How To Clean A Messy House
Trying to figure out how to clean a messy house can be paralyzing when you are already overwhelmed.
Cleaning the house is a never-ending cycle. I work, I homeschool my kids, and I have pets. I work at home and outside the home and I need all the cleaning tips for busy moms!
These factors alone mean it doesn’t take much for my house to go from clean and relatively tidy to wondering if a bomb went off!
One thing that tool I have found extremely helpful is having a plan of action.
These cleaning schedules are the exact ones I use in my home. But what about when you are beyond cleaning lists? When you feel completely paralyzed?
Grab a cup of coffee and let’s chat about that.
How A Messy House Becomes Overwhelming
My house is not always tidy. I live with a dropper. You know one of those people who drop things as they go? I never wonder where they are. I can follow the trail of things to find them.
I also live with two teenagers. One of them lives up to the social media memes of keeping bowls, glasses, and utensils in the dungeon …er bedroom.
When I talk about being overwhelmed by the mess, I am not talking about a few socks on the floor, hoddies draped over the chair, or missing hot chocolate mugs.
I’m talking about the “messy” that comes from not cleaning your home.
When I was dealing with a family tragedy, our cleaning schedules helped keep up with most of it, but when things got to the point of cleaning or sleeping, I picked sleep.
There could be a variety of reasons why your house is messy—sickness, depression, anxiety, surgery, dealing with grief or losing a job, or you just moved or had a baby.
The truth is that life is always changing. When change happens, good or bad, one of the first routines we stop doing is housekeeping. (The other routine we stop is self-care). We do this because we know the messy house isn’t going anywhere. It will wait for you!
And that’s okay. If you find yourself in this situation, you are not a failure as a mom because your house is a mess. You are normal.
I want you to take a deep breath and know not all is lost. I am going to share with you how to clean a messy house so you can regain control and get back on track.
How To Clean A Messy House 7 Tips To Get Back On Track
Before we dive in, our goal today is not to just clean the house fast but to overcome the overwhelm, build momentum, and get the house back on track.
Let’s take it one step at a time.
1. Ask For Help
When you feel paralyzed and overwhelmed by the mess in your home, the first step is asking for help and letting them help.
I always tell people I like control, so asking for help is hard for me. What I have found easier is to ask a family friend or even one of the kids to help me out.
When a task feels too hard, I avoid it. Asking for help not only helps the task feel less overwhelming but also builds in accountability. If I have help, I can’t just walk off, deciding work or homeschooling is more important.
Instead, I ask my kids to do something they know how to do and can do without me looking over their shoulders. If my mom comes to help, I just get out of her way and clean in another room.
Your task: If you need help, jot down 1-2 people you can ask for help or hire a cleaning service.
2. Block Off Time To Clean
Right now, a quick “10-minute tidy” isn’t going to be much help when you are trying to clean up an overwhelming mess. You need more time.
Finding a larger block of time to clean takes planning when you work and homeschool.
Dig out your planner and see where you have at least a 30-minute time block. A longer period would be better, but the goal is to get started.
There will never be a perfect time, and the longer you put it off, the more overwhelming it will seem.
Your task: Take out your planner and find a time block to clean within the next few days. Write it down and block it off.
3. Gather Your Cleaning Supplies
Preparation is essential when figuring out how to clean a messy house.
You have help if needed. You have the time blocked off. The next step in the plan is gathering the tools you need to complete the job.
The right cleaning supplies will make the job easier and faster!
Cleaning supplies you need:
- trash bag for tossing things
- box or bin for donations
- bucket
- mop
- all-purpose cleaning spray
- vacuum
- dusting
- washing rags
I also include indoor sneakers. I have health problems, and sneakers make sure I am in less pain when I am done cleaning. You may also want music for motivation and a timer.
Your task: Gather your cleaning supplies. I have a list of cleaning supplies I love here to help you get started.
4. Pick A Starting Point
When every room looks like a tornado went through it, it is hard to pick where to start.
There are two different options I’ve heard for starting the cleaning process.
- Start with the room that you find bothers you the most and adds the most stress.
