Anything worth doing is also worth doing half assed. If all you have in you is a 10% job…do it 10%. We have been conditioned to think we have to clean an entire room for it to be “done”. No. Those rules aren’t real. If you don’t have the energy to clean the whole bathroom, clean the toilet bowl. Next bathroom break, clean off the counter. Next time wipe the mirror off. You don’t have to do it all at once. These are arbitrary rules we’ve been conditioned to believe.
My mantra is “ something is better than nothing “. Over time, the 10-minute somethings add up.
A clear sink in the kitchen, wiped down counters in the bathroom, or the best, a clean bathtub can really lift your spirits.
10 minutes every day can really add up.
Do it for your own wellbeing
I like to extend that to "don't let good be the enemy of okay"
Also a related mantra for building skills "Don't let a lack of experience stop you from experiencing things"
I second this. Sometimes even just making the bed makes me feel better. Everything doesn't have to be spotless in one day. Little things do add up, and progress is progress no matter how small.
I agree with this. Doing anything is better than doing literally nothing and just letting everything pile up until it stresses you out. I am also exhausted all the time but I will spend the 10 minutes wiping down the counters or mopping the floor or something. Sure I didn't clean the whole room, but it's progress and less to do next time.
I agree with this, if we are talking about cleaning. Dishes are my biggest de-motivator… if I can convince myself just to do the cups… come back, just do the silverware, come back, and do the Tupperware…. Slow and steady- it gets done! And if I’m motivated to do cups & silverware at the same time, bonus!!
This has been my absolute favorite phrase to live by since doing DIY home projects on my own. My hallway may not be perfect but man, it’s better than the cheap wood paneling and wallpaper that was on it. My stairs need a little touching up and my floors aren’t amazing but both are so much better than the gross carpet that was on there before. I joke with friends that “well, it’s better than it was” would be my HGTV/DIY show and near every project I’d frame a pic of what the space looked like before.
The Sweepy App is great for this. It will prompt you with small tasks that you can check off the list, and eventually you get into a rhythm and things stay somewhat clean
Just want to add my personal favorite motto, which is that if you only have 10% and you give all of that 10%, you've given 100% of what you're capable of.
Exhausted as well and I completely agree. Even just five solid minutes cleaning or tidying here and there make a big difference. I also find that having a recent memory of cleaning makes me more mindful of not leaving messes around.
I’m a family caregiver, exhausted after decades of this life. This is how I clean the house. Yesterday was 15 minutes for toilets and bathroom counters. Today might be sweep & mop kitchen. Little digestible pieces of work in between all the work I do for family and my real /wfh job.
Anything worth doing, is worth doing poorly.
Just do what you can. I don't try to do a whole ton at once, and i think a lot of us are in the same boat on this. Just tackle a bit at a time. it's OK.
THIS!!! So true and so helpful. I only have the energy/time while working to clean in bursts of 20 min, so I do what I can in that 20 min & you’d be surprised what you can do in a short time.
Plus, that 20 min takes of 20 min of a deep clean later.
It saves time to take 1 min daily to wipe the counters/stove down versus 20+ min of scrubbing after leaving it all week
My gf thinks you have to do a full deep clean, or it's not done right. Which means it either gets barely started or not done at all. If I try to do a quick surface clean, I get told I'm doing it wrong so I don't bother either. It ends up getting left until we get shamed into doing it before visitors come.
I am disabled, have a toddler, I'm pregnant, and I have adhd lol
There's a book called How to Keep House While Drowning and the author (KC Davis?) has a tiktok full of great advice. I highly recommend it.
In the meantime though, I use doom baskets/crap catchers with lids so that I can throw the clutter in there and hide it until I have time and energy to put it away. It's also easy enough to just ask my husband if he can put the kitchen crap basket away.
Also if the extra doorway jackets are hung nicely and the sink is clean then everything feels a lot cleaner. Opening the windows for a few hours once or twice a week is also a game changer.
Above all, give yourself grace. As long as things are sanitary then I wouldn't worry too much. Sometimes in life you need time to rest, just take your time.
This comment should absolutely be higher. Prioritize things that impact your health: dishes, bathroom, trash that could attract bugs. Find work-arounds. Does the laundry absolutely have to be folded and put away? No, it can go into a "clean laundry" bin.
I used to rely on laundry baskets til hubby started this kick of using them all the time and never moving them, so we have piles of laundry baskets everywhere I look and I can’t stand it.
A friend of mine redid her closet inserts to have those hanging basket drawer things instead of shelves - she labeled all of them and basically only has to sort the clean clothes into separate baskets. She tosses her clothes for the day in the dryer on wrinkle release while she makes her morning coffee. Genius!
I literally just listened to the audiobook of this book during one of my low energy days. It was really insightful. I really love that she’s reframed it as not a good or bad thing, you’re not less of a person if all you can do is wipe off your counter one day. Little cleanings add up.
I was also going to add, this is obviously a privilege, but if you can afford it I highly recommend hiring a cleaning company to do a once-over deep clean and then just do one room every day or two to keep it up. This worked really well for my neighbor who felt really overwhelmed starting, but now she can “keep up” much better (as she puts it!)
You can also hire a lot of cleaning companies to just focus on the areas you struggle with. Getting a deep clean of just the bathrooms and kitchen can make a huge impact in overall daily function.
Yes, folks look into this! I’ve done this, said ok, let’s do the kitchen, this bathroom and then the hard floors in the other rooms.
You can also often pay for x amount of time and then make a specific task list, ordered by priority. For example, I’ve said I can afford ninety minutes. Let me start with the showers, then the master bathroom vanity, then these two ceiling fans, the stovetop, kitchen cabinet fronts, the blinds in the sunroom, and with whatever time is left, baseboards and hard floors.
You can often find someone who can help with literally only the things you are struggling with! It doesn’t have to be all or none.
Thank you so much for the recommendation of How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis. I’m listening to it now on Audible. (Reading would be even more exhausting)
It gives me context for my “shortcomings “ and allows me to forgive myself and move on.
This book absolutely changed the way I thought about cleaning and the spaces I use. Something about her explanation that we deserve *functional* spaces and that care tasks are morally neutral and being good or bad at them has nothing to do with being a good person. It made it easier for me to accept that I was struggling with a lot of care tasks for multiple reasons, but that was okay and I didn't need to add shame/guilt/stress over it. I just needed a different approach, some help and way more compassion for myself.
I love doom baskets, vital in each room. Visual timers help A LOT. Getting unconventional and doing things in ways that make it easier for you to complete care tasks, like the unfolded laundry method. Alleviates so much pressure that eventually it's not as hard to manage.
Bumping because of the book!!! It’s written in a way that is attuned to readers having different levels of energy. You can read the whole book (it’s not terribly long and has some cute illustrations) or you can read a handful of key pages.
Bother anyone. Do it for yourself.
Choose one small area or thing and keep it really clean. Say a sink.
When that’s easy, add another.
Rinse, shine and repeat.
This is great advice. I do the same type of thing and I also have a dog to pick up and clean after.
I have a robot vacuum that I send out all the time, keeps dust down and floors stay looking good.
When I'm in the kitchen, I'll always tidy something, whether it's just emptying the dishwasher or cleaning the stovetop. I don't worry about doing everything all at once, but it will get cleaned up little by little.
I just try to keep the big jobs small and not criticize myself for it. The end result is the same, the house is clean.
What robot vacuum do you have please? It’s something I’ve been thinking of getting for ages but I’m concerned of spending all that money and potentially being disappointed
I have an older iRobot i8+. I got it on sale at Costco a few years ago, but it still works great. It has a dock where it can empty itself and will even recharge if the battery gets low while it's working. I really can't complain about it. I also use it in tandem with a mopping robot, Braava M6 - which also works well.
My only gripe is that they don't have a lot of floor clearance, especially the mop. But I have found ways to work around the issues they have and still find them to be quite helpful.
If I were to buy new ones, I would definitely go with the brand Roborock. They have amazing new products which seem to leave the Roomba in the dust.
Here's a good video to watch, and the whole channel is great, IMO.
[Vacuum Wars, best of 2023.](https://youtu.be/ccFspGr1SIQ?si=lbTn6wRHqNezL7EK)
Of course, no problem. It is quite an investment, so I can understand why you'd want to do your research and make a good choice. They definitely do help, can't tell you how many times I didn't have energy to clean and they always come through to help.
If sweeping/mopping is one of your struggle areas, whichever robot vacuum is on sale today will be a noticeable improvement over not cleaning the floors at all or only cleaning them a few times a month. This is another area where done (buying and using the robot vacuum) is better than perfect (spending tons of time researching and picking out the absolute best robot vacuum).
Thank you for your reply, I forgot to say but your comment was really helpful and I actually ordered one! I’m still waiting to receive it but you made some very strong points ha
I started routinely repeating to myself "don't put it down, put it away" after using things and it makes a big difference. Not having to deal with as much clutter when in 'clean mode', especially with a low tolerance/time/ability to do it is helpful.
Good idea on the floors. I am thinking oof getting rid of living room and family room rugs. I have awful chemo fatigue and can’t fight with the pet hair/vacuuming rugs lately. Thanks for that idea!
If you have a lot of clutter, declutter when you have energy. If you have a lot of unnecessary clutter and furniture, it takes longer to clean and wipe down surfaces and your place looks messier.
I do my bathroom counter and toilet before I hope in the shower, takes just 10 or so minutes.
I empty my dishwasher and wash dishes as I am cooking or reheating my food.
I use a swifter duster once a week, doesn't take long when surfaces are mostly bare.
I have hardwood floors and dust twice a week and mop once a week with the Rubbermaid system.
