Did you know you can make cleaning fun with a little advance planning?
Many of us love a clean house, but don’t actually enjoy cleaning. I normally complain a lot about how much I hate cleaning. I suggest ways to make cleaning easier because it’s just such a thankless, repetitive, never ending, boring series of tasks. You’re probably reading this because you feel the same way.
But I’ve found it’s possible not to hate cleaning under the right conditions; sometimes it’s even enjoyable. That’s why I have to share these 18 fun cleaning ideas that just may get you excited about cleaning!
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How do you make cleaning fun?
Believe it or not, you can learn how to have fun cleaning your house. It just takes a change of perspective and some advance planning to have some fun while cleaning.
Using these fun ways to clean will help reduce the stress and overwhelm of always thinking about what you need to clean because you won’t just be thinking about it, you will be doing it. Having fun while cleaning can also improve your mental well-being and your mood.
What you can do to make cleaning fun
The first thing to do is set aside a chunk of time to get your cleaning done. Make a checklist of what needs to be done in small 10 minute increments. Estimate the time it will take you to complete the tasks and write it beside each task.
Set aside this block of time specifically for cleaning and make sure there are no distractions. It’s crucial that you don’t have additional responsibilities if you want to make cleaning fun. The goal is to reduce the stress involved in cleaning, and distractions can be stressful.
If you have children, make arrangements for them to be somewhere else or have someone else on-site to entertain them and take care of their needs, preferably not where you will be cleaning (unless you want to have fun cleaning with your kids). If your partner or housemates will not be helping you, ask them to be somewhere else for that time block.
How to enjoy cleaning
Change your perspective. Don’t think about the drudgery of cleaning and stress about it. Instead, be thankful that you are able to set aside a block of time to get the job done.
Imagine your friends or family members coming over to visit. Focus on how nice it will feel not to have to worry about running around cleaning up at the last minute before they get there.
Think about how satisfying a clean home is and how you feel less anxious and overwhelmed when you don’t have to look at the mess.
Remember the sense of accomplishment you feel when you have achieved your goals. Think of this block of time as self care.
Then get to work.
Ways to make cleaning fun
Here are 18 ways you can have fun while cleaning.
Add music
Music is the perfect distraction from the monotony of cleaning and helps make the time pass faster. Make a playlist of tunes that motivate you to get moving!
If you’re secretly a pop star or a rapper, belt those tunes out as you clean. If you’ve always wanted to be a dancer, now is the time to practice those moves. The point is to do something you love so you have fun while you’re cleaning
Learn while you clean
If you want to be double productive, you can learn as you clean. Grab those Bluetooth wireless headphones, put on your favorite podcast or that audiobook you’ve been dying to listen to. This way, you can occupy your mind with new information while you clean.
If you’re really ambitious, you can even learn a new language while you clean. There are Apps such as Duolingo and Babbel you can download to learn a variety of languages.
You can even listen to a Ted Talk on YouTube.
Laugh while you clean
Put on your favorite comedy movie or listen to your favorite comedian. My favorites are comedy routines about cleaning.
Laughter is a great stress reliever. It can put you in such a cheerful mood that you’ll barely even notice that you’re cleaning.
Take before and after cleaning shots
Before cleaning a room, take a picture of the room. When you’re done cleaning the room, take another photo. Post them on your social media and enjoy all the positive accolades from your friends and family.
Record a video of yourself cleaning
Recording a video of yourself cleaning is a great way to motivate you to get started, especially if you’re starting with a particularly messy room. Recording yourself also helps keep you accountable and focused. You could share the video with family and friends to help inspire them in their own cleaning battles.
Have a cleaning challenge
Take the checklist you prepared, set a timer, and see if you can beat your estimated time to get each job done. If it’s not your first time, see if you can beat your previous record. Focusing on beating the clock is a fun way to pass time while cleaning.
Or have a friendly cleaning competition with a friend to see who can accomplish their tasks in the shortest time. It’s also motivating to have someone who’s doing the same thing as you to talk to and helps make cleaning more fun.
Use the right cleaning tools to make cleaning fun and easy
Get some tools and gadgets that will make your cleaning jobs easier and more fun. Run your self-emptying robot vacuum cleaner while you’re cleaning the kitchen. Or vacuum and mop at the same time with your Bissell Crosswave. It’s always more fun when you don’t have to do all the work.
You can make cleaning the floors fun and get an awesome leg workout with these Dust Mop Slippers. Or put them on your Swiffer if your legs are tired. And these Magic Brush Scrubber Gloves are fun because you can just pump soap onto the bristles part of the gloves and wash practically anything, including the dog.
