Have you ever been so overwhelmed by clutter and mess, that you just didn’t know where to start?
Well just following this ONE strategy will help you create a home you love!
Some people enjoy cleaning, but the vast majority of us HATE TO CLEAN! It’s a NEVER-ENDING CHORE!
It’s hard to get motivated to clean when you are overwhelmed by the mess.
Many people struggle with keeping their homes tidy. Don’t let the Pinterest perfect homes fool you, EVERYONE’s house gets messy from time to time.
It’s so easy to get overwhelmed when your house is a MESS! I struggled for years to keep my messy house tidy, then finally I realized the solution.
How to Get Motivated to Clean When Overwhelmed By the Mess
We have a large family so laundry and dirty dishes is a constant in my home.
The daily chores weren’t really ever the problem.
The problem was the mounds of clutter in all the rooms!
Clutter had taken over my home.
I was so overwhelmed by the mess! My home was such a source of stress and I cringed when people stopped by unannounced.
Honestly, I didn’t even know where to begin, but I knew I wasting so much time constantly cleaning my home, for it to never truly look tidy.
Then I realized that what I spent most of my time doing was constantly moving the “clutter” around.
Overwhelmed By Clutter
For years, I cleaned my home daily for it to never look truly tidy.
My daily chores went a little like this: I picked up, swept the floors, picked up, did the dishes, picked up, did laundry, picked up, wiped the counters…and no matter what I did my home always looked like a tornado had swept through it.
Then one day it hit me, I wasn’t a home-making failure, we just had way too much clutter.
I picked up and moved stuff from room to room daily.
Honestly, I spent hours every single day, just moving the clutter around in my home. That wasn’t cleaning it, that was just delaying what needed to be done.
How Do I Start Clearing the Clutter
Realizing that clutter was the main culprit to why my house wasn’t tidy was such a huge turnaround for me.
I was overwhelmed with my messy house!
I knew that if I wanted a clean home, I had to get rid of all the stuff that was cluttering it up.
Are you guilty of keeping “someday” things? I am!
We had a whole room of things that we thought we may need someday: old clothes, way too many blankets, parts to appliances, books, unwanted toys, CD’s and DVD’s (even though we didn’t even own a DVD/CD player anymore).
That was just SOME of the “someday” stuff.
Quietly, I walked through my house, looking at every single room.
I assessed how much clutter we had accumulated over the years.
How did we get so much stuff?
I felt ashamed at how much money we had wasted on all of this clutter that brought me nothing but misery.
Motivation to Clear The Clutter
Then I let go of the shame, took a big breath, and decided then and there IT WAS TIME!
If I wanted my home to not be a source of stress, then I had to get rid of the clutter! I had to change my Clutter-Keeper Mindset!
That day was a true epiphany for me.
We had held on to so many things and it was time to let them go.
Yes, they cost us money, but having a tranquil home was worth so much more to me.
Having a home to relax in and not feel like I needed to constantly be cleaning was such an inspiration to stay motivated to clear the clutter.
The ONE strategy that made the whole difference for me was changing my mindset. Being able to let things go.
I didn’t realize that filling up a trash bag with all that stuff WOULD FEEL SO GOOD!
That was all the motivation I needed, but I understand that sometimes you need a little more guidance.
I do know that many people have read Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
I didn’t read it before I started my extreme decluttering journey, but I have read it since and I agree that it is one of the top motivational books to get your house in order. Here is what I learned from the KonMari Method.
Extreme Decluttering
My home didn’t become clutter-free overnight, but it did happen very soon.
The trick was to include everyone, including my children. They were given a box and a trash bag for their rooms.
The box was for stuff that was good enough to donate and they had to fill each up. While they worked on their rooms, I tackled one room at a time.
At first, it took some time, but I got good at decluttering fast.
The Fastest Way To Clean Up Clutter
- Do a house-walk and access the clutter. Visualize a clutter-free home and the tranquility that it will bring you.
- Get into the DECLUTTERING MINDSET.
- Put on some good jams!
- Have EVERYONE in your home pitch in. Give them a box and a trash bag. The box is for things to donate and the trash bag, of course, is for trash.
- Minimize your belongings. You don’t need 20 plastic lids or 20 old t-shirts.
- Get RID of it. Whether you are donating or throwing it away. Just get it out of your house. You really won’t need it “someday” trust me!
Check out my post about how I decluttered and cleaned my bedroom (the clutter catch-all room) really fast!
It was the worst room in my home and I was able to make it be my favorite room in just one day!
Remember you can make decent money by selling your old books, DVDs, CDs, old phones and anything tech-related to Decluttr! They give instant quotes and let you ship it for free!
Clutter-Free Life Hacks
Basket Organization System. Implement baskets in every room to catch the clutter before it starts. Have a small basket on your kitchen counter and larger baskets in the family and living rooms.
Use Clever Storage Hacks. To keep things tidy, everything needs to have its place. Use clever clutter-free storage ideas to keep everything put away. Utilize those unused storage spaces like behind the doors and under the beds.
Have a Cleaning Routine. Once I got rid of all the clutter in my home, I set up a cleaning schedule. By actually having a schedule to follow, I actually have more time because I’m no longer cleaning my house ALL DAY LONG (and getting nothing done).
The biggest bonus is that my home is now ALWAYS GUEST READY! Check out the cleaning schedule that I follow, along with my many cleaning hacks to get the job done fast!
Also check these organizational hacks I use to give everything a home!
Getting Motivated To Clean When Overwhelmed By The Mess
Remember to not be so hard on yourself, it took years to accumulate all of the stuff. So it can take time to get rid of it.
