Maybe you went on an extended vacation, or just took an extended vacation from cleaning! Whatever the reason, you can’t seem to remember how to get the water spots off of the shower door and what cleaner to use in the kitchen. You’re puzzled about how the garbage piled up so quickly and find yourself wondering how you were ever able to keep up with household chores in the first place! If you find yourself in a position where cleaning seems completely foreign, here are some tips on getting back into the rotation.

Do Chores Daily

While daily chores may be a pain, they are the best way to keep your house nice and keep your Saturdays from being stuffed full of laundry and scrubbing. Make a list for yourself of 2 or 3 tasks to complete every day. This might include jobs that NEED to be done daily, like dishes, as well as things that only need to be done once or twice a week, like vacuuming! This way, you only spend about an hour a day doing chores.

Start by making several different lists. One list should have daily tasks, one with weekly and bi-weekly tasks, and one with monthly tasks. From this point, you can organize your daily tasks in coordination with the month. Being able to visualize the tasks and seeing them drawn out over a month can make them seem more manageable (and less menial).

Make the Bed (Every Day!)

This may seem silly, but starting your day by making the bed has been shown to have positive results! Not only does it help you to start your day on the right foot, but it makes your room look much cleaner and helps you adopt good cleaning habits. It is a small task that can make a big difference in how clean your house looks.

Stay Motivated

Sometimes, the reason we fall behind is completely mental. We lose the drive to do things, which can actually help to perpetuate negative thoughts and the loss of motivation. Keeping up with chores can improve mood! Stay in the cleaning cycle and you will reap the benefits of both a clean house and an improved mental condition.

Start in One Room and Work Your Way Through the House

If it has been a LONG while since your house has been cleaned, it might seem a bit harder to start. However, living in a mess that large is just as difficult as cleaning it so you may as well start. If you are overwhelmed, start in one room and work your way through the house. Having one clean room gives you a place to retreat when the rest of the house is still messy and shows you that it is possible to get it done.

Starting to clean your home again can be very challenging. If it has been a long while, the motivation is probably lacking. Remember that cleaning has long-term benefits for you, even if the task seems unimportant. Find a way to enjoy it, maybe by listening to music, and enjoy how clean your home is after you have finished!