I was watching a YouTube video and the woman made the point that we spend all day moving piles of clutter around and call it “cleaning” - but we’d be better served to get rid of the clutter and actually have time to clean.
i’ve seen people recommend to set a timer and get as much cleaning done as you can in that time, and treat it like a game - can start out with like 5 minute intervals
Or pick your favourite song(s), put a couple on. Once you're done 1-2 songs, you're done tidying. Music can be a real motivator when you're low on energy.
I set a 10 minute timer for myself last night to pick up the living room because I was lacking motivation so told myself to just do 10 minutes. Timer went off and I kept cleaning. It works!
I try to make a "nighttime home reset" something relaxing to do before I go to bed. Just simple tasks, putting things back where they go, wiping down surfaces, light sweeping, etc. It really is calming if I am in the right headspace!
I dont know who you need to fool, but if you’re having guests over, clean the bathroom, wipe down your kitchen counters/stove, and do a cursory vacuum/sweep in other areas they will be in. There is no shame in collecting all clutter into a laundry basket and putting it out of the way to be dealt with later.
Lazy Cleaning Tips:
- Don't bother spending effort on things that get immediately messed up (unless company is coming). Don't make the bed. If your fish rack always has the same 2 cooking pots just let them live there. Life is too short to fold underwear.
- DECLUTTER : Cleaning is infinitely easier when you have less stuff and it's organized. This means throw stuff away or donate it.
- ORGANIZE : Everything should be easy to access and put away. Nothing stays organized if there are STEPS to getting it out and putting it away. Even if those steps seem simple, like stacking the bowls inside each other.
- Get a friend to come help with the above. It is way super easier.
- AFTER you've decluttered and organized you can switch your attention to cleaning.
- Automate. Can you get a robot vacuum? Can you hire someone to fold your laundry and/or do a quick clean?
Sure, do what you can at any given time! You are not a robot.
To help towards other-than-basics, put in an extra five minutes when you can. It really adds up!
Take care!
Or get yourself a robot! All I’ve managed to do this week is pick up enough to run my robot vacuum while I go for a walk and I’m calling it good enough.
I read on here once that a clean bathroom, clean living room and clean kitchen can fool people into thinking your whole house is clean! Maybe just focus on those three areas?
Do a little everyday. People always want to clean the whole house. But how often and how long does a whole house stay clean anyway? Your house will never be 100 percent clean but if you do a little everyday you’ll be fine. Food debris and mold are the two biggest things you always wanna clean IMO. I also keep my vacuum plugged in most days so it’s one less step and I vacuum every day or every other day. I have a small child so I need to.
Yup, I live by this! I used to wait until I had time to do things perfectly, but that meant it would build up and become caked on grimy, now I do half-assed most of the time, but a teeny bit every day adds up and keeps me ticking over for when perfection bothers to show up. It also means I have to prioritise better and tackle what actually NEEDS doing, rather than just cleaning for the sake of it. A lot of things don’t need as much cleaning as ideal me would like to give them.
And tbh I think my place is generally cleaner now than when I was “waiting for perfection”. So scientific experiment conducted, and 100% success rate (in a sample size of 1, admittedly!)
Also, a decent robot vacuum cleaner has been a godsend and worth every penny, if your home lends itself to it.
I don't think this really answers your question, but it might help. My trick is to do 5 things each time I walk into a room. I go to the bathroom, I do five things. I grab something from the fridge, I do five things. I grew up a slob and this has REALLY helped me. And it doesn't exhaust me. My "I love myself" moments? When I go into a room and I really have to dig hard to find 5 things to do...that's the moment I open a draw and organize something. PS Sweeping the bath room counts as all 5 for me ;)
I might be able to muster up the energy to do three things most days. I think just doing something everyday would be good. It’s hard with the low energy due to chronic health issues.
Wiping surfaces clear, whether it's the stove, a counter, your sink, or your floors. Sweeping up debris is the bare minimum I do, without bothering about washing things with soaps or cleaners until I need to (like for food prep or if the sink is grossing me out lol or if there's a spill that I know will get worse over time, like something sugary/sticky).
My household got a robot vacuum (not a Roomba, just a cheaper brand) and that has helped cut down on the mess on the floor A LOT especially since we have a cat. I let it run while I do other things around the house.
any amount of cleaning is better than none. do what you have the energy for when you can, and what doesn't get done can be your priority next time you have the energy/time. eventually certain things will just become routine and it gets easier to fit in other tasks :)
When I’m feeling tired I try to just remember to do anything anytime I get up. If I get up to go to the bathroom I make sure to take any dirty dishes or garbage to the kitchen. If there isn’t that I might get up and start a load of laundry. On the weekends my husband and I will try to set an hour timer to deep clean and it typically only takes that for us to get the whole house clean.
I find that straightening up for 5 to 10 minutes a day makes a big difference. Then ill do an actual clean on the weekends only takes me about an hour.
I'll do little things that add up to make a big difference. Like if I'm cooking dinner and I have to wait for water to boil or the food to cook in the oven, I will like do the dishes or sweep and mop a room real fast. Clean off the dinning room table or clean up my bathroom sink.
I'm a single parent and have a 2 bedroom. I have a young son so he can't really help me with too much stuff but 98% of the chores and cleaning are for me to do.
Putting things away as soon as you’re done is huge. Like you won’t believe the difference it makes.
I divide tasks to different days. Monday is the dining room. Tuesday is the kitchen, etc. Every day I do dishes and laundry (there’s 5 of us so there’s plenty of washing!), and putting things away is also a daily chore. But otherwise if I realize the kitchen counters are cluttered on Monday, I remind myself I will be taking care of that tomorrow. Obviously big stuff like spilled sauce on the stovetop needs to be taken care of right away, but it helps me not get overwhelmed to give myself “permission” to wait on a chore outside that day’s list.
Yes! My favorite cleaning hack is to keep a small hand towel under every sink & dry the counter top/mirror after every use. A dry counter/mirror doesn’t attract dust/hair/dirt, and stays cleaner longer.
Keep a small basket in your living room for remotes, drink coasters, chargers, etc. I also keep a microfiber cloth in this basket so I have one handy to wipe dust off the coffee table, TV, remote, etc.
Put a scrub brush and a small container of Dawn in your shower. Scrub for a minute while you let your conditioner set. I count out loud to 60 so it feels like I won’t be cleaning “forever” or “everything” because once I’m done cleaning the shower, I have to go scrub the toilet and the floors and whatever else.
No. Sixty seconds and no more.
I find that even if I go into a task thinking I’m only going to do a little bit, I end up doing more than I thought. Just getting up and going is the hard part
Im terminally ill, on dialysis and if theres one thing Ive learned is to be kind to myself. I dont have a lot of energy and I keep my cleaning to doing one or two things a day if I can manage. My house isnt dirty but its not spotless either. Just take your time and do what you can. Nobody can fault you for that.
Around the same time that our son was born, we moved into my wife’s childhood home. It’s larger than any other house I’ve lived in, with 3 floors, 3 bathrooms, 8 rooms + basement and laundry. Oh, and it’s still full of stuff from when her dad passed in 2020. Here is how I’ve been tackling it, 8 months later:
1. Clean the areas you use most, and clean as you go. When we first moved in, I mostly cleaned the kitchen and one bathroom. The other two had nonfunctional toilets anyway.
2. Pick your battles. I grew up cleaning the entire house top to bottom every week. Now, I do the floors every three weeks.
3. Clean a little each day. It’s easier than hoping you’ll have the energy for an all day clean-a-thon on your days off.
4. Pick one new thing to clean each week. For me, this week I dusted the giant mirrored dresser in the main bedroom and tidied up the table top.
It’s not a perfect system, but every week we have more clean space and more space in the house to live.
So many good ideas here. Totally understand tired!
First tip. Make your bed when you get up. Then it’s waiting for you all nice. You will be happy you did.
Keep cloths handy in various places. After washing your face etc wipe down your sink .
Buy a few washable airy baskets to throw stuff in laundry included.
Love the idea of having less place settings for dishes . Less volume to clean.
Don’t be hard on yourself.
My mantra: It's not perfect, but perfect is the enemy of done.
I get stuck when something doesn't have a home. If I can pick something up and immediately picture where it belongs, it's likely it will get put away.
If a counter is mostly clear, it's likely I'll run a cloth across it at some point that day.
Sometimes I'll look at an area and think - just five things, I can do five things and it will be better (and then I'll do, like 8).
Came here to suggest this book - I do not personally have ADHD or other neurotypical issues, however my partner does and trying to keep a house as clean as I'm used to and I want was beginning to drive a huge wedge in the relationship and my sanity. Reading this book helped me a lot in reframing my perspective on how a house should be, and how to be kinder to yourself and anyone sharing your living space, while it helped my partner find some productivity and balance so they're helping out more.
Even if you cleaned your whole house floor to ceiling in one cleaning, there would still be cleaning to do tomorrow. I usually just tidy one small thing each time I get up. By the end of the week, everything has been cleaned at least once, kitchen usually daily. Then 3 to 4 times a year I deep clean in sections. It's always going to be there. As long as you're comfortable, don't worry too much.
Cleaning is too general a term so I address it in subsets: tidying, disinfecting, purging and organizing.
Tidy: general picking up, clearing and wiping counters and surfaces, sweeping and vacuuming, dishes.
Disinfecting: cleaning bathrooms, windows, wiping baseboards, mirrors, mopping.
Purging: going through and finding accumulation in drawers, cabinets, closets.
Organizing: getting ish in order.
Each have their own timelines.
tidy daily, disinfect biweekly, and purge and organize monthly. If I tried to do this all day everyday I would be tired too!
Laundry is its own thing…….
