#cleaning tips

[glowettee]

hi there! i love your content and was wondering if you’ve made or plan to make a “how to romanticize chores”, or something about romanticizing your work, for those of us who are out of school / in the work force? TIA (: <3

ೀhow to romanticize work and choresೀ

hi angel! 🌸 thank you for being so sweet!! i absolutely adore the idea of romanticizing chores and work, especially for those of you who are no longer in school and navigating through the workforce. i think this concept can apply to everyone, no matter where they are in life. we all deserve to find beauty and joy in the little things we do every day.

romanticizing your work or chores isn’t about pretending everything is perfect, it’s about shifting your perspective and finding small, meaningful ways to make your daily tasks feel more special. it’s about creating moments of joy and treating yourself with love and care, even when you’re doing something as simple as folding laundry or answering emails.

first, let’s talk about mindset. one of the biggest lessons i’ve learned (and something i’m sure applies to work life too) is that your attitude matters so much. instead of thinking “ugh, i have to do this,” try reframing it to “i get to do this.” even the most mundane tasks can feel different when you approach them with gratitude. for example, when i’m cleaning my room, i remind myself that i’m creating a cozy, peaceful space for myself. if you’re working, think about how your efforts contribute to your goals, your growth, or even just your ability to support yourself and those you love. it’s not about forcing positivity!! it’s about finding meaning in the little things.

next, let’s make the environment dreamy. i truly believe that aesthetics have the power to transform how we feel about tasks. for chores, light a candle with your favorite scent or play a soft, romantic jazz playlist in the background. for work, create a workspace that feels like a sanctuary. add a vase of fresh flowers, a cute mug for your coffee, or even just organize your desk so it feels inviting. i know it sounds simple, but these little touches can make such a difference in how you feel while you’re working.

another tip is to romanticize the process, not just the outcome. instead of rushing through your tasks, try to slow down and be present. notice the way warm water feels on your hands while washing dishes, or the satisfying sound of typing on your keyboard. i know it might sound silly, but when you focus on the sensory details, even the simplest tasks can feel more meaningful. this is something i practice when i’m studying, i try to enjoy the process of learning, not just the results.

you can also turn chores or work into rituals. for example, if you’re doing laundry, make it a cozy moment by folding clothes while watching your favorite movie or sipping tea. if you’re answering emails, set a timer, put on a calming playlist, and reward yourself with a little treat when you’re done. rituals give structure to your day and make even the most ordinary tasks feel intentional and special.

one thing i’ve learned from my psychology studies is that humans thrive on small rewards. so, give yourself permission to celebrate the little wins. finished a big project at work? treat yourself to your favorite dessert. cleaned the house? take a bubble bath. these rewards don’t have to be extravagant, they just need to remind you that your efforts are worth celebrating.

lastly, remember to romanticize yourself in the process. dress up a little, even if you’re just working from home. wear comfy yet cute clothes while doing chores. play music that makes you feel like the main character of your life. the way you present yourself to the world (and to yourself) can have such a big impact on how you feel.

romanticizing your work or chores isn’t about ignoring the hard parts of life. it’s about finding beauty and joy where you can. it’s about making the most of your daily routines and treating yourself with the love and care you deserve. so, even if you’re scrubbing floors or working on spreadsheets, know that you’re doing amazing, and you deserve to feel good about it.

