Nowadays, you’ve got so much on your back – job, family, kids, your social life, and you struggle to create space for those beautiful moments of rest when you are alone or with your loved ones. So, why trade those moments for some chores that no one likes to do? Well, it turns out that you still got to finish those tasks too, so we at Helpling – SG came up with some ideas to motivate you and help you in this everyday matter – cleaning. We created a list of tips that will allow you bypass the part of your brain that wants to have fun or simply – do nothing, and other tips that can save you a lot of time – the most precious of all resources. Here you go:

1. Play some music

Music is a great addition to everything – from working out to studying. It can put you in the mood where you enjoy doing everything a bit more – even cleaning. Use the music as a motivator by setting up a 20-minute-long playlist and get cleaning while singing and dancing. When the playlist is up, get back to whatever you want to do next – or maybe clean some more since you’re already in the mood!

2. Tick-tock

Similar to the previous trick, 20 minutes always seem manageable so listen to the clock ticking – each second is a second closer to the end of your chores and some fun times!

3. One at a time

This is good. While walking through the rooms, grab just one thing that you would normally ignore and put it in its place. It can be a dirty glass on the table, a toy on the floor, a TV remote you brought to the toilet… Just about anything you can think of, so just pick it up and put it where it belongs. You won’t feel like you are working, but after some time you’ll start noticing how the mess is minimizing. Good job!

4. The reward system

Let’s say you are going to a concert tonight, or simply going out, or maybe there’s an episode of your favorite TV show on. Don’t just wait for the time to pass by – make a pact with yourself, if you do something useful, you get to enjoy your free time doing whatever you want (reward) and if you don’t, try again tomorrow. You will feel much better after you’ve finished your chores and your fun-time activity will be way more pleasing without the feeling of guilt or uselessness. Enjoy!

5. Just one small task a day

You really don’t have to break a leg in order to have a tidy home. Besides, who’s got time for that long, all day cleaning endeavors today? Simply assign one small task to yourself, one for each day of the week, and your weekends will really become the time for resting and having fun. Be smart about it!

6. A friend in need is a friend indeed

Everything is easier in the right company. But don’t feel bad if your friends decline your invitation to your home for the purpose of cleaning – simply bribe them with some food and drinks. Or, maybe don’t even tell them about your evil plan (but make sure you don’t test your friendships too much)? Cleaning can be way more fun and definitely way easier while you are chatting with your friends, listening to some music and just hanging out. Make sure you return the favor!

7. Know your weaknesses

Find your weak spot, admit it and then accommodate. Maybe you hate doing the dishes, so consider buying the dishwasher, maybe you can’t dress in the morning without leaving a pile of clothes on the floor, so put a small chair or anything you find adequate in the place your pile would sit. This will at least limit the scale of the mess – the chair can only hold so much, and keep the stuff off the floor. You can even try to defeat your weaknesses, give it a shot!

8. Brand new cleaning product

This works just the same as the usual shopping fever – you buy something new and you can’t wait to show-off! It works on the clothes, shoes, phones and other gadgets, why wouldn’t it work with a fancy new cleaning product? Grab that stuff and start a cleaning spree to test it!

9. Triggered

A trigger is an action that produces a result – not just a gunshot but any kind of result. So, we advise you to find your own personal trigger – or even, triggers. Let’s say you always do your dishes after a glass of wine. Washing the dishes becomes an automatic behavior after that glass of wine. You can be creative with this, and make as many of those pleasure – work pairs as you can. It is hard in the beginning and you will have to force yourself quite a bit, but be patient and persistent. The results will be amazing, you will gain good habits that make your life so much easier. You can apply the “trigger” on everything in life, not just cleaning.

10. Invite visitors and produce the collateral damage

We, humans, are social beings, so we don’t like when other people know how lazy we are. If you are lazy and there is no other solution for your perpetual mess, you can trick yourself by inviting friends to your home. You’ll find it quite motivating in cleaning your mess. The mess will be gone in no time since you don’t want your “dirty secret” to be found out! Plus, you get to enjoy the company of your friends afterwards.

We hope that we have helped you with some of these and that now, your home is a little less messy than before. Make sure you keep inventing new tricks that make the cleaning chores easier… You might even realize that the mess around you isn’t such a monster you thought it was!