- Start with the room that brings you the most joy. Once it is clean again, you’ll be happy and motivated to do the rest.
Personally, if my bedroom is overwhelming, it impacts my sleep. My second choice is to clean my kitchen. A messy kitchen makes cooking hard, and some days cooking is my self-care.
When you are overwhelmed, picking a room may seem like a big task. There is no wrong answer. Just pick one.
Your task: Pick a room to clean.
5. Write A List
You need a list when figuring out how to clean a messy house.
A list will help you keep from giving up because it takes away the decision-making process. You just do the next thing.
You can create your own list or use done for you option.
Your list should be simple and focus on small tasks of “one thing.”
For example:
- Pick up one thing
- Make the bed
- Clean off the nightstand
- Toss dirty clothes in the hamper
Pick one task and celebrate small wins. Repeat.
Your task: Create a list of small tasks by making your own list or using a done-for-you option such as Motivated Moms or a Cleaning Planner.
6. Declutter As You Clean
Clutter impacts your mental health. You can reduce the amount of clutter in your home by decluttering as you go.
Pick up ONE thing. Ask yourself: Does it belong in this room? Yes? Put it where it goes. No? Put it in a box.
I learned this tip from Wendy Zanders when we came into our Working Homeschool Mom Coffee Club to talk about decluttering as a working homeschool mom.
If you find something that belongs in a different room and you try to put it in another room, you will get distracted and not return to what you were doing. Instead, put it in the box, and deal with the box later.
Does it get trashed? Yes? Put it in the garbage bag. Or can it be donated? Put it in the box for donations.
Then move on to the next thing. Repeat!
When you are done with that room, deal with the boxes. Take a few minutes to put the things in the box in the right room. Take the things to donate directly to your car so you can drop them off, and take the things that are trash to the garage or outside to the trash bin.
Your task: As you clean, declutter. Pick one item at a time and find its home, give it a home or get it out of your home.
7. Set Realistic Expectations
Don’t try to clean the entire home all in one day. That’s a surefire way to burn out.
Your house didn’t turn into a hot mess in one day unless you just had a family gathering or a bunch of kids, but it likely slowly built up over time until you were too overwhelmed to tackle the mess. (health issues, stress, etc.)
My point is, that it takes time for your house to get to this level of “messy” and it takes time to clean it up.
Set realistic expectations. Choose a room, write a list, and chip away. Celebrate small wins.
Your Task: Instead of beating yourself up on how long it took you to figure out how to clean a messy house, celebrate the small wins.
How To Clean A Messy House And Keep It Cleaned
When you work and homeschool, you need systems to help you get things done.
Moving forward, you need to get cleaning systems in place so that your home stays clean and does not get out of control again, leaving you feeling guilty because you need to figure out how to clean a messy house.
If you have children, invite them to help you around the house. Children, young kids and teenagers, can do all kinds of things that help.
Create a cleaning schedule if you don’t have one in place. A cleaning schedule helps you avoid trying to figure out how to clean a messy house because you will have a system in place.
Use cleaning lists to keep yourself organized and moving forward. I love using printable planners, so I don’t have to ask what needs to be cleaned. I have it all written down ahead of time.
Check out this Cleaning Planner For Busy Moms. Inside you’ll find room-by-room pages, decluttering tasks, and a cleaning supply list.
How To Clean A Messy House
And you are done! Doesn’t that feel GREAT?!
Now you have a plan on how to clean a messy house even if you are overwhelmed and not sure where to start.
Remember, ask for help if you need it for motivation and accountability. Pick a time and start- start small and celebrate small wins.
Pick a room, write your list and gather your supplies. Declutter as you go!
Take your time, and don’t try to do it all in one day!
Cleaning Helps For Busy Moms
- Daily Cleaning Schedule For Working Moms
- Weekly Cleaning Schedule For Working Moms
- How To Clean Your Home Fast
- Cleaning Schedule For Working Moms (When you have no time to clean)
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Hi, I’m Jen. I help working moms juggle their career and homeschool their kids by providing support, systems and tools. You are warmly invited to Join the Online Community Here!