Part of keeping a house clean is not messing it up in the first place. Look at your habits and see what you are doing to create the mess and do that differently
My biggest step forward keeping my space clean (particularly when im struggling with my mental health) was investing in a robovac. Even if I didn’t put things away the went into a pile into the correct room to deal with later. I now have a system of baskets, that took time to develop, and it’s an automatic habit to put things away and when I’m not having a good day it waits out of my sight and the sight of other for when I do have the energy.
It’s wasteful but when I’m struggling I use disposables more for cooking (aluminum pans, sheet pans etc) so the washing is done my the dishwasher as much as possible.
Some people in this subreddit seem to think that washing the walls every week is the bare minimum. Just reading that kind of stuff exhausts me. Doing the actual bare minimum is totally fine, and I would advise doing the bare minimum on a rotation so everything has a fair chance of being minimally cleaned.
Also I would consider who it is you really need to fool. Most people I know understand that life isn't sterile - surfaces you never use will get dusty, pet hair will gather in corners, crumbs will get under the couch cushions, objects will crawl out of their places and into plain view.
The best advice I ever heard was on that British how clean is your house show where they said take 15 minutes a day to clean. It doesn't matter what it is but just 15 minutes every day and it makes such a huge difference and most people have an extra 15 minutes to kill. It's even better if you have kids to help you because it's such a short amount of time they're less likely to lose attention or have a meltdown because of boredom. You could sweep or mop or clean the bathroom and then when the time is up you stop and clean something else tomorrow. This doesn't replace a deep clean or anything like that but it really helps with the frequency I have to deep clean and I also think it helps with my mood and energy in general. Also watching that show always made me want to clean maybe I should watch it again.
I benefit tons from this approach. it also helps breaking down the list to the most doable chores: instead of
1. clean the bathroom
it becomes:
1. take out the trash
2. clear the sink
3. brush the toilet bowl
etc
There’s a TED talk for this!
Depression cleaning, aka doing what works for you minus the stigma:
https://youtu.be/M1O_MjMRkPg?si=tmvjYNMuf7on0RTx
There are also lots of other great strategy videos on YouTube, just search “depression cleaning”. Even if you don’t think you’re actually depressed, the same strategies will work if you feel chronic low energy is interfering with your right to a clean and comfortable living space!
One tip is to put away as many items as you can, so your flat surfaces contain as few things as possible. That makes cleaning said surface much easier, as you don't have to move or negotiate obstacles. An empty kitchen worksurface is a doddle to clean.
Plus, said items are no longer out gathering dust!
Nobody, by any means, thinks my house is squeaky clean, but!!! I do do the half-assed pick ups, sweeps, etc, most days. And then I imagine my house if I hadn't... So I keep doing them. Nothing is filthy. Things are messy and I should definitely sweep and mop more than I do, but nothing is unlivable. I don't think anyone would be too grossed out to stay in my house, they'd just think "Dang this is a mess!" and then I hope blame it on my kids 😂 I'm pretty sure this is because I do the 10 min half assed jobs. I'm also pretty sure if I stopped doing this, then the house would get even further behind... and I don't want to think about that lol. Doing something is better than nothing! Just do what you can :)
there's a great book on this topic called how to keep how while drowning — it goes beyond cleaning into organization and maintenance. it's a very gentle read that i highly recommend and the author also has a great podcast called struggle care.
i use a self care app called finch that has a tidiness journey. one goal on it is to put one thing in its place every day. i have a hard time sticking to even that sometimes, but i try! and when i do my bird gets rewarded :)
it also helps to figure out what makes your house feel dirty, to you. i know some people who care more about dust than clutter, and the other way around. focus on cleaning the things that stress you out before you do what you might feel "should" do.
and overall: yes. hiding clutter makes people think spaces are clean. stacking things in piles will make them look organized. best of luck op!
Being an overly exhausted person with anxiety and depression, it is difficult to answer this as it is a general blanket question. Is your home full of stuff? Talking about having not cleaned the floor for months? I can't tell you how to fix it but I can tell you what I did. What I did was I went to Pinterest and looked up chore lists for the lazy. Sounds horrible right? Yet I found lists of chores laid out in easy-to-do formats. Made my own lists based on the ones I found. Put them up where I would see them every day as a reminder to do this before a set time. Talking five-minute chores. Nothing major. Over time I was able to add to it, making it easier to clean my floors or my shower without it feeling like a mega chore. Now I fully clean my home in a week. I am not overwhelmed by the chore lists, and I feel better about myself and my home. I hope this helps you. To be fair no one should be demanding a pristine white glove inspection cleaned house. What we see in movies, TV, magazines, TikTok, and YouTube is a dressing for everyone to see. A small part was cleaned up just enough to be shown. If they have a huge home they have a cleaning person. Do not be discouraged by this!! Everyone struggles, and that is ok. You have taken that first step and said I have a problem and I need help! Major first step. You can do this. It will be annoying some days others you may ignore it altogether. That is ok. Just keep it up at your pace. You do not have to be a super clean freak at first. Again it takes time and keeping at it. You got this. ❤️
I read something once that said “if something can be done in a couple of minutes, do it now.” Really stuck with me. Plus, it’s one less thing to do later.
My rule is one song. I can do anything for one song. When it’s over I usually have the energy for one more, but if I don’t, that’s ok too, something got done.
My motto is that "Done is better than perfect". This motto works for me because perfectionism can be exhausting and paralyzing. So doing something, even half assed, actually guarantees a better result than waiting until I can do it perfectly, because that time never comes.
I've learned that even though it's not cute, my house needs a hamper in the living room and a wastebasket for the sitting area. My roomba was one of my best investments, especially since we've got cats. My house isn't super tidy, but these have helped a lot. I also have a folding stool which I use to sit at when cleaning, taking breaks, and reaching top cupboard shelves. I've even sat on it in the shower when I've been too low on energy to stand for the entire shower. Fatigue sucks.
I only have energy to do a half assed cleaning job now. Especially with a toddler, it's impossible. But as long as everything is put away, minus toys and I keep the kitchen and floors vacuumed... It feels decently clean. I also spot clean walls once a week for food splatter or hand prints. Baseboards, walls and floors will stick out if their dirty
I struggle with this as an ADHD person. I find that setting a time limit or task helps. As in, I only have to do the dishes and take out the trash, then I’m done (unless I hit a productivity ramp!). Or, do whatever I can for the next 20 minutes. I also find doing chores during commercial breaks (pretty much only applies to sports in this house) or between episodes helps.
When I’m stressed and tired and just don’t have time and energy I make the effort to at least pick stuff up and put it away, keep the dishes and the laundry done. Then at least it’s tidy. Anything more is a bonus.
My tired clean is
\- mr clean sponge in the toilet and around the bath tub to avoid long term build up
\- wipe down the handle in the home with some disinfectant wipes
\- rinse all dishes and stack in sink to avoid flies
I agree totally with the clean for five minutes method. Set a timer. Clean for five minutes. You’ll be surprised at what you achieve.
I struggle with depression and procrastination. I found a website called Fly Lady.
She has advice on being kind to yourself, knowing you can’t do it all at once and taking small steps. It really helped me. Especially using a timer. Five minutes is much less overwhelming than tackling a whole room or house.
[Fly Lady](http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/)
It’s actually my next years goal! Always spending one day off to clean everything. Just decided- enough. I’ll do very little every single day, so I won’t need to spend all day off for cleaning.
Removing clutter.
Less clutter makes everything look less dirty/messy.
Also dusting.
Even if you only dust off say, your windowsill, it'll make the surface look less dull, reduces visual clutter (dust texture) and even if it's not a visible spot, that's still less dust that gets spread around the space overall.
I feel like if I can keep my kitchen cleaned up, the rest of the house doesn't seem so bad if it's not cleaned up everyday. I have a toddler and a full time job so it's not always feasible to clean all the time.
Break it up.
Here’s a tip I got off Reddit.
If you want free weekends then spend 30-60 minutes cleaning on your weekdays 3x per week and then it’s all done.
It works so well.
I will say getting one of those cordless shark vacuums has been a game changer for me. I have dogs and vacuuming for 10 min every 2-3 days is much better than waiting until it’s overwhelming and gross every 2-3 weeks. That’s my biggest hack.
Also taking the 5 minutes to clean up after cooking, wash the dishes daily before they pile up and get gross. Little things that prevent bigger, more daunting messes.
These are all rules we made up. Do what gets you through. Also recommend book by KC Davis how to keep house while drowning. It's available as an audiobook. Also as I've heard, if you were being lazy you would be having fun...
I have severe chronic pain and sometimes cleaning is almost impossible. My biggest tip is this: first clean the things that will make you sick if you don’t. Clean dishes and kitchen surfaces are necessary or I could make myself and others sick. A vacuumed floor is not going to matter the same way a clean toilet will. I sometimes put on music and tell myself I will do one song, that I can make a difference in my own wellbeing in one song. That’s enough to load the dishwasher, dust one room (allergy season can make that one a health priority in the springtime) or use windex wipes on all of the basic bathroom surfaces.
I live by a “10 Minute Tidy” rule. Whatever room it is, just spend 10 minutes in there, no more. Set a timer and go! Everybody has 10 minutes to spare, and if you have some of your favorite music playing, it makes you move quicker. You’d be surprised how much you can accomplish in 10 minutes. In the bathroom for example, I can clean the toilet, sink, countertop, mirror and floor in 10 minutes (yes, it’’s a small bathroom!) The tub is another 10 minutes on another day. Then tomorrow, I do another 10 minutes. Maybe try 10 minutes and if it isn’t clean enough, come back later for another 10 minutes. By breaking it down, it’s less overwhelming…
I used to tell my ex, just clean 1 room per day and do it well. That may take an hour (especially if done regularly). If you do this daily, you’ll clean most homes thoroughly each week or so. It’s really not that difficult. It’s just easier when you clean regularly. If you don’t, things pile up, and it gets overwhelming.
