Manage Your House

“Q: How Can I Make Housework Stimulating?”

Executive dysfunction makes it tough for those with ADHD to complete boring (but necessary) housework. Here, learn how to make organizing fun with cleaning tips from an ADHD expert.

By Susan C. Pinsky Verified Updated on August 5, 2022
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Woman horrified by mess left after party in her apartment, cleaning service, stock footage

Q: “Doing housework is flat-out boring. I have a hard time getting started, if I start at all. Then, because I wait so long between cleanings, the work seems overwhelming. How can I make housework more manageable and (maybe) enjoyable?”

Routine and a good playlist will help you. Here’s how to begin: Open a music app, or turn on a radio, and use this as a soundtrack for your nightly routine of cleaning the kitchen after dinner. If it is done every night, this task should not take more than 10 to 15 minutes. Then choose one other time of day — perhaps right after you get home from work — when you crank up the music and do a 10-minute (set an alarm) manic tidying, going room to room. Again, if done daily, 10 minutes should do it.

If the kitchen is clean and the home tidy, then deep cleaning — a once-a-week chore alternating floors and baths—should not be overwhelming. Better yet, if you can afford it, get a housecleaner to come every other week for the floors and bathrooms. Finally, remember that the fewer items you own, the less there is to clean and tidy, so wherever possible, reduce possessions and commit to a minimalist lifestyle. Good luck!

Home Organization Help: Next Steps

Susan C. Pinsky is a professional organizer specializing in ADHD. She is the author of Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD and The Fast and Furious 5 Step Organizing Solution(#CommissionsEarned).

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