stick them somewhere you will see them daily. I find it works as a powerful visual, a “reminder to self”. In other words, when you revisit it, the photo will say to you, “Hey! Pssst…this is how awesome your room looks when it’s tidy and clean, remember?”
- Remind yourself how fantastic it will look (and how accomplished you will feel) when you’re done. Sometimes little verbal mantras and affirmations can give you an added kick in the butt. If you’re not used to doing these kinds of things, it might feel strange at first but you get used to it. Even something simple like “Let’s go!” or “Get your rear end in gear, let’s do this!” can work.
- Put on some comfortable cleaning clothes, tie back your hair or throw on a bandanna, something you can move freely in and that you don’t mind getting grimy or splattered with cleaning products
- Have something light but nourishing to eat before you start cleaning. I love having something like an energy bar. And be sure to have a water bottle or a Gatorade on the go. Coffee can be a great boost too, but it can dehydrate you so try to balance it out with some H2O.
- Turn on your essential oil diffuser if you have one, something fresh and energizing like lemon, lemongrass, orange, peppermint are great choices.
- Pick a specific starting point and just start picking things up and putting them away, going in a clockwise motion. Take a deliberate path. If you are just bouncing around the room willy nilly, you might get distracted and your cleaning motivation could definitely fizzle out.
- Ask for help! Maybe you could get your partner or your kids in on the action for some help. A little teamwork can be a great way to get things sparkling clean much quicker.
- Set yourself up with a sweet reward for when your cleaning is complete, whether it be a nice hot bath, a glass of wine, or watching your favorite show with a big bowl of popcorn.
How Long Does It Take To Clean A Really Messy Room?
Well, if your room is a total disaster zone it will take 2-3 hours. The good news is, if you don’t let it get out of hand it won’t take nearly as long for future cleanings. An average-sized bedroom, if cleaned on a weekly basis, should take 30 minutes to an hour. Tidying up and putting things where they belong every day goes a long way to saving a cleaning nightmare later.
Cleaning Routines Are Helpful
Having a cleaning routine helps keep you on track and keeps the clutter from getting out of hand. Remember, mess attracts mess so do your best to stick to a routine. It’s one of the best ways to avoid getting overwhelmed by housework. With a bedroom, all you really have to do is dedicate 30 minutes on average each week to cleaning it. (Remember, that’s after that first” disaster zone” clean.)
If you don’t let things pile up and keep on top of it, it will make your life so much easier, trust me.
Do You Sleep Better In a Clean Room?
Studies have actually shown that yes, people do sleep better in a clean and tidy room. Stress levels go down, a sense of calm and relaxation is promoted and ultimately you will get a great night’s sleep.
You want a serene place to chill out, read, and relax. And if your room is overflowing with clothes, books, knick-knacks, and yesterday’s dirty dishes, it is just not going to be tranquil or relaxing.
We all need a little nudge sometimes when it comes to getting motivated to clean our room. The most important thing to take away here is that you absolutely can shake off that lazy feeling and get inspired to clean.
And remember, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming every single time you tackle it. A little tidying up each day goes a long way but for those times when it does get out of hand, know that you can find motivation!
Good luck and happy cleaning!
Until next time, K.
Kelly Blakely is the founder and creative force behind Just Our View From Here. As a first-time mom over 40, she brings a fresh perspective to parenting and family life on her blog. Kelly also explores a wide range of lifestyle topics in her writing, including fashion, beauty, self-care, and well-being.
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