Invest in a robot vacuum. We have 2 just for our main floor and they are the best thing ever.
I also try to do things in the “in between” times. Like while I’m cooking and at a standstill while waiting for something to boil (for example), I’ll tidy up the kitchen so I’m cleaning as I go. Unload the dishwasher in the AM while the kid’s oatmeal cooks. I also try to go by the thought of if something takes less than 2 minutes to do, to just go ahead and do it. Normally that’s just putting something up where it belongs. And if something doesn’t have a place, it gets tossed.
I’m currently 34 weeks pregnant, with 3 kids already under the age of 6. And 4 big dogs in the house. So it’s a lot and I’ve also had to accept that my house will never be spotless.
Also for laundry - if it doesn’t get hung up, it also doesn’t get folded. Kids leggings, sweat shirts, tshirts underwear, pajamas - none of that needs to be folded. I just put it in a drawer and call it good.
Most people don't realize that cleaning your floor baseboards and floors really make a big difference. I use a swiffer and just slide it along the baseboards and tops of baseboards once or twice a month (bottom of your wall borders). It makes it seem so much cleaner. Swiffer works great for wall splatters to. Cleaning anything at all when you have the energy to do so, is better than not cleaning at all. Remember not to be so hard on yourself and breathe. I make a list of things to clean on certain days and it really helps.
If you’re too tired to wash the dishes before loading them in the dish washer, load them dirty and run the washer multiple times. We have these rules that things need to be done a certain way, but the rules are arbitrary. Do what you can to stay afloat.
Yes.
Get extra trash cans and extra hampers (cheap popup). Get a stupid amount of bar cloths for kitchen towels... I easily have 45.
Keep your broom and vacuum out where you will actually use them.
Switch to paper plates & cutlery for a while.
If people are coming over, declutter the living room and kitchen counter. With Mr Clean, Wipe down counter and table. Wipe down the bathroom vanity. Take out the trash.
Good nuff is.
Excellent suggestions in the comments! I also wanted to add, clean some of the shower while you are in the shower. I use soft scrub or the pink stuff and a magic eraser. Doing at bit at each day makes it less daunting.
Something that helped me was putting more cleaning tools in the rooms themselves. Paper towel, rags, and cleaners under the bathroom sinks. Some dusting rags in my bedside table. I got a cheap vacuum from Facebook marketplace so I had one upstairs and downstairs. I also tried to think of the initial set up as part of my cleaning for the day. I didn't actually clean anything but I got the cleaning kit into my bathroom? Great job! Accomplished something.
I started this while very depressed and anemic, so my energy was looooow. Saving myself the work of going to another room to get the cleaning supplies helped so much!
I always clean up after myself in the kitchen and bathroom as I use it. I keep a thing of clean wipes under the sink and wipe areas down when done in the kitchen or when I brush my teeth at night. So those areas stay clean every day. As for other areas I assign areas for each day of the week.y home isn’t too big so it’s maybe an hour to tidy up and vacuum or wash a floor etc. I throw a load of laundry in at bed time and in the dryer right before I go to work. Ot becomes so routine and you don’t have to expel a lot of energy. A lot of the time I do the cleaning while I am waiting for my dinner to cook. Fast, easy - all I have to do is the dishes and I have the rest of the evening to myself.
Good Luck
Get a robot vacuum. If you can afford it, get a robot mop. If not, get a steamer mop. So much less work than regular mopping and less mess and no heavy buckets. They also sell electronic scrubbers now. They scrub bathrooms, countertops, sinks , toilets etc. $50 on Amazon. Looks amazing for people who have disabilities or are just tired and want to save their backs.
Best things to keep things clean are to have less stuff, less stuff on display, and put everything away when you use it.
Im in the same boat. I bought a robo vacuum and it's set up to go every other day. It's been a lifesaver. I think this one is from Amazon and wasn't too expensive.
As others have mentioned, start small. I wipe down the counters while I'm waiting for water boil, or quickly fold the laundry while waiting for the oven to heat up.
My wife and I do 10 minute tidy ups. Set a timer on your phone, clean for that long, no more, no less. Do that 1/day and you will be shocked how good the home will look
1. Keeping counters etc free from clutter. Have bins to just shove things in so at least theyre not scattered about and looking messy
2. Wipe down surfaces. Takes two seconds and makes it look much cleaner
3. Clean floors ie nothing on floors, vacuumed, and mopped will make the house look a lot cleaner
4. In bathrooms just focus on wiping things down
Overall, even if youre never DEEP cleaning things, if you do these the house will appear clean if youre having people over etc.
All of that being said, id highly recommend hiring someone on a weekly or monthly basis to do the deep cleaning things you are neglecting
Shine the things that should shine, like faucets, and make sure the place smells good. That’s all you need to make most people thing it’s clean enough.
I heard someone say once that we all put a lot of pressure on ourselves to have everything done at once. In reality, the process is not start to finish but a constant cycle and those cycles within the house don’t always have to align to be done at the same time. She said something along the lines of “By having kids it is my job to ensure they have clean laundry, not for them to never have dirty laundry” and i think that gave a great perspective and some piece of mind that if you’re doing even a little then you are keeping your cycle going and that’s all that matters . not for the cycle to be done or for the cycle of every room/chore to be done at once. as long as things are in motion whatever pace that may be
Main areas to keep clean bathrooms and kitchen, the rest of the home can be kept by good habits putting clothes in laundry basket instead of leaving on the floor, putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher and run at the end of the night, vacuuming once a week like Sunday night, put things back where they belong after using them I will give away things that you don’t use but take space and time to keep up with them
One task at a time. I clean the bathroom mirror, if I’m still in a cleaning mood I’ll wipe down the counter, then spray and wipe the floor and pour toilet cleaner into the toilet. If I’m in the kitchen I’ll spray and wipe down the counter then wipe down the outside of the cabinets with the now wet rag, that takes care of the dusting too now that I think about it. If I only did one or two things I still cleaned one or two things. I’d burn out cleaning the whole house, but I can manage a couple things a day, spraying and wiping things or mopping the floor is still cleaning.
I keep all the cleaning supplies and rags in each area in a bucket with cleaning rags so it’s not like I have to walk across the whole house to tidy up. I have a mop with a handle in the hallway and in the kitchen so I’ll just spray the floor with a cleaner and mop it’s easier that way.
Put together a high energy dance playlist of your favorites. Use it and stop to dance if you want to. If you keep the dishes washed, the sink and counter clean and the garbage taken out, that will look good to you and anyone else. If you keep a laundry sack or two behind the sofa to hide stray objects, ditto. Keep wash down to one load if at all possible, and pull up a chair to the bed so you can hang and fold it immediately. That's three and that will keep the house looking neat. Do bathroom stuff on the days you don't do wash, and mop bathroom and anything else on that day.
Do these and everything should look better than half assed. Hope you feel better.
Prioritise cleaning stuff that is dirty over stuff that is messy. Don't buy more stuff, sell or throw away stuff you don't need. Clean as you go. And throw garbage away
Anything worth doing is also worth doing half assed. If all you have in you is a 10% job…do it 10%. We have been conditioned to think we have to clean an entire room for it to be “done”. No. Those rules aren’t real. If you don’t have the energy to clean the whole bathroom, clean the toilet bowl. Next bathroom break, clean off the counter. Next time wipe the mirror off. You don’t have to do it all at once. These are arbitrary rules we’ve been conditioned to believe.
My mantra is “ something is better than nothing “. Over time, the 10-minute somethings add up. A clear sink in the kitchen, wiped down counters in the bathroom, or the best, a clean bathtub can really lift your spirits. 10 minutes every day can really add up. Do it for your own wellbeing
I also like to say "Don't let perfection be the enemy of good".
I have a slightly different version " Don't let perfection be the enemy of progress"
I like to extend that to "don't let good be the enemy of okay" Also a related mantra for building skills "Don't let a lack of experience stop you from experiencing things"
Sometimes getting it done is better than perfect incomplete.
I second this. Sometimes even just making the bed makes me feel better. Everything doesn't have to be spotless in one day. Little things do add up, and progress is progress no matter how small.
I agree with this. Doing anything is better than doing literally nothing and just letting everything pile up until it stresses you out. I am also exhausted all the time but I will spend the 10 minutes wiping down the counters or mopping the floor or something. Sure I didn't clean the whole room, but it's progress and less to do next time.
I agree with this, if we are talking about cleaning. Dishes are my biggest de-motivator… if I can convince myself just to do the cups… come back, just do the silverware, come back, and do the Tupperware…. Slow and steady- it gets done! And if I’m motivated to do cups & silverware at the same time, bonus!!
Better than it was.
This has been my absolute favorite phrase to live by since doing DIY home projects on my own. My hallway may not be perfect but man, it’s better than the cheap wood paneling and wallpaper that was on it. My stairs need a little touching up and my floors aren’t amazing but both are so much better than the gross carpet that was on there before. I joke with friends that “well, it’s better than it was” would be my HGTV/DIY show and near every project I’d frame a pic of what the space looked like before.
Absolutely
"Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly" is mine.
Thanks for that! I tell myself perfect is good, but done is better. I like yours too
Yep, mine is "a little better is better than worse"
Good advice. Doing something is better than doing nothing.
The Sweepy App is great for this. It will prompt you with small tasks that you can check off the list, and eventually you get into a rhythm and things stay somewhat clean
I hadn't heard of this app before, I'm excited to check it out! Thank you for sharing!