Here’s a list of some other cleaning tools that make cleaning easier.
Make cleaning a game
Play games with yourself as you clean. Try to complete a cleaning task before a song finishes, shoot dirty clothes into laundry baskets, or play I Spy and work with one color at a time. Put an episode of Jeopardy on in the background and test your trivial knowledge.
Use your imagination to think of fun cleaning games you can play while you clean. You’ll be amazed at how fast time flies by.
Phone a friend
Make those phone calls to friends and family that you keep meaning to connect with. The mindlessness of cleaning tasks makes it easy to have that conversation you’ve been looking forward to and you’ll be doubly productive.
Get some moral support
Make a deal with a friend to make team cleaning a regular thing. Clean alternate homes on a schedule. Only a true friend will be brutally honest and tell you when it’s time to get rid of those pants that are 2 sizes too tight.
Another benefit of having a friend help you clean is the opportunity to bond and catch up on each other’s lives. Reward yourselves when you’re done with dinner or drinks or both. Having a regular routine of cleaning and connecting is great stress relief.
Make cleaning a workout
Transform cleaning into a real workout to have fun and burn calories while you clean. Strap on your FitBit and clean as fast as you can while counting steps, calories burned and monitoring your heart rate. Run up the stairs, do squats while you vacuum, or do stretches when dusting high spots or ceiling fans. Make every movement count to help you stay strong and fit.
Plan an event
Does someone you love have a birthday or anniversary coming up? Planning your next outing or vacation? Cleaning gives you the mental space you need to come up with new and different ideas.
Try these ideas on in your mind and write down the most promising ones during a break between cleaning tasks. This will give you the foundation to move forward with your planning and build anticipation.
Become a DIY interior decorator
It’s much easier to rearrange things when a room is clean. Pour a glass of wine and have some fun moving furniture around and testing out different layouts. Declutter busy areas of your home to make them more functional.
Add some flowers or candles to add atmosphere. Get your creative on and feel the peace of mind and sense of accomplishment.
Add some aromatherapy
What fragrance makes you feel less stressed and more relaxed? Is it lemon or is it pine? Or maybe it’s lavender, or even the smell of the ocean breeze. Maybe it’s cinnamon and cloves. Whatever your favorite is, you will find that it will evoke good feelings when you smell it.
Your sense of smell is strongly linked to your memories and your emotions. Diffuse your favorite essential oil, burn your favorite scented candle or plug in your favorite air freshener to help ease stress and improve your mood while cleaning.
Take breaks
Reward yourself with frequent short breaks. Don’t burn yourself out. Have a coffee or a glass of wine. Check your email or your social media. Or make yourself a snack.
Taking breaks will make cleaning more manageable and help keep you from getting overwhelmed.
Clean with your partner
There are so many ways cleaning can be fun with your partner! Make it a friendly rivalry and see who can get tasks done faster. You can make it more interesting by cleaning naked or dressing up in cosplay outfits. French maid anyone?
By cleaning together, you can eliminate stress and resentment caused by feeling like the responsibility is all yours. Treat it like a date and plan a picnic for two when you’re finished with the chores so you can enjoy each other’s company.
Reward yourself
Think about how you can reward yourself for a job well done. Do you want to indulge in some retail therapy? Or do you want to give yourself a well earned day off or just sleep in? Maybe you want to satisfy that urge for your favorite dinner or that decadent dessert.
What ever reward you choose, make sure it’s one that you don’t usually allow yourself. Recognize your accomplishment with something special to you.
Hire Help
For some people, no matter how hard they try to make cleaning fun, it just isn’t fun. If this is the case for you, maybe it’s time to hire someone else to do the job for you.
There’s no shame in paying someone else to do things you hate doing. And it leaves you time to do the fun things you want to do!
Cleaning is fun and therapeutic
The act of cleaning can be great for relieving stress and overwhelm, especially when you have fun doing it. You will burn calories, release endorphins, and blow off steam while creating a neat and orderly home environment. And you will have the satisfaction of a job well done.
Cleaning your home is the ultimate exercise in self care. You (and your family) will feel more relaxed, less stressed, and more productive in a clean home. There’s nothing more rewarding than having a peaceful home that is both relaxing and comfortable for everyone to be in, while having fun getting it that way.
I hope these fun cleaning tips will help you reframe the way you look at cleaning and even bring a little pleasure into your life. There are so many ways to make cleaning fun. Some of them may even get you excited at the thought of cleaning.
If you find that any of these fun cleaning ideas make cleaning less painful for you, please share this post. And if you know of any other fun ways to clean your house, please let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear them!