sending you all the love and dreamy vibes! ✨

xoxo, mindy

quick tips for romanticizing your daily tasks! 🤍

create a morning ritual that feels like self care

invest in pretty organizational tools

make a workspace playlist for different moods

use your favorite scented products while cleaning

treat yourself to cute office supplies

keep fresh flowers or plants nearby

write your to-do lists in a beautiful journal

take mindful breaks with your favorite drink

dress in a way that makes you feel confident

create evening routines that feel peaceful

use soft lighting instead of harsh overheads

organize your space in an aesthetic way

set tiny rewards for completing tasks

document your progress in a pretty way

make your lunch break feel special

use beautiful containers for storage

create seasonal touches in your workspace

keep inspirational quotes nearby

make cleaning feel like a reset ritual

celebrate small wins with little treats

turn mundane tasks into mindfulness moments

add personal touches to your workspace

keep comfort items close by

make your desk feel like a sanctuary

use timers to create focused work periods

quick tips for making chores feel magical! 🤍

- light a vanilla candle while doing dishes

- use pretty cleaning supplies in pastel colors

- create a special cleaning outfit that makes you feel cute

- make a "cleaning day" playlist with dreamy songs

- invest in aesthetic storage solutions

- turn laundry time into a cozy movie moment

- use sweet-scented cleaning products

- take aesthetic photos of your clean space

- reward yourself with a bubble bath after cleaning

- make your cleaning caddy look pinterest-worthy

- pretend you're in a soft, aesthetic montage

- use pretty baskets for organizing

- make your bed like it's a luxury hotel

🌸 love, mindy

[it-was-dead-when-i-found-it]

Ok idk who came up with making a "cleaningsona" but that hack works so damn well?? I absolutely cannot clean my room until I put on my most Victorian blouse, my fangs, start playing my funky little vampire playlist, and pretend I'm an 800 year old immortal who's bittersweet about packing up and moving to a new town with a new identity because locals are starting to catch on that I'm a vampire

[disabilityreminders]

Tips for Cleaning

Cleaning is one of those tasks that a lot of us find exhausting, overwhelming or just overall daunting for a number of reasons. It could be related to executive dysfunction, disabilities or just feeling overall burnt out. 

While it’s a good reminder that your space not being clean doesn’t affect your worth in any way, sometimes being in a mess makes us feel worse and we really want to fix it. The question is, where can you start when it’s already so overwhelming? 

Please keep in mind that a lot of my suggestions might not work for you personally. And if that’s the case, that’s really valid but hopefully they can help you come up with your own ideas! 

This might be more overwhelming for some, so don’t do this if you think this wouldn’t work for you. But for me personally, I like to go into a room and make a list of that room. This list might include wiping things down, sweeping, moving garbage, etc. I do this for any and all rooms I have the energy for. Having a written list makes it feel less overwhelming to me. I can just pick an item and cross it off. I tend to cross off the quicker/easier items first because making my list look smaller makes it seem more manageable. You can break the tasks down as much or as little as you want. I personally like to have “wash dishes”, “put away dishes” as two separate tasks while others might just want to put “dishes.” 

If you can’t think of things to put on the list, I find that googling some generic cleaning lists helps me get started and reminds me of what tasks to include. 

Now I’d like to share some general tips for cleaning when it’s overwhelming that help me! 

Break it Into Little Steps

There aren’t really any major rules for cleaning. Things got a lot easier for me when I realized I don’t have to do it all at once. When I’ve had the dishes pile up in the past beyond a point of manageable for me, I made a deal with myself. Every time I went to use a new dish, I had to wash that dish and one other dish (or a couple utensils). This ensured that the pile gradually got smaller each time I used a dish but made it a manageable amount for me. 

The same can be said for things like folding laundry. I would fold a piece anytime I walked into my bedroom. I would pick up garbage anytime I walked by it and toss it. Over time, it felt like it looked more manageable and I was able to just focus and get it all done. Sometimes we find this helps us jumpstart the task because for me, starting is the hard part. But once I start, I’m able to keep going. Telling myself I only have to do “two dishes” or “dishes for 5 minutes” made it seem a lot more manageable to look at it as a small thing. But often I’d find as I got going that I was able to keep going. 

Combine it With Something You Enjoy

For me, cleaning while doing something I enjoy has helped a lot! I love to fold laundry while I watch my comfort show. It’s one of those tasks that I can do while still doing something I love. I find I don’t focus so much on the folding and the pile is getting smaller before I know it. 

Some other ideas of things you can do: 

Listen to a playlist that makes you feel pumped up (maybe even have a dance party if you're up to it.)

Listen to an audio book or podcast

Have a show playing in the background that you enjoy

While it’s considered its own thing as “body doubling” sometimes, having company helps. Even if that’s just talking to a friend on the phone, or even texting with a friend while we both clean our own spaces. It’s kind of like an accountability buddy and leaves me feeling like I’m not doing it alone. 

