No one really loves cleaning. Read 9 tips to boost your motivation to want to clean so you can have a happier, tidier family home.
Okay, let’s get honest here.
There are SO MANY tips, podcasts, YouTube videos, and products out there that show us how to clean.
And we watch them, we buy them…
…but if we don’t have the motivation to even start – it’s just not gonna happen!
- you’re exhausted and don’t know how you’ll find the energy to do deep cleaning, let alone find your kitchen countertops every day
- it could be that you don’t know where to carve the extra time into your week to do it
- all the energy-draining attempts to clean are disheartening…because we turn around and find that same mess again!
…maybe you’re all 3? 😉
I’ve been there too. And there are seasons when you physically and emotionally can’t get any more done beyond the minimum viable cleaning routine. And that’s okay.
But.
Sometimes the root problem with avoiding cleaning is that you don’t have a simple family routine in place that works right now.
But for now, let’s go over some encouraging reasons why having a clean, orderly home is good for you and the family.
Yes, you’ve heard it before. Still, it’s good to hear it again, right? So here we go:
9 tips to motivate you to want to clean
1. You wake up energized
It’s so refreshing to come downstairs and not be greeted by piles and mess each morning.
Instead, our hearts give a little surge of contentment that our tidy home enables us to have a productive, meaningful day.
2. You’re being a good steward
Our hearts are more grateful for what we have when our belongings have a home. They’re cared for and treasured, and we donate or remove the ones that no longer serve us.
We also don’t feel guilty when we need to buy something we truly need – because it won’t get lost in the piles.
3. You save time
How many lost minutes (or hours?) in a month would we save if we knew where everything was when we needed them? Or how about our kids (arg)?
We waste precious time looking for our things and feel stressed when we’re delayed because of it.
However, daily cleaning and tidying save so much time in the long run vs. the massive weekend-long clean-up that leaves us grumpy and tired instead of pleased.
Everything is put back where it belongs. We can quickly hop to what we need to do next.
4. You’re not embarrassed when people come to the door or stay to visit
What if we didn’t have to apologize for the mess anymore? Sure, there’s the everyday a-family-lives-here stuff lying around…
…but on the whole, a regularly clean & organized home looks like it’s a regularly cleaned & organized home.
And people notice.
5. You’re able to focus on your priorities and things you love
Another plug for daily cleaning:
When we don’t have to waste an hour+ on cleaning our kitchen before we cook and make another mess
…or tidy the living room instead of tackling our more pressing to-dos of the day
…the must-dos are done early and fast. So we free up more time for our love-to-dos.
6. You’re less stressed and reduce the mental load
The geek in me is excited to share research studies that show how uncluttered and tidy homes positively impact our mental and physical health.
What’s more, it improves our ability to focus on a task, gives us a night of better sleep, and more!
7. You’re teaching your kids how to care for their future families
Our kids are internalizing our cleaning and organizing habits.
They’ll in turn learn life skills on how to adult well, and care for their own homes and families.
8. You’re able to zero in on problem areas (and fix them easily & quickly)
Case in point.
A tidy kitchen in the morning sets up my family’s day for success- especially when the kids pitch in to cook, wash dishes at every meal, and clean.
But last week, I noticed my daughter struggling to put her medicine syringe on a higher shelf…so she gave up and left it on the counter for me.
Because my kitchen is generally tidy, I was able to zero in on the fact that my bottom shelf was filled with canning jars I use for sauces and leftovers.
A simple solution was to move those up a shelf and lower the cup that holds her syringes to where she could reach. Easy peasy.
9. You’re proud & happy to be in your home
COVID has really helped us narrow down what we love and what we can’t stand about our home, hasn’t it?
But even if a space isn’t “perfect”, when it’s tidy, it’s a lot easier to enjoy it or know how to make it a little better.
My home is homemade 😉 We built it from the ground up and made a lot of mistakes that we’re slowly sprucing up in our old and wiser age. But it’s unique. And it’s ours.
And I love when I can use the spaces easily and properly for what they were created to be. Don’t you?
Pretty good benefits to cleaning, right?
Sometimes we just need that emotional and mental boost to get going.
So on that note, pick up the family-centred Chore Startup Pack and have at it!
The job gets done so.much.faster when you do it as a team.
Happy cleaning (because now we know that’s a thing!)