How do you motivate yourself to clean when you'd rather not?

Answer 1

I MAKE myself do one small thing...that can escalate into a bunch of small things...which escalates into a CLEAN HOUSE!! Music, music, music!

Answer 2

Start with the garbage. I go around the front rooms ( ihave open plan kitchen, living and dining rooms) with a smal bag, and pick up all the garbage - the plastic cups, the tissues - you name it. the place looks MUCH better already - in two minutes!

then i grab a broom and shovel all the toys into the toy corner so that i can see the floor. this is the point where i figure i may as well continue onwards, so i put the toys away - taking me a few minutes 'cos they are all in one place and i dont have to go on a hunt for them

At this point, the house is livable, so i can go to bed, sit on yahoo, or carry on!

If i wish to continue, which i will, i dump all the dirty dishes in the sink (no dishwasher) and swipe the surfaces. i fill the sinks with hot water so that the dishes will be easier to clean in the morning.

by this time, the floor is clear, the kitchen is clear, the house looks presentable, so i figure that it's worth my time to just wash the dishes and go to bed with a good feeling!

As far as the other rooms are concerned... well! sometime, i have to imagine how nice it would be when it is clean... sometime, i am motivated cos it's so bad hehehehe. usually, i try to push myself to clean up every day so it is managable, and then i dont need too much motvation. i bribe myself with a good movie or a book afterwards.... hope this helps!

Answer 3

Break down the task into several smaller, less daunting tasks, then tackle them one by one.

I personally use this technique at work and at home, with much success. F'rinstance, which of these seems like something you're more likely to do?

1. Clean your whole house

or

1. Clean your bathroom
2. If you're up to it, clean your hallway
3. If you're still up to it, clean your living room

...and so on. This may not motivate you to clean your whole house in one go, but you'll probably get at least a clean bathroom and hallway, which beats nothing.

More importantly, by breaking down the task into chunks, you can say "I did two of the tasks I set up for myself today" and feel good about it, instead of cleaning the same number of rooms and saying "I didn't finish the task I set up for myself today" and feeling bad about it.

Also helpful: put the rooms on a list, and pick one or two per day. Write those dates next to 'em, and each day do only those on the list for that day. If you feel motivated enough, do an extra one, and then you're ahead of schedule. Get far enough ahead, and you get a few days off.

All in all, it's just a way of putting things into a manageable and positive perspective -- but that's how you motivate yourself to do something you don't want to do.

Answer 4

I try to remember what a nice, fresh smelling place I live in. No, honestly. I enjoy walking into the front door of our home when I come in from work...this is my refuge from all the craziness in the world. I also reward myself with a hot bubblebath and glass of wine on days I do a thorough cleaning and change the linens. That's also usually my most restful sleep. Just something about climbing into crisp cool sheets afterwards.

I honestly try to do a little each evening and at least make the bed and wipe down the sink and dressing area of the bathroom each morning so it doesn't seem like I spend all my free time cleaning. I've learned if I throw a load of clothes into the washer in the morning while I dress, I can dry them while dinner is cooking.

Usually on Saturdays, after I finish cleaning, I'll go to the market and always try to remember to get something to perk me up. Fresh flowers, scented candles, potpourri or something as a little "reward." It's hard on a single mother's budget but it's worth it occasionally. You know the old saying, it's a dirty job but somebody has to do it. I just look back at my mom and aunts who spent a day IRONING, down on knees scrubbing and waxing, and I realize it was another era, but we gew up on three hot cooked meals a day when were home from school. I AM BLESSED!

Answer 5

Well, the first thing to do is have a glass of orange juice or a big glass of water. Open all the doors and windows to let in the fresh air. Then I find my favorite cd's and place them in my 24 cd changer. Turn the music up to my liking, being respectful of my neighbors. Place light snacks around so I can munch on them when I get a craving. Then I tackle room by room. After that I take a nice warm shower, in my nice clean bathroom and then I have a nice tall glass of Bloody Mary's.

Answer 6

Think about cockroaches playing football on your dinner table. And an army of ants lined outside your door as if they're waiting at a soup kitchen. And gigantic rats who want to lay next to you in bed at night.

That should get you motivated to clean up your house. And always remember to keep your house clean. It's much easier to clean a clean house than a nasty one.

Answer 7

Trash the house! Well not breaking stuff.. but pull everything out of your closet.. pull everything off the walls.. re organize. Than you're not cleaning, which is boring, you are re-inventing. It can give you a new look and help you to dump some old junk you don't need anymore... like your LAZY BOYFRIEND, for example. :-D

Answer 8

i wear comfortable clothes then i pretend that i'm in a game show and if i can make the house spotless by a given amount of time i win $10,000 and then I pump up some loud music. sure i don't get $10,000 but the feeling of contentedness and accomplishment of having a clean house is priceless.

Answer 9

I can clean when I am mad or angry at something or someone easier than I can do it any other time... I usualy start small..like my room...dresser..desk..then go to bigger tasks like the rest of the house. But I do all of that with my favorite music on...really loud.

Answer 10

imagine
*****************************************************************
your greatest fantasy just happened
the person you most desired EVER TO MEET just phoned you to say they are going to visit with you

what do you really need to clean ????? so you can invite them into your home with PRIDE ?
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when YOU feel PROUD --- you have done enough cleaning
and now you can relax --- and also invite anyone --- so they can see what a lovely home you keep --- ha ha

good luck and remember

clean what you know requires cleaning --- not everything --- for the sake of cleaning--- cleanliness is next to godliness my grandma said and also best for health --- but a bit of UNTIDY- !!! shows a HOME is lived in and is not just A HOUSE

be your own judge --- and relax in YOUR HOME
best regards
M.M.

Answer 11

Just take 15 minutes to do something, anything, and tell yourself you will take a break when you are done. Have routines...it sounds boring but actually it really works.