Make cleaning a game! This might include things like picking a colour and then only dealing with things with that colour like only folding blue clothing, washing blue dishes, etc. This might include rolling dice and assigning certain tasks to certain numbers. Or it might be something silly like cleaning while pretending you're your favourite character or even something like a robot. You could use mannerisms or phrases that they would use and react to things how you think they would. (It might be fun to pretend to be a villain having to do your own chores because your "minion" disappeared for the day. How unimpressed would they be? What would they say while they folded laundry?)

Adjust the Tasks to be Easier for You

One thing that holds me back from cleaning is I’m in a lot of pain usually. Things got a lot easier for me once I realized that I can make adjustments as needed. For me, even though I can’t do it all at once, I found sitting to sweep was really helpful! 

Other ideas:

Use disposable cleaning wipes. There are even disposable options for toilet wands and things like that! I found the act of filling up a bowl with hot water and cleaner to be the thing that would freeze me. Just grabbing a wipe, or using a spray and paper towel was a game changer for me. 

While a lot of people do this already, I’ve heard others that don’t but I definitely recommend soaking your dishes in hot, soapy water. It makes them significantly easier to wash. 

Get a duster with an extendable handle so you don’t have to get up on chairs or things like that. 

Invest in a grabber tool. This is a tool that can be used to grab things in hard to reach places, or if you have difficulty bending. 

Get a chair that's easy to move around. This can allow you to do tasks like sweeping or wiping stuff down while sitting. I personally have a rolling chair!

Some General Tips 

If you’re finding it too overwhelming to start, try setting a timer for something like “10 minutes” and then see what you can get done in 10 minutes. You could start by grabbing all the garbage, or clearing a table or something that’s straight forward and can help you start. 

Don’t overdo it. It’s okay to pace yourself. In fact, you should. Take your time getting caught up, and once you do, try to do something small every day rather than trying to cram a lot into one day. 

It’s okay to just do one thing. This kind of ties back into how I caught up on my dishes. My friend has to pack to move and she’s having to organize her things into what she’s packing, donating, or discarding. She made a deal with herself that each day she would handle a set number of items. (A number like 5, 10, or 15). If you need to de-clutter, planning on finding just 5 items a day to get rid of might be a good place to start. 

Find some structure. I personally like printing a cleaning planner that breaks down my weekly, monthly and sometimes tasks that are every few months. It also helps me because I’m not sure how often I should be doing things like cleaning out my fridge, or bigger tasks like that. Having a check list and when I should be doing it helps a lot. 

It’s okay to ask for help! I know that we often feel ashamed of asking for help, or showing someone our space if we don’t think it’s clean enough. But it is absolutely okay to ask a friend for help. My friend regularly found laundry exhausting and overwhelming. When it fell behind on her, it paralyzed her. I would go and fold her laundry for her. And it helped her feel less bad about that when she’d do me a favour. (For example, she loves to cook and I’m often too drained to, so she made me some meal prep.) 

Find products you like! I love using certain scented products and while I never get excited about cleaning, there is something I enjoy about smelling them! 

Focus on one room at a time if you can. When it’s overwhelming, I even just pick a corner of the room and work my way out. 

Reward yourself! This might not work for everyone, but I love doing this. If I do this one task, then I get to do something fun. I’ve actually assigned tasks certain point amounts because I love seeing my “points” climb up and then I get a bigger reward at bigger numbers. (Also I always recommend cute stickers for your lists!) 

Take a before picture or video. Sometimes, we find that we can’t see progress despite being at it for awhile. It’s easier to forget where you started and seeing the progress can be really motivating! 

You don't have to follow a set of rules! What I mean by this is it's okay if you don't put away your dishes. Just because you've been taught that's a part of doing dishes doesn't mean you have to put them away. If it doesn't bother you, it's totally okay to leave the clean dishes in the sink and use them as needed! Try and get it out of your head that you need to follow a certain set of rules and do what's right for you.