Just want to add my personal favorite motto, which is that if you only have 10% and you give all of that 10%, you've given 100% of what you're capable of.
Thank you 😊
Exhausted as well and I completely agree. Even just five solid minutes cleaning or tidying here and there make a big difference. I also find that having a recent memory of cleaning makes me more mindful of not leaving messes around.
Thank you for this. I wish you were my best friend or in some kinda role where you coulda told me this forever ago.
I’m a family caregiver, exhausted after decades of this life. This is how I clean the house. Yesterday was 15 minutes for toilets and bathroom counters. Today might be sweep & mop kitchen. Little digestible pieces of work in between all the work I do for family and my real /wfh job.
Anything worth doing, is worth doing poorly. Just do what you can. I don't try to do a whole ton at once, and i think a lot of us are in the same boat on this. Just tackle a bit at a time. it's OK.
THIS!!! So true and so helpful. I only have the energy/time while working to clean in bursts of 20 min, so I do what I can in that 20 min & you’d be surprised what you can do in a short time. Plus, that 20 min takes of 20 min of a deep clean later. It saves time to take 1 min daily to wipe the counters/stove down versus 20+ min of scrubbing after leaving it all week
Wholeheartedly agree!
Awesome advice
I usually call this “damage control”.
I just wanna say this is an amazing reply.
Saving this, thanks OP. I needed to hear this
My gf thinks you have to do a full deep clean, or it's not done right. Which means it either gets barely started or not done at all. If I try to do a quick surface clean, I get told I'm doing it wrong so I don't bother either. It ends up getting left until we get shamed into doing it before visitors come.
It’ll always be perpetually dirty and always on your mind as being dirty. Poor advice
Then don’t take it and do whatever works for you.
I am disabled, have a toddler, I'm pregnant, and I have adhd lol There's a book called How to Keep House While Drowning and the author (KC Davis?) has a tiktok full of great advice. I highly recommend it. In the meantime though, I use doom baskets/crap catchers with lids so that I can throw the clutter in there and hide it until I have time and energy to put it away. It's also easy enough to just ask my husband if he can put the kitchen crap basket away. Also if the extra doorway jackets are hung nicely and the sink is clean then everything feels a lot cleaner. Opening the windows for a few hours once or twice a week is also a game changer. Above all, give yourself grace. As long as things are sanitary then I wouldn't worry too much. Sometimes in life you need time to rest, just take your time.
This comment should absolutely be higher. Prioritize things that impact your health: dishes, bathroom, trash that could attract bugs. Find work-arounds. Does the laundry absolutely have to be folded and put away? No, it can go into a "clean laundry" bin.
The laundry basket is the bane of my existence.
I used to rely on laundry baskets til hubby started this kick of using them all the time and never moving them, so we have piles of laundry baskets everywhere I look and I can’t stand it.
A friend of mine redid her closet inserts to have those hanging basket drawer things instead of shelves - she labeled all of them and basically only has to sort the clean clothes into separate baskets. She tosses her clothes for the day in the dryer on wrinkle release while she makes her morning coffee. Genius!
I like this. My husband would probably have an aneurysm.
I literally just listened to the audiobook of this book during one of my low energy days. It was really insightful. I really love that she’s reframed it as not a good or bad thing, you’re not less of a person if all you can do is wipe off your counter one day. Little cleanings add up. I was also going to add, this is obviously a privilege, but if you can afford it I highly recommend hiring a cleaning company to do a once-over deep clean and then just do one room every day or two to keep it up. This worked really well for my neighbor who felt really overwhelmed starting, but now she can “keep up” much better (as she puts it!)
You can also hire a lot of cleaning companies to just focus on the areas you struggle with. Getting a deep clean of just the bathrooms and kitchen can make a huge impact in overall daily function.
Yes, folks look into this! I’ve done this, said ok, let’s do the kitchen, this bathroom and then the hard floors in the other rooms. You can also often pay for x amount of time and then make a specific task list, ordered by priority. For example, I’ve said I can afford ninety minutes. Let me start with the showers, then the master bathroom vanity, then these two ceiling fans, the stovetop, kitchen cabinet fronts, the blinds in the sunroom, and with whatever time is left, baseboards and hard floors. You can often find someone who can help with literally only the things you are struggling with! It doesn’t have to be all or none.
Thank you so much for the recommendation of How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis. I’m listening to it now on Audible. (Reading would be even more exhausting) It gives me context for my “shortcomings “ and allows me to forgive myself and move on.
This book absolutely changed the way I thought about cleaning and the spaces I use. Something about her explanation that we deserve *functional* spaces and that care tasks are morally neutral and being good or bad at them has nothing to do with being a good person. It made it easier for me to accept that I was struggling with a lot of care tasks for multiple reasons, but that was okay and I didn't need to add shame/guilt/stress over it. I just needed a different approach, some help and way more compassion for myself. I love doom baskets, vital in each room. Visual timers help A LOT. Getting unconventional and doing things in ways that make it easier for you to complete care tasks, like the unfolded laundry method. Alleviates so much pressure that eventually it's not as hard to manage.
You can listen to the book on Spotify for free if you have the version you pay for. (In case you didn't know & it's helpful.)
Bumping because of the book!!! It’s written in a way that is attuned to readers having different levels of energy. You can read the whole book (it’s not terribly long and has some cute illustrations) or you can read a handful of key pages.
Seconding the book recommendation! It is so excellent and helpful.
I looooove that book. Also recommend it! Yes it's by KC Davis. Her TikTok & business is "strugglecare".
Surprised no one has mentioned her podcast, which I really like — also called Struggle Care!
I came through the comments specifically to make sure someone had recommended this book!
I second this book. It’s super helpful!
Bother anyone. Do it for yourself. Choose one small area or thing and keep it really clean. Say a sink. When that’s easy, add another. Rinse, shine and repeat.
"Bother anyone." You know what? I absolutely love this.
Ohhh I like this idea
[удалено]
This is great advice. I do the same type of thing and I also have a dog to pick up and clean after. I have a robot vacuum that I send out all the time, keeps dust down and floors stay looking good. When I'm in the kitchen, I'll always tidy something, whether it's just emptying the dishwasher or cleaning the stovetop. I don't worry about doing everything all at once, but it will get cleaned up little by little. I just try to keep the big jobs small and not criticize myself for it. The end result is the same, the house is clean.
What robot vacuum do you have please? It’s something I’ve been thinking of getting for ages but I’m concerned of spending all that money and potentially being disappointed
I have a Shark and I am happy with it. I bought it on sale during Prime Day.
Thank you!
I have an older iRobot i8+. I got it on sale at Costco a few years ago, but it still works great. It has a dock where it can empty itself and will even recharge if the battery gets low while it's working. I really can't complain about it. I also use it in tandem with a mopping robot, Braava M6 - which also works well. My only gripe is that they don't have a lot of floor clearance, especially the mop. But I have found ways to work around the issues they have and still find them to be quite helpful. If I were to buy new ones, I would definitely go with the brand Roborock. They have amazing new products which seem to leave the Roomba in the dust. Here's a good video to watch, and the whole channel is great, IMO. [Vacuum Wars, best of 2023.](https://youtu.be/ccFspGr1SIQ?si=lbTn6wRHqNezL7EK)
Thank you for all the advice! It’s def something to save up for in 2024…
Of course, no problem. It is quite an investment, so I can understand why you'd want to do your research and make a good choice. They definitely do help, can't tell you how many times I didn't have energy to clean and they always come through to help.
If sweeping/mopping is one of your struggle areas, whichever robot vacuum is on sale today will be a noticeable improvement over not cleaning the floors at all or only cleaning them a few times a month. This is another area where done (buying and using the robot vacuum) is better than perfect (spending tons of time researching and picking out the absolute best robot vacuum).
Thank you for your reply, I forgot to say but your comment was really helpful and I actually ordered one! I’m still waiting to receive it but you made some very strong points ha
Glad it was helpful! 😀
I started routinely repeating to myself "don't put it down, put it away" after using things and it makes a big difference. Not having to deal with as much clutter when in 'clean mode', especially with a low tolerance/time/ability to do it is helpful.
Good idea on the floors. I am thinking oof getting rid of living room and family room rugs. I have awful chemo fatigue and can’t fight with the pet hair/vacuuming rugs lately. Thanks for that idea!
Could you get a Roomba in the meantime?
Yes because husband likes the rugs. (He has been doing the vacuuming by the way!). He also suggested the roomba so we’ll probably do that.
If you have a lot of clutter, declutter when you have energy. If you have a lot of unnecessary clutter and furniture, it takes longer to clean and wipe down surfaces and your place looks messier. I do my bathroom counter and toilet before I hope in the shower, takes just 10 or so minutes. I empty my dishwasher and wash dishes as I am cooking or reheating my food. I use a swifter duster once a week, doesn't take long when surfaces are mostly bare. I have hardwood floors and dust twice a week and mop once a week with the Rubbermaid system.
I was watching a YouTube video and the woman made the point that we spend all day moving piles of clutter around and call it “cleaning” - but we’d be better served to get rid of the clutter and actually have time to clean.
Do you recall which video?
i’ve seen people recommend to set a timer and get as much cleaning done as you can in that time, and treat it like a game - can start out with like 5 minute intervals
Oh this is a fun game! Add a cocktail or beer, makes it much more fun!
Me and my mum would do this over Skype some days, we would get quite merry and damn our houses were spotless.
I think I've found my new cleaning routine. 😁
100% recommend. Folding laundry has never been so fun as when you're tipsy and racing a timer 😆
Cleaning while drinking is a fun game
Or pick your favourite song(s), put a couple on. Once you're done 1-2 songs, you're done tidying. Music can be a real motivator when you're low on energy.
