It can be really hard to find the motivation to clean, especially when most of us have been stuck at home for multiple lockdowns over the past year. Many of us are feeling a little low and are struggling to find the energy to clean or do other menial tasks these days.

There are many reasons why you might be feeling a lack of motivation to get cleaning.

Illness can contribute to a lack of motivation to keep on top of cleaning, it’s exhausting and it can be hard to find the enthusiasm to do much of anything, let alone clean.

Whether you work from home or are commuting to your place of work, a busy schedule can also be draining and make your spare time feel valuable. Spending some of that time to keep on top of chores isn’t necessarily the most appealing option.

Whatever the reason, it can be easy to slip into the habit of leaving chores until tomorrow and for the prospect of cleaning to seem more and more daunting. Read below for some tips on how to get started and maintain the motivation to clean more regularly.

Start Small

Cleaning the house can seem like an enormous task, especially if things have been building up over time. To make cleaning things feel less daunting, try breaking it down into manageable tasks, starting with the smaller tasks, such as washing the dishes, over more time consuming jobs such as clearing out a room. Motivation may be lacking at first, but as you finish the quicker, easier tasks you’re more likely to build up some momentum to tackle the bigger jobs.

Routine

Cleaning everything everyday is a massive task to take on and understandably going to be very off putting. Continuing on the theme of breaking down the cleaning tasks into more manageable chunks, establishing a routine dictating when you do what tasks can help make things a little easier. Grouping the cleaning and spreading it out across the week means you only need to do a little bit every day, or every other day to keep on top of things.

Reward

Doing unpleasant or laborious work is never the most appealing prospect, but it can be easier to motivate yourself to get going if you promise to reward yourself after. Rewards could be as simple as just giving yourself time to chill out and do nothing, make your favourite meal or if you need a break then take an evening off from cooking to get a takeaway. The rewards will feel well earned and guiltless following the achievement of getting some cleaning done. 

Make It Fun

Do things to make cleaning less of a chore and more fun to while away the time.

Playing your favourite playlists as you go from room to room is a good way to increase and maintain motivation to clean, as you get lost in your music. Especially if you have fun with it, sing a long and have a little dance and the time is sure to fly by. 

Getting engrossed into podcasts or audiobooks could be another way to keep yourself entertained while cleaning. Use binging a series to your advantage and save your favourites for the times when you do clean and you may even start looking forward to your cleaning routine.

If it feels like cleaning eats into the time that could be spent being sociable, or perhaps you’re struggling to keep in touch with your friends regularly, you could schedule calls during the time you dedicate to cleaning.