It is especially hard to let go of sentimental items, but sometimes we must realize that the memory is in our heart.
We don’t need to keep things to remember a person or moment, that memory will stay with us no matter what.
Don’t do it all on your own. Get your family and maybe even your friends involved.
Decluttering your home will lift a huge weight off of your shoulders, I promise!
For more tips to help you focus on being more MINDFUL, grab your FREE 5 Day Guide to a More Intentional Life.
Read 10 Organizational Hacks I used to actually Clear The Clutter!
Related Post:
How to Declutter Your Closet The Simple Way
How to Keep Your Kitchen Clean and Organized
Spring Cleaning List Must-Do’s: Clean Only What You Must
I still haven’t gotten motivated I’m sorry to say but maybe this will give me inspiration. Thanks for the ideas!
This is such a great post and really motivational. Clutter and mess make my anxiety go through the roof. Thanks for sharing all your tips and tricks to finding tranquillity in a clutter-free home. 🙂
We all need that extra motivation to clean up and organize. Especially when we fell overwhelmed or depressed.
Yes!! To all of this! I got gritty just reading it.
The idea of decluttering and cleaning feels so liberating. These are great tips.
Any suggestions on good de-cluttering songs? Reading your posts I realise how much we have just been moving clutter from one place to the next.
When I need some pep-in-my-step, the jams I tend to pick are my favorites from when I was in school (which was 20 years ago lol) 🙂
So I suggest anything upbeat that makes you want to move around.
Love, love, LOVE this! This is definitely the key to keeping an organized and clean home. We move every few years, so we are sort of forced to declutter by default, but even when we are staying put for a while we feel compelled to go through everything just because. It is so motivating to look at a newly decluttered space. And so much easier to clean. Thank you for sharing.
Clutter and mess is so overwhelming and depressing! But once you start the process it feels so good to let things go. Thanks for sharing!
Love these tips for getting/staying motivated – especially putting on some jams! (Music gets me motivated to clean like nothing else!) I like that you focused on the motivation behind decluttering and not just steps on how to declutter. Attitude and motivation is key!!
i love using baskets to organize knick knacks!
Joy at The Joyous Living
Yes! My life got so much better when I went all kinds of minimalist, and threw out all my useless crap. Unfortunately, I now live with my partner’s family, who are all hoarders….. But our room is always tidy, at least!
I am really starting to try to assess the clutter and get rid of things we don’t need. I’m starting to sell things in our local Facebook group and that has helped me part with things!
Such a great post! I often find myself struggling to find the motivation to clean, so this post helps a lot!
I full-heartedly believe in the power of decluttering. There is so much to be said about the clutter in your home and your emotional and mental health. On the spectrum of minimalist to hoarder, I am probably smack dab in the middle. I need to up my decluttering game!
I need all the motivation I can get!
I’m just starting on my decluttering journey. This post really motivated me. Thanks!!
My house is (mostly) clutter-free, except for my office. I’ve got miscellaneous piles all over my desk and floor. Plenty of infrequently used and “someday” items. Any suggestions for decluttering and organizing this room?
This is so helpful! I’ve definitely been moving clutter from room to room and I know I need to eliminate it. And set up a cleaning schedule as well.
Great ideas, although my problem is that once I start, I don’t stop because I find a million other things that need doing. Maybe that’s why I don’t wanna start?:)
It’s hard to clean with kids around. I usually do little bits at a time, just so I stay sane. I hate a messy house, but a lot of things slip through the cracks bc kids just add to the mess. I think doing small things is the way to go, bc it can get pretty overwhelming. Great post!
This is exactly my life and what I need! I do think baskets are an amazing key when it comes to a clean organized place !
We are getting ready to move, and it’s crazy how much clutter gets heaped in the catch all clutter areas! Slowly, and I mean SLOWLY I’m getting it weeded out. Thanks for the inspiration to tackle another area tomorrow. Pinning incase I need more help to keep focused again later. 🙂
I love to clean and declutter! It’s totally my jam and brings me joy. It’s so tricky with 3 little kids!
This was a very through and motivating post! I always like picking a day to clean and committing to it.
Yes! The reason my home is never clean is because of the clutter! And the reason we have so much clutter is because it’s hard to let stuff go! Tomorrow I’m getting a trash bag and starting! Thank you! Seriously! The stuff just isn’t worth the stress!!
My problem is my husband who is a hoarder by choice. After being married for 39 years I started to give up trying. I love a neat, tidy home but he won’t part with anything. He says he keeps things “because they’re HIS. I try to set a good example but at almost 70, I’m just so overwhelmed.
I found that having a retired husband around has frustrated my clutter issues. How do others deal with it? I was organized, but now he keeps moving my things around and have to hunt for everything! I know I need to purge and get rid of more. I’m in my 70’s and partially handicapped. I can’t seem to get ahead of it in all areas ot keep it up. Grrrrr
Thanks for the reminders! Fall consignment season is coming, and along with it, I’m piling up boxes of stuff to go to Goodwill…
I have been try to declutter my house for years! Lol, but i have a hubby who is constantly buying things that we “need”. It’s so frustrating and overwhelming. It’s also funny because he always insists that he is not the cause of our clutter. But he is the one always buying gifts for us and stuff for his hobbies . So hiw do you declutter when your spouse is a buyer?
This is a great post for someone I know. I might have to post this on the fridge as a reminder about clutter. Thanks for the read.
Rarely do I find myself asking “why did I get rid of that?” Usually I find myself saying “Why did I have all of that for so long??” It really makes cleaning easier when you have less to put away.