How to Find Cleaning Motivation When You Really Don’t Want To, According to an AT Editor
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This issue of Happy Place is presented in partnership with Yogi Tea.
Is there anything better than hanging out in your freshly cleaned home? When our spaces are neat and sparkling, they’re just more fun to spend time in — though we might not always have as much fun getting them in such bright and shiny shape. For AT Home Assistant Editor Savannah West, though, it’s all part of the joy of creating her dream home. West and her partner recently bought their first home in Atlanta, and she’s constantly cleaning and reorganizing her space to suit her style.
“I feel my healthiest when my space is clean, organized, and well decorated,” West says. She especially loves to spend time beautifying her living room. “At Apartment Therapy, we’re in the business of helping people live happy and healthy lives at home,” she says. “It’s important for me that I practice what I preach.”
Read on (and listen in) to learn how she does it — even when she really doesn’t want to.
Want to energize your cleaning routine? Listen to Savannah’s advice in her own words.
Clean Before You Need To
West’s number one rule is elegant in its simplicity: Don’t put it down; put it away. “Just clean as you go before the mess can even be made,” she says. That means mail gets sorted or tossed, books re-shelved, and clothes hung back in the closet as soon as they’re in hand. Often, what keeps us from doing this is not having a dedicated spot for everything. (Raise your hand if you’ve buried your bedroom chair in clothes because you don’t have enough hangers.) West’s solution to this problem is buying storage items — be they shelves, baskets, or bins — that you think look stylish. “Chances are, if you like it, you’ll use it.”
Keep a Schedule (and Stick to It)
Do you skip brushing your teeth before bed? No way! It’s something you know you need to do daily, so you do it without even thinking. Approach cleaning the same way. Maybe you do laundry every Tuesday night, or empty the dishwasher whenever the coffee is brewing, or clean out the fridge the night before trash day. The more you can mentally automate the tasks, the less time you’ll spend deliberating whether or not to do them. “I’m the type of person who can’t live without a schedule, and that goes for cleaning too,” West says. “For example, if you commit to cleaning Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, each time you clean, the messes should be smaller and more manageable.”
Find Your Unique Motivation
Put those Pinterest boards to good use! Browsing photos and mood boards of spaces you love will inspire you to take the time to help your own space shine. “Honestly, I love a good aesthetic moment,” West says. “Whenever I’m not in the mood to clean up, I think to myself, ‘How cute would it be to light a candle in a perfectly clean room then sit down and sip some tea? Let’s do it.'” You can even set yourself a challenge to recreate those inspirational spaces in your own home, with your signature style mixed in.
Don’t Forget to Reward Yourself
Congratulate yourself for a job well done, however small. “I’m a big advocate for rewarding yourself as often as possible,” West says. “Set cleaning or organizing goals and rewards to match, like a cup of tea or dinner from your favorite place.” On Sunday afternoons, after she’s refreshed her living room, West loves to lounge on the couch. She’ll put on a favorite record, like Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder, and pour a hot cup of tea, such as tropically soothing Yogi Mango Ginger tea. With her pup at her side, it’s West’s favorite way to reconnect with her home: “You’ll have a better appreciation for your space if you can see it at its best!”