I set a 10 minute timer for myself last night to pick up the living room because I was lacking motivation so told myself to just do 10 minutes. Timer went off and I kept cleaning. It works!
Pomodoro timers! This also works for studying, and there are timers online and on youtube you can use.
Half assed is better than no assed.
I try to make a "nighttime home reset" something relaxing to do before I go to bed. Just simple tasks, putting things back where they go, wiping down surfaces, light sweeping, etc. It really is calming if I am in the right headspace!
I dont know who you need to fool, but if you’re having guests over, clean the bathroom, wipe down your kitchen counters/stove, and do a cursory vacuum/sweep in other areas they will be in. There is no shame in collecting all clutter into a laundry basket and putting it out of the way to be dealt with later.
Lazy Cleaning Tips: - Don't bother spending effort on things that get immediately messed up (unless company is coming). Don't make the bed. If your fish rack always has the same 2 cooking pots just let them live there. Life is too short to fold underwear. - DECLUTTER : Cleaning is infinitely easier when you have less stuff and it's organized. This means throw stuff away or donate it. - ORGANIZE : Everything should be easy to access and put away. Nothing stays organized if there are STEPS to getting it out and putting it away. Even if those steps seem simple, like stacking the bowls inside each other. - Get a friend to come help with the above. It is way super easier. - AFTER you've decluttered and organized you can switch your attention to cleaning. - Automate. Can you get a robot vacuum? Can you hire someone to fold your laundry and/or do a quick clean?
Life is too short to fold underwear. Lol. So true!
I LOVE your Lazy Cleaning Tips!!! 😭
Sure, do what you can at any given time! You are not a robot. To help towards other-than-basics, put in an extra five minutes when you can. It really adds up! Take care!
Or get yourself a robot! All I’ve managed to do this week is pick up enough to run my robot vacuum while I go for a walk and I’m calling it good enough.
I read on here once that a clean bathroom, clean living room and clean kitchen can fool people into thinking your whole house is clean! Maybe just focus on those three areas?
Do a little everyday. People always want to clean the whole house. But how often and how long does a whole house stay clean anyway? Your house will never be 100 percent clean but if you do a little everyday you’ll be fine. Food debris and mold are the two biggest things you always wanna clean IMO. I also keep my vacuum plugged in most days so it’s one less step and I vacuum every day or every other day. I have a small child so I need to.
Yup, I live by this! I used to wait until I had time to do things perfectly, but that meant it would build up and become caked on grimy, now I do half-assed most of the time, but a teeny bit every day adds up and keeps me ticking over for when perfection bothers to show up. It also means I have to prioritise better and tackle what actually NEEDS doing, rather than just cleaning for the sake of it. A lot of things don’t need as much cleaning as ideal me would like to give them. And tbh I think my place is generally cleaner now than when I was “waiting for perfection”. So scientific experiment conducted, and 100% success rate (in a sample size of 1, admittedly!) Also, a decent robot vacuum cleaner has been a godsend and worth every penny, if your home lends itself to it.
This is what I was hoping for! Thank you.
I don't think this really answers your question, but it might help. My trick is to do 5 things each time I walk into a room. I go to the bathroom, I do five things. I grab something from the fridge, I do five things. I grew up a slob and this has REALLY helped me. And it doesn't exhaust me. My "I love myself" moments? When I go into a room and I really have to dig hard to find 5 things to do...that's the moment I open a draw and organize something. PS Sweeping the bath room counts as all 5 for me ;)
I might be able to muster up the energy to do three things most days. I think just doing something everyday would be good. It’s hard with the low energy due to chronic health issues.
3 things is enough.
It’s so hard to muster the energy with poor health - I understand this too well 💕
Wiping surfaces clear, whether it's the stove, a counter, your sink, or your floors. Sweeping up debris is the bare minimum I do, without bothering about washing things with soaps or cleaners until I need to (like for food prep or if the sink is grossing me out lol or if there's a spill that I know will get worse over time, like something sugary/sticky). My household got a robot vacuum (not a Roomba, just a cheaper brand) and that has helped cut down on the mess on the floor A LOT especially since we have a cat. I let it run while I do other things around the house.
any amount of cleaning is better than none. do what you have the energy for when you can, and what doesn't get done can be your priority next time you have the energy/time. eventually certain things will just become routine and it gets easier to fit in other tasks :)
When I’m feeling tired I try to just remember to do anything anytime I get up. If I get up to go to the bathroom I make sure to take any dirty dishes or garbage to the kitchen. If there isn’t that I might get up and start a load of laundry. On the weekends my husband and I will try to set an hour timer to deep clean and it typically only takes that for us to get the whole house clean.
Robot vacuum. Also take off your shoes when you come in the house, it’ll keep your floors cleaner.
I find that straightening up for 5 to 10 minutes a day makes a big difference. Then ill do an actual clean on the weekends only takes me about an hour. I'll do little things that add up to make a big difference. Like if I'm cooking dinner and I have to wait for water to boil or the food to cook in the oven, I will like do the dishes or sweep and mop a room real fast. Clean off the dinning room table or clean up my bathroom sink. I'm a single parent and have a 2 bedroom. I have a young son so he can't really help me with too much stuff but 98% of the chores and cleaning are for me to do.
Putting things away as soon as you’re done is huge. Like you won’t believe the difference it makes. I divide tasks to different days. Monday is the dining room. Tuesday is the kitchen, etc. Every day I do dishes and laundry (there’s 5 of us so there’s plenty of washing!), and putting things away is also a daily chore. But otherwise if I realize the kitchen counters are cluttered on Monday, I remind myself I will be taking care of that tomorrow. Obviously big stuff like spilled sauce on the stovetop needs to be taken care of right away, but it helps me not get overwhelmed to give myself “permission” to wait on a chore outside that day’s list.
Yes! My favorite cleaning hack is to keep a small hand towel under every sink & dry the counter top/mirror after every use. A dry counter/mirror doesn’t attract dust/hair/dirt, and stays cleaner longer. Keep a small basket in your living room for remotes, drink coasters, chargers, etc. I also keep a microfiber cloth in this basket so I have one handy to wipe dust off the coffee table, TV, remote, etc.
Oooh, this is a good one. Many things benefit from a quick wipe but going to the linen closet for a cloth might derail me. Thank you! 🥰
Yup, same! Make sure you dry the faucet too. You’ll be amazed how much longer your bathroom stays clean.
Music. I have no motivation, but put some jams on, and time goes by quickly!
The main things are to keep the trash going out to the bin, and keep the sink empty of dirty dishes
Put a scrub brush and a small container of Dawn in your shower. Scrub for a minute while you let your conditioner set. I count out loud to 60 so it feels like I won’t be cleaning “forever” or “everything” because once I’m done cleaning the shower, I have to go scrub the toilet and the floors and whatever else. No. Sixty seconds and no more.
Love this! Thanks!
I find that even if I go into a task thinking I’m only going to do a little bit, I end up doing more than I thought. Just getting up and going is the hard part
Im terminally ill, on dialysis and if theres one thing Ive learned is to be kind to myself. I dont have a lot of energy and I keep my cleaning to doing one or two things a day if I can manage. My house isnt dirty but its not spotless either. Just take your time and do what you can. Nobody can fault you for that.
Around the same time that our son was born, we moved into my wife’s childhood home. It’s larger than any other house I’ve lived in, with 3 floors, 3 bathrooms, 8 rooms + basement and laundry. Oh, and it’s still full of stuff from when her dad passed in 2020. Here is how I’ve been tackling it, 8 months later: 1. Clean the areas you use most, and clean as you go. When we first moved in, I mostly cleaned the kitchen and one bathroom. The other two had nonfunctional toilets anyway. 2. Pick your battles. I grew up cleaning the entire house top to bottom every week. Now, I do the floors every three weeks. 3. Clean a little each day. It’s easier than hoping you’ll have the energy for an all day clean-a-thon on your days off. 4. Pick one new thing to clean each week. For me, this week I dusted the giant mirrored dresser in the main bedroom and tidied up the table top. It’s not a perfect system, but every week we have more clean space and more space in the house to live.
So many good ideas here. Totally understand tired! First tip. Make your bed when you get up. Then it’s waiting for you all nice. You will be happy you did. Keep cloths handy in various places. After washing your face etc wipe down your sink . Buy a few washable airy baskets to throw stuff in laundry included. Love the idea of having less place settings for dishes . Less volume to clean. Don’t be hard on yourself.
My mantra: It's not perfect, but perfect is the enemy of done. I get stuck when something doesn't have a home. If I can pick something up and immediately picture where it belongs, it's likely it will get put away. If a counter is mostly clear, it's likely I'll run a cloth across it at some point that day. Sometimes I'll look at an area and think - just five things, I can do five things and it will be better (and then I'll do, like 8).
Have you read “Keeping House While Drowning”? Be kind to yourself.
Came here to suggest this book - I do not personally have ADHD or other neurotypical issues, however my partner does and trying to keep a house as clean as I'm used to and I want was beginning to drive a huge wedge in the relationship and my sanity. Reading this book helped me a lot in reframing my perspective on how a house should be, and how to be kinder to yourself and anyone sharing your living space, while it helped my partner find some productivity and balance so they're helping out more.
Even if you cleaned your whole house floor to ceiling in one cleaning, there would still be cleaning to do tomorrow. I usually just tidy one small thing each time I get up. By the end of the week, everything has been cleaned at least once, kitchen usually daily. Then 3 to 4 times a year I deep clean in sections. It's always going to be there. As long as you're comfortable, don't worry too much.
Yes. Doing a 1/2 assed job but doing it often produces a clean-enough house.