Cleaning is overwhelming. While a cleaner living space can make us feel better mentally, I do want to remind you again that living in a mess is not a moral failure. You aren’t less worthy if you’re in a mess. You are still worthy, valuable and enough as you are. 

[videos-i-didnt-make]

wash.mp4

[libraryspectre]

I have a tip for people who struggle to do things. I struggle to do things because of depression, but this might also help if you have executive dysfunction? Idk!

I don't usually listen to an audiobook or podcast at home because I can't sit still and listen. Sometimes I will while crafting, but this seems to work as long as I'm not crafting to begin with.

I will put on a podcast or audiobook to keep me company during a specific task, like cleaning out the fridge. What I find is that once I'm done with the intial task, if I am sufficiently engrossed in what I'm listening to, I will naturally come up with other things to do so I can keep listening. If I sit down and be still, the story stops, so I need to keep going. So I might as well clean the bathroom.

What's amazing about this is that it's the only thing I've found that keeps cleaning from feeling like an unpleasant slog. Something about flipping the switch from "I'm listening so I can clean" to "I'm cleaning so I can listen" makes it so much more bearable.

This tends to fall apart as soon as I need a break to sit or eat, or if what I'm listening to isn't interesting enough, but usually I get like three times as much work done as I planned initially.

I'm posting this because I hope it might help someone else, and also because for some reason I've never purposefully exploited this loophole, it's just kind of happened a few times. But I'm thinking I should try to make it happen on purpose.

[tarinb]

the big 4 to keep house

its been almost 2 years since I left working outside the home. I've learned a lot about keeping house and managing family life.

I heard on a podcast that if you can move forward with TDL (trash, dishes, laundry) every day, you will be able to maintain a functional home. Maybe not perfectly clean, but functional.

I'm obsessed with figuring out how to spend less time on housework and really just making it more effortless. I want to make progress even if I get interrupted in between tasks (which is highly likely). Here's the order I've been doing these tasks:

Layer #1: trash & recycling. After breakfast I grab a Target bag and walk through the whole downstairs picking up literal garbage. Wrappers, egg shells, paper towels, toddler art (not sorry).

Guess what? If I get interrupted after this layer, at least I'm not living amongst trash.

Layer #2: dishes. This is the one I want to leave for last, but I've realized how important it is. For me, the state of the kitchen is a microcosm for the state of the house. Cooking most meals from home, the kitchen is a war zone. I empty the dishwasher then I collect all dishes from the family, living, and kitchen. After all the dirty dishes are in the dishwasher, I clean the kitchen sink. (This has been the most satisfying result from this whole process)

If I get interruped after this layer, at least I have clean dishes and a place to cook later.

Layer #3: laundry. I've moved to doing one load a day. But not on weekends. I collect the laundry from upstairs, and dirty clothes left downstairs, then put on a load. Then I bring up the load that is dry from the day before and fold it/put it away. It sounds like a lot, but this whole process is probably 10-15 minutes a day.

If I get interrupted after this layer, at least we have clean clothes and don't have dirty clothes laying around.

Layer #4: everything out of its place. I added this layer myself. Now is the time to put the toaster away, replace the couch cushions, help toddler put toys in shelf, etc. This one is honestly my last priority because I know that the main beasts (trash, dishes, laundry) have been slain. But it does feel nice to return everything to order.

I skip some layers on the weekends: laundry and everything out of place. I really can't skip trash and dishes. Without clean dishes, I have no motivation to cook!

This sounds like it would take a long time each day, but each day that I do it, it gets shorter and shorter. Plus, I only do this process once a day. I am not a night cleaner. Morning is when I have my best energy for these types of tasks. I have no qualms going to bed while the house is messy.

What are the tasks you have to do every day to keep your household running?

[drifting-knightjar]

How to Put Your Shit Away When You Have ADHD

This is my two-step method. It has been saving my ass and my space for many years

STEP 1: Pick a corner of the room to be The Corner. Pick up an item in the room that is in the wrong place and place it in The Corner. Repeat until all items are in a heap in The Corner. Then move onto Step 2.

