Advice on cleaning with ADHD
So this is something that I’ve found that works for me. It might not help with everyone’s issues, but this little suite of solutions has helped me stay on top of chores so much better than I ever have before, especially monumental tasks with lots of steps like cleaning kitchens or bathrooms.
Buy cleaning “crutches”
What I mean by crutches is things that cut out steps from the cleaning process, since that’s often what bogs a lot of us down and gives the Executive Dysfunction something to latch onto. Usually, to start cleaning you have to go find the sponge, and the spray, and the paper towels, and the gloves and and and. It adds hurdles to what already has a pretty high effort hurdle to begin with. Lower the barrier to entry.
Do yourself a favor and purchase the following two things at the very least: Mr. Clean Magic Erasers and Clorox wipes (or off brands if you prefer). Put these two items in every bathroom and in your kitchen along with a roll or two of paper towels so they’re right at hand when it’s time to do a task. The Magic Erasers just need water to start cleaning and the Clorox wipes don’t need anything. Just rip and scrub. No gloves needed either. You can clean just about anything with them.
Others to consider are below:
Tabs/gel packs for dishwasher and laundry
furniture polish cloths (like the Clorox wipes but for wood)
Windex wipes (same deal.)
Swiffer (get the one that can both dust and mop and has the fluid already in it. My floors stay cleaner because I don’t have to hassle with a ton of stuff.)
Break down your cleaning tasks into tiny chunks
And I mean tiny chunks. Ridiculously small. It’s going to seem really silly, but break stuff down into things you can do in five minutes tops. This will keep you from getting stuck in the middle of something monumental because you ran out of steam. So for instance, don’t do -all- the kitchen counters at once. Just do one section. Don’t do “clean the fridge.” Instead, make a task that’s clean out old food from the fridge, then have a separate task for wiping down the shelves, and another for wiping out the drawers.
Other examples would be:
-unload the dishwasher (but don’t load it)
-wipe down the stove top
-wipe off one 4x4 section of counter
-clean the toilet
-throw away spoiled stuff in the fridge
This, plus your pre-prepped cleaning supplies help fight the spectre of Executive Dysfunction.
Make yourself a schedule that’s also a checklist
Using your broken up list from the previous step, make yourself a loose schedule. I say “loose” because you don’t want to stack everything together. Space due dates out so there’s only one or two things due every couple days. And since they only take five or ten minutes, and your cleaning supplies are pre-prepped, you’re more likely to get it done.
It’s worth it to figure out what big tasks need to happen weekly/monthly/yearly etc so you can space their component bits out accordingly. Like... for instance I clean the fridge out once a month, but that is spaced out in such a way that there’s only one fridge-related task every week or two. I like using Clickup for this... it also holds all my appointments and due dates on other stuff so my cleaning integrates well. I get a little dashboard each morning telling me what’s on deck for today, tomorrow, and the rest of the week.
The best part is that occasionally I’ll get on a tear and I’ll work ahead. Sometimes, once I’ve tricked myself into starting by lowering the barrier to starting, the fridge gets totally cleaned out all in one go. And sometimes I’ll fall behind and that’s okay too. All the tasks are small enough and spaced out enough that catching up isn’t onerous.
And... this is the most important thing for me really... I get the rapturous orgasmic joy of ticking off a checklist and watching things disappear. It’s so satisfying. I’ve heard people calling this “gameifying your life” and it works on me so well.
Like I said... this might not be the ticket for everyone, but boy howdy has it made all the difference for me.