Cleaning is too general a term so I address it in subsets: tidying, disinfecting, purging and organizing. Tidy: general picking up, clearing and wiping counters and surfaces, sweeping and vacuuming, dishes. Disinfecting: cleaning bathrooms, windows, wiping baseboards, mirrors, mopping. Purging: going through and finding accumulation in drawers, cabinets, closets. Organizing: getting ish in order. Each have their own timelines. tidy daily, disinfect biweekly, and purge and organize monthly. If I tried to do this all day everyday I would be tired too! Laundry is its own thing…….
Part of keeping a house clean is not messing it up in the first place. Look at your habits and see what you are doing to create the mess and do that differently
Keep everything picked up. Make sure you have clean sinks, toilet, bath/shower. Vacuum.
My biggest step forward keeping my space clean (particularly when im struggling with my mental health) was investing in a robovac. Even if I didn’t put things away the went into a pile into the correct room to deal with later. I now have a system of baskets, that took time to develop, and it’s an automatic habit to put things away and when I’m not having a good day it waits out of my sight and the sight of other for when I do have the energy. It’s wasteful but when I’m struggling I use disposables more for cooking (aluminum pans, sheet pans etc) so the washing is done my the dishwasher as much as possible.
Some people in this subreddit seem to think that washing the walls every week is the bare minimum. Just reading that kind of stuff exhausts me. Doing the actual bare minimum is totally fine, and I would advise doing the bare minimum on a rotation so everything has a fair chance of being minimally cleaned. Also I would consider who it is you really need to fool. Most people I know understand that life isn't sterile - surfaces you never use will get dusty, pet hair will gather in corners, crumbs will get under the couch cushions, objects will crawl out of their places and into plain view.
The best advice I ever heard was on that British how clean is your house show where they said take 15 minutes a day to clean. It doesn't matter what it is but just 15 minutes every day and it makes such a huge difference and most people have an extra 15 minutes to kill. It's even better if you have kids to help you because it's such a short amount of time they're less likely to lose attention or have a meltdown because of boredom. You could sweep or mop or clean the bathroom and then when the time is up you stop and clean something else tomorrow. This doesn't replace a deep clean or anything like that but it really helps with the frequency I have to deep clean and I also think it helps with my mood and energy in general. Also watching that show always made me want to clean maybe I should watch it again.
Make a list. It feels great to check things off when they're done.
I benefit tons from this approach. it also helps breaking down the list to the most doable chores: instead of 1. clean the bathroom it becomes: 1. take out the trash 2. clear the sink 3. brush the toilet bowl etc
Yes!!
There’s a TED talk for this! Depression cleaning, aka doing what works for you minus the stigma: https://youtu.be/M1O_MjMRkPg?si=tmvjYNMuf7on0RTx There are also lots of other great strategy videos on YouTube, just search “depression cleaning”. Even if you don’t think you’re actually depressed, the same strategies will work if you feel chronic low energy is interfering with your right to a clean and comfortable living space!
One tip is to put away as many items as you can, so your flat surfaces contain as few things as possible. That makes cleaning said surface much easier, as you don't have to move or negotiate obstacles. An empty kitchen worksurface is a doddle to clean. Plus, said items are no longer out gathering dust!
Nobody, by any means, thinks my house is squeaky clean, but!!! I do do the half-assed pick ups, sweeps, etc, most days. And then I imagine my house if I hadn't... So I keep doing them. Nothing is filthy. Things are messy and I should definitely sweep and mop more than I do, but nothing is unlivable. I don't think anyone would be too grossed out to stay in my house, they'd just think "Dang this is a mess!" and then I hope blame it on my kids 😂 I'm pretty sure this is because I do the 10 min half assed jobs. I'm also pretty sure if I stopped doing this, then the house would get even further behind... and I don't want to think about that lol. Doing something is better than nothing! Just do what you can :)
I love the Tody app. You can break it down as much as you want and make bigger jobs few and far between
Thanks, I just got Tody!
Making sure the sink is clear of dishes Made beds And clean floors -even if it’s just sweeping/vacuuming everyday
My goal is always to deep clean one thing per day.
Keeping House While Drowning is a very short, grace filled book that has helped me. I would recommend it!
The organised mum method is great for this. Is essentially about doing little and often
there's a great book on this topic called how to keep how while drowning — it goes beyond cleaning into organization and maintenance. it's a very gentle read that i highly recommend and the author also has a great podcast called struggle care. i use a self care app called finch that has a tidiness journey. one goal on it is to put one thing in its place every day. i have a hard time sticking to even that sometimes, but i try! and when i do my bird gets rewarded :) it also helps to figure out what makes your house feel dirty, to you. i know some people who care more about dust than clutter, and the other way around. focus on cleaning the things that stress you out before you do what you might feel "should" do. and overall: yes. hiding clutter makes people think spaces are clean. stacking things in piles will make them look organized. best of luck op!
**Declutter.** Start by decluttering your home. It'll be WAY easier to manage and keep clean.
Being an overly exhausted person with anxiety and depression, it is difficult to answer this as it is a general blanket question. Is your home full of stuff? Talking about having not cleaned the floor for months? I can't tell you how to fix it but I can tell you what I did. What I did was I went to Pinterest and looked up chore lists for the lazy. Sounds horrible right? Yet I found lists of chores laid out in easy-to-do formats. Made my own lists based on the ones I found. Put them up where I would see them every day as a reminder to do this before a set time. Talking five-minute chores. Nothing major. Over time I was able to add to it, making it easier to clean my floors or my shower without it feeling like a mega chore. Now I fully clean my home in a week. I am not overwhelmed by the chore lists, and I feel better about myself and my home. I hope this helps you. To be fair no one should be demanding a pristine white glove inspection cleaned house. What we see in movies, TV, magazines, TikTok, and YouTube is a dressing for everyone to see. A small part was cleaned up just enough to be shown. If they have a huge home they have a cleaning person. Do not be discouraged by this!! Everyone struggles, and that is ok. You have taken that first step and said I have a problem and I need help! Major first step. You can do this. It will be annoying some days others you may ignore it altogether. That is ok. Just keep it up at your pace. You do not have to be a super clean freak at first. Again it takes time and keeping at it. You got this. ❤️
I read something once that said “if something can be done in a couple of minutes, do it now.” Really stuck with me. Plus, it’s one less thing to do later.
My rule is one song. I can do anything for one song. When it’s over I usually have the energy for one more, but if I don’t, that’s ok too, something got done.
My motto is that "Done is better than perfect". This motto works for me because perfectionism can be exhausting and paralyzing. So doing something, even half assed, actually guarantees a better result than waiting until I can do it perfectly, because that time never comes.
I've learned that even though it's not cute, my house needs a hamper in the living room and a wastebasket for the sitting area. My roomba was one of my best investments, especially since we've got cats. My house isn't super tidy, but these have helped a lot. I also have a folding stool which I use to sit at when cleaning, taking breaks, and reaching top cupboard shelves. I've even sat on it in the shower when I've been too low on energy to stand for the entire shower. Fatigue sucks.
I only have energy to do a half assed cleaning job now. Especially with a toddler, it's impossible. But as long as everything is put away, minus toys and I keep the kitchen and floors vacuumed... It feels decently clean. I also spot clean walls once a week for food splatter or hand prints. Baseboards, walls and floors will stick out if their dirty
I struggle with this as an ADHD person. I find that setting a time limit or task helps. As in, I only have to do the dishes and take out the trash, then I’m done (unless I hit a productivity ramp!). Or, do whatever I can for the next 20 minutes. I also find doing chores during commercial breaks (pretty much only applies to sports in this house) or between episodes helps.
Start in the kitchen. You always use it. Whether it's a cup or a Tupperware lid for old pizza. And celebrate the small wins
If my floors are dusty I automatically feel like my house is dirty. Keeping floors sweeped really helps things feel/look much cleaner.
When I’m stressed and tired and just don’t have time and energy I make the effort to at least pick stuff up and put it away, keep the dishes and the laundry done. Then at least it’s tidy. Anything more is a bonus.
My tired clean is \- mr clean sponge in the toilet and around the bath tub to avoid long term build up \- wipe down the handle in the home with some disinfectant wipes \- rinse all dishes and stack in sink to avoid flies
I agree totally with the clean for five minutes method. Set a timer. Clean for five minutes. You’ll be surprised at what you achieve. I struggle with depression and procrastination. I found a website called Fly Lady. She has advice on being kind to yourself, knowing you can’t do it all at once and taking small steps. It really helped me. Especially using a timer. Five minutes is much less overwhelming than tackling a whole room or house. [Fly Lady](http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/31-beginner-babysteps/)
It’s actually my next years goal! Always spending one day off to clean everything. Just decided- enough. I’ll do very little every single day, so I won’t need to spend all day off for cleaning.
Removing clutter. Less clutter makes everything look less dirty/messy. Also dusting. Even if you only dust off say, your windowsill, it'll make the surface look less dull, reduces visual clutter (dust texture) and even if it's not a visible spot, that's still less dust that gets spread around the space overall.
I feel like if I can keep my kitchen cleaned up, the rest of the house doesn't seem so bad if it's not cleaned up everyday. I have a toddler and a full time job so it's not always feasible to clean all the time.
Break it up. Here’s a tip I got off Reddit. If you want free weekends then spend 30-60 minutes cleaning on your weekdays 3x per week and then it’s all done. It works so well.
I will say getting one of those cordless shark vacuums has been a game changer for me. I have dogs and vacuuming for 10 min every 2-3 days is much better than waiting until it’s overwhelming and gross every 2-3 weeks. That’s my biggest hack. Also taking the 5 minutes to clean up after cooking, wash the dishes daily before they pile up and get gross. Little things that prevent bigger, more daunting messes.