STEP 2: Pick up an item from The Corner. Can you put it where it goes without too much thought? If yes, do that. If no, put it back down and pick up a different item. Repeat until The Corner is defeated.

WHY I THINK IT WORKS IF YOU CARE:

The biggest things that keep my executives from functioning are 1) overwhelmtion and 2)feeling of no progress. This method addresses them both handily, and that is why it works good for me.

1)COMBATING OVERWHELMTION: When I'm cleaning a messy space it requires so many little choices.

(I am surrounded by mess. This stresses me out. I have to pick a thing from the mess, but then I have to also pick wtf to do with it. Oh this item requires extra steps (i.e., dirty sock requires turn right way out, get out hamper, find sock bag, put in sock bag) maybe I should pick up a different, easier object. Or maybe not. Maybe I should just do all the steps. Maybe I should gather all the laundry together first. Or maybe I should leave it all til last because it's hardest. Or maybe--

This is too much thinking and it wears out my executives. Instead just add it to the heap, no thoughts, done.

2) FEELING OF NO PROGRESS: I can clean a messy room for a whole hour and it still looks basically as messy as it was when I started because my shit was spread out everywhere, it's super demotivating. And it's unlikely I'm gonna be able to focus on cleaning for more than fortyish minutes without needing a little break.

These two combined means I used to do a lot of: clean for forty minutes->take a needed break->look at a room that appears just as messy as it was when i started->fail to start cleaning again because it feels pointless->room is never clean.

BUT when I'm just moving everything into a pile, it's way better. I can probably get everything into The Corner in forty minutes, or at least get close. This means that the room suddenly has a 90% clear floor when I'm starting up again, which is visible progress.

It's also a lot more friendly to needing to stop and start. Maybe I can only get myself to clean long enough to fill The Corner and defeat a third of The Corner, but that's still better. My space is more useable than it was, plus it is easier to restart cleaning tomorrow or whenever because I know exactly where to start: with whatever item is on top of The Corner heap.

(ALSO you will usually have a few items left over in The Corner at the end that you don't know what to do with. Shove em in your junk drawer, it's fine. Junk Drawer is its own beast.)

[jiraisupportgroup]

♡ Tips To Make Washing Dishes Suck Less ♡ 

Sorry if this is hyper-specific, it’s totally not inspired by my kitchen counter which is covered with dirty dishes I'm pretty sure every dish I own right now is dirty T-T

♡ Dirty dishes are a positive thing! They mean you have food! You're eating! Maybe you even cooked something! That's awesome, hell yes.

♡ You don't have to do it all at once. If you only clean two mugs or if you only manage to get the food off of some of the dishes but not actually wash them, that is totally fine.

♡ Take as many breaks as you need. There is no rule that says you have to wash all your dishes at one time. (Although, I understand this may not be possible for everyone - I live by myself so I am the ruler of my own dishes & I know not everyone is in that situation).

♡ Sit down while you do the dishes. Who says you can't sit down to wash dishes? I do it all the time! I have a kitchen stool I use to sit while I cook or clean. (Don’t sit while working with the stove or oven though - if you’re working with hot things like that you need to be able to easily move to get out of the way if anything happens or you could get hurt)

♡ Dirty dishes are allowed to touch the counter. If you are struggling because there are too many dishes actually in the sink - put them on the counter. Clear up some space so you can focus on small batches one at a time. Give yourself space to breathe.

♡ Use gloves. One of the reasons I despise doing the dishes is because I hate having my hands wet for a long period of time. I also hate the feeling of my hands sweating in the gloves so I use a little baby powder to keep them from getting sticky or wet.

♡ Use a soap you like the scent of. If you like the scent of the soap you’re using, you’ll dislike doing the dishes a little less. There’s also a million scents to choose from from lemon to lavender to watermelon. I’ve seen passion fruit scented dish soap? The opportunities are truly endless.

♡ Use cute sponges! This sounds so dumb but genuinely I bought some fruit-shaped sponges and it makes doing the dishes so much more bearable for me. It feels a little bit less like a chore when you enjoy the aesthetics of it.

♡ Quit scrubbing! Dried-up food stuck to the dish? Don't waste energy scrubbing it, soak it in hot water with some soap and come back to it later.