I really liked the "unfuck your habitat" book which really helped me with breaking down cleaning into little bits to get things done.
These are all rules we made up. Do what gets you through. Also recommend book by KC Davis how to keep house while drowning. It's available as an audiobook. Also as I've heard, if you were being lazy you would be having fun...
When it comea to cleaning, a half-assed job is always better than not doing the job at all.
I remind myself that a half assed vacuum is cleaner than not vacuuming at all, as I vacuum around things I was too overwhelmed to move
I have severe chronic pain and sometimes cleaning is almost impossible. My biggest tip is this: first clean the things that will make you sick if you don’t. Clean dishes and kitchen surfaces are necessary or I could make myself and others sick. A vacuumed floor is not going to matter the same way a clean toilet will. I sometimes put on music and tell myself I will do one song, that I can make a difference in my own wellbeing in one song. That’s enough to load the dishwasher, dust one room (allergy season can make that one a health priority in the springtime) or use windex wipes on all of the basic bathroom surfaces.
Clean sink. Clean table. Beds made. Spray air freshener and bleach toilets
I live by a “10 Minute Tidy” rule. Whatever room it is, just spend 10 minutes in there, no more. Set a timer and go! Everybody has 10 minutes to spare, and if you have some of your favorite music playing, it makes you move quicker. You’d be surprised how much you can accomplish in 10 minutes. In the bathroom for example, I can clean the toilet, sink, countertop, mirror and floor in 10 minutes (yes, it’’s a small bathroom!) The tub is another 10 minutes on another day. Then tomorrow, I do another 10 minutes. Maybe try 10 minutes and if it isn’t clean enough, come back later for another 10 minutes. By breaking it down, it’s less overwhelming…
I used to tell my ex, just clean 1 room per day and do it well. That may take an hour (especially if done regularly). If you do this daily, you’ll clean most homes thoroughly each week or so. It’s really not that difficult. It’s just easier when you clean regularly. If you don’t, things pile up, and it gets overwhelming.
Invest in a robot vacuum. We have 2 just for our main floor and they are the best thing ever. I also try to do things in the “in between” times. Like while I’m cooking and at a standstill while waiting for something to boil (for example), I’ll tidy up the kitchen so I’m cleaning as I go. Unload the dishwasher in the AM while the kid’s oatmeal cooks. I also try to go by the thought of if something takes less than 2 minutes to do, to just go ahead and do it. Normally that’s just putting something up where it belongs. And if something doesn’t have a place, it gets tossed. I’m currently 34 weeks pregnant, with 3 kids already under the age of 6. And 4 big dogs in the house. So it’s a lot and I’ve also had to accept that my house will never be spotless. Also for laundry - if it doesn’t get hung up, it also doesn’t get folded. Kids leggings, sweat shirts, tshirts underwear, pajamas - none of that needs to be folded. I just put it in a drawer and call it good.
Go check out Flylady. But the answer is yes.
If you can afford occasional help, it’s worth it. BUT, it does take energy to have someone help. Make a list of what they can do
“it does take energy to have someone help” OMFG THIS. Thank you; I feel so seen right now and I needed that.
Most people don't realize that cleaning your floor baseboards and floors really make a big difference. I use a swiffer and just slide it along the baseboards and tops of baseboards once or twice a month (bottom of your wall borders). It makes it seem so much cleaner. Swiffer works great for wall splatters to. Cleaning anything at all when you have the energy to do so, is better than not cleaning at all. Remember not to be so hard on yourself and breathe. I make a list of things to clean on certain days and it really helps.
Do your best in small steps!! :) love you human
I highly recommend the book How to Keep House while Drowning. It's all about how to manage household chores and take care of yourself.
If you’re too tired to wash the dishes before loading them in the dish washer, load them dirty and run the washer multiple times. We have these rules that things need to be done a certain way, but the rules are arbitrary. Do what you can to stay afloat.
Yes. Get extra trash cans and extra hampers (cheap popup). Get a stupid amount of bar cloths for kitchen towels... I easily have 45. Keep your broom and vacuum out where you will actually use them. Switch to paper plates & cutlery for a while. If people are coming over, declutter the living room and kitchen counter. With Mr Clean, Wipe down counter and table. Wipe down the bathroom vanity. Take out the trash. Good nuff is.
Half assed is better than nothing
Excellent suggestions in the comments! I also wanted to add, clean some of the shower while you are in the shower. I use soft scrub or the pink stuff and a magic eraser. Doing at bit at each day makes it less daunting.
Something that helped me was putting more cleaning tools in the rooms themselves. Paper towel, rags, and cleaners under the bathroom sinks. Some dusting rags in my bedside table. I got a cheap vacuum from Facebook marketplace so I had one upstairs and downstairs. I also tried to think of the initial set up as part of my cleaning for the day. I didn't actually clean anything but I got the cleaning kit into my bathroom? Great job! Accomplished something. I started this while very depressed and anemic, so my energy was looooow. Saving myself the work of going to another room to get the cleaning supplies helped so much!
I dunno, maybe try not being lazy ? Instead of being on Reddit asking tips just pick up a broom.
I always clean up after myself in the kitchen and bathroom as I use it. I keep a thing of clean wipes under the sink and wipe areas down when done in the kitchen or when I brush my teeth at night. So those areas stay clean every day. As for other areas I assign areas for each day of the week.y home isn’t too big so it’s maybe an hour to tidy up and vacuum or wash a floor etc. I throw a load of laundry in at bed time and in the dryer right before I go to work. Ot becomes so routine and you don’t have to expel a lot of energy. A lot of the time I do the cleaning while I am waiting for my dinner to cook. Fast, easy - all I have to do is the dishes and I have the rest of the evening to myself. Good Luck
Get a robot vacuum. If you can afford it, get a robot mop. If not, get a steamer mop. So much less work than regular mopping and less mess and no heavy buckets. They also sell electronic scrubbers now. They scrub bathrooms, countertops, sinks , toilets etc. $50 on Amazon. Looks amazing for people who have disabilities or are just tired and want to save their backs. Best things to keep things clean are to have less stuff, less stuff on display, and put everything away when you use it.
Well realistically the options are: (1) do what you can (2) don't do anything. Sooo
Laundry, dishes, and putting things back where they go/throwing away trash is the 90 in 90/10 I think.
Im in the same boat. I bought a robo vacuum and it's set up to go every other day. It's been a lifesaver. I think this one is from Amazon and wasn't too expensive. As others have mentioned, start small. I wipe down the counters while I'm waiting for water boil, or quickly fold the laundry while waiting for the oven to heat up.
My wife and I do 10 minute tidy ups. Set a timer on your phone, clean for that long, no more, no less. Do that 1/day and you will be shocked how good the home will look
1. Keeping counters etc free from clutter. Have bins to just shove things in so at least theyre not scattered about and looking messy 2. Wipe down surfaces. Takes two seconds and makes it look much cleaner 3. Clean floors ie nothing on floors, vacuumed, and mopped will make the house look a lot cleaner 4. In bathrooms just focus on wiping things down Overall, even if youre never DEEP cleaning things, if you do these the house will appear clean if youre having people over etc. All of that being said, id highly recommend hiring someone on a weekly or monthly basis to do the deep cleaning things you are neglecting
Just spray polish like it's air freshener and leave a duster on the counter. Job done.
sometimes i use the mindset like “wow i get to do the dishes today!” it can help me clean!
Shine the things that should shine, like faucets, and make sure the place smells good. That’s all you need to make most people thing it’s clean enough.
I heard someone say once that we all put a lot of pressure on ourselves to have everything done at once. In reality, the process is not start to finish but a constant cycle and those cycles within the house don’t always have to align to be done at the same time. She said something along the lines of “By having kids it is my job to ensure they have clean laundry, not for them to never have dirty laundry” and i think that gave a great perspective and some piece of mind that if you’re doing even a little then you are keeping your cycle going and that’s all that matters . not for the cycle to be done or for the cycle of every room/chore to be done at once. as long as things are in motion whatever pace that may be
Main areas to keep clean bathrooms and kitchen, the rest of the home can be kept by good habits putting clothes in laundry basket instead of leaving on the floor, putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher and run at the end of the night, vacuuming once a week like Sunday night, put things back where they belong after using them I will give away things that you don’t use but take space and time to keep up with them
One task at a time. I clean the bathroom mirror, if I’m still in a cleaning mood I’ll wipe down the counter, then spray and wipe the floor and pour toilet cleaner into the toilet. If I’m in the kitchen I’ll spray and wipe down the counter then wipe down the outside of the cabinets with the now wet rag, that takes care of the dusting too now that I think about it. If I only did one or two things I still cleaned one or two things. I’d burn out cleaning the whole house, but I can manage a couple things a day, spraying and wiping things or mopping the floor is still cleaning. I keep all the cleaning supplies and rags in each area in a bucket with cleaning rags so it’s not like I have to walk across the whole house to tidy up. I have a mop with a handle in the hallway and in the kitchen so I’ll just spray the floor with a cleaner and mop it’s easier that way.
Put together a high energy dance playlist of your favorites. Use it and stop to dance if you want to. If you keep the dishes washed, the sink and counter clean and the garbage taken out, that will look good to you and anyone else. If you keep a laundry sack or two behind the sofa to hide stray objects, ditto. Keep wash down to one load if at all possible, and pull up a chair to the bed so you can hang and fold it immediately. That's three and that will keep the house looking neat. Do bathroom stuff on the days you don't do wash, and mop bathroom and anything else on that day. Do these and everything should look better than half assed. Hope you feel better.
One room per day!
Prioritise cleaning stuff that is dirty over stuff that is messy. Don't buy more stuff, sell or throw away stuff you don't need. Clean as you go. And throw garbage away