♡ Listen to music or a podcast. Not only does it help keep you entertained while you're doing the dishes so it feels less draining, but if you're like me your sink is LOUD and I HATE that so I put in my earbuds so the noise of the sink doesn't bother me as much.

♡ Don't worry about the rest of the kitchen. Just. wash. the. dishes. I have a bad habit of being like "I need to clean my entire apartment" which would take a lot of energy and take forever so then I'm like “well I just won't do that it's too hard” - but if I decide “I'm just going to wash the dishes" that seems much more doable & the chances of me actually doing it go way up.

[thoughtportal]

Whitening yellowed pillows is easier than you think! ✨ Wipe with dish soap + water ✨ Rinse with a damp towel ✨ Spray hydrogen peroxide + air dry in the shade (NOT in sunlight!) ✨ Repeat hydrogen peroxide step Repeat if needed. Bright pillows, no chlorine bleach (hydrogen peroxide is known as color safe bleach)

Jeeves_ny

[blatentmisinformation]

Most mold species are safe, so it is good to let them grow! If you find mold in your room you should spray it with water mixed 1 in 10 parts with fertiliser! We would appreciate it!

[pastel-charm-14]

how to organize your room and keep it that way

a lot of people think of their rooms as just a place to dump stuff, but that's not the case! so here are a few tips on how to keep your room clean. it's not just for super organized people either; these are things anyone can do.

-have a dump bin

have a place to throw things like clothes/extra items you have/anything you want to put away in the moment but will put away later. this keeps stuff off of your floor.

-sleep on top of your covers

put a blanket at the bottom of your bed instead and use that. this is so you don't have to make your bed every single morning to keep it looking decent.

-have a place to put all your papers

have a spot to put school notes, receipts, volunteer forms, coupons, anything you want to keep in a safe spot. it's hard to organize papers if you don't have a place to put them! you can get some cute dividers from staples/walmart/target, wherever. hanging folders also help keep things tidy.

-have garbage/recycling bins

kind of an uncommon tip, but yeah. bigger ones work better because they can hold more before you have to empty them. not huge but big enough so that you don't have to empty them all the time. set a time to empty the bins so it doesn't just accumulate and it looks nicer.

-use under-bed storage

this one is super important! have a bunch of bins/bags under your bed if you can to hold things you want to keep but don't know where to put. like extra bags/makeup etc.

-group "like" items

if you have drawers/bins, have a different category for each drawer/bin. plastic bins with different compartments like from walmart or ikea work really well for this.

-use hangers

this helps you avoid just throwing clothes on your floor or bed. you just hang whatever it is up and deal with it later (more on that in a sec). this works for bags too!

-purge regularly

dedicate some time each week to cleaning out your dump bin and putting stuff on your hangers away. set a reminder on your phone or put it in your planner to remember.

[1ittle-sunshine]

Hi little ones! If you're like me you suffer from task paralysis (thank you ADHD and Autism) so I've made a task cube! It's super simple. If you don't know where to start when cleaning a room, roll the task cube. If finishing up one task helps you start another, that's great! If you finish one and still don't know what to do next, roll again! Here's some cleaning tips for a big mess, get 3 different colored trash bags. One for clothes, one for trash and one for toys, then you can separate things as you need to and clean things individually once you have a clear space.

[sometimes-men-need-help-too]

Not everybody grew up in a home where you were taught how to clean

Your house might have been messy or a hoarders home. You might not know how often to clean things like appliances or what kind of products to use

There's a reddit sub called CleaningTips

Join the CleaningTips community for helpful tips and advice on keeping your living spaces clean and organized. Share your own experiences and learn from others in a friendly and supportive environment.

Or there are videos on youtube. You can find tutorials to help you with your living room or down to something specific like a litter box

[first-saturn-return]

The famous spring cleaning carries magical connotations. During this season, the Earth awakens after its sleepy winter. It’s the perfect time to clean the house to welcome the fresh beginnings of the new season. Spring cleaning is more than just a physical act.

[wahroh]

It's a matter of choice.