If you have ADHD, odds are you struggle to clean your house. I know I do. Finding out someone is on their way to your house for a visit puts a streak of horror in your heart. “THIS MESS! They’re going to see this disaster!”
At least, that’s what goes through my brain. But on days where no one is coming (or you don’t know anyone is coming, anyway), it can be hard to get started or stay on track once you do get started.
Some of the problems we experience when it comes to cleaning are
- Getting started
- Figuring out WHERE to start
- Getting overwhelmed at where to start (and the mess in general)
- Finding it boring, especially when it takes too long
- Staying on task and completing what we’re starting and
- Getting distracted by other messes and never finishing a task we start
Sound familiar?
One thing I’ve learned is having a guide that tells you what to do, actually helps. Especially if that guide also helps you getting it done quickly. Part of the challenge with cleaning is it’s so overwhelming it feels like it’s going to take hours and hours. And who can commit that? Especially something so boring…
So I created the ADHD Speed Cleaning Checklist to help. This is what I use when I get the dreaded phone call that someone is unexpectedly stopping by my messy house.
It’s also what I use to get myself started when I know the house needs to be clean but it just feels so overwhelming I don’t know where to start or keep getting distracted.
This two page guide walks you through the steps to getting your house presentable in the least amount of time, so you can get to the more interesting stuff you like to do sooner.
This Checklist teaches you:
- The 3 things that make the biggest impact on the mess. Even if you do just these three things, you’ll be able to tell that your house looks a lot better.
- How to clean with a system and strategy that gets it done quickly and doesn’t require you to double back from room to room, minimizing the risks for getting distracted.
This is not a deep cleaning guide. It does not cover cleaning the baseboards or organizing a room. This checklist is meant for people who want to get the house looking presentable quickly. And it WORKS!
Pro Tips to Get the Most From the Checklist
Pro Tip #1
Consider laminating the check list and using fine tip dry erase markers. It’s not necessary because you can print the guide as many times as you need to, but laminating really helps.
Instead of throwing the guide away when your done and needing to think of it and remember to reprint it next time you need it, you can just wipe it clean and start again.
Pro Tip #2
Put the Guide in a super obvious place that you really can’t miss. People with ADHD, tend to do better with visual cues–particularly the ones that stand out. Put it on the refrigerator, your bedroom door, or somewhere else where you will see it frequently. It will help you remember it (and possibly help you clean more often).
Pro Tip #3
If you combine using this checklist with some of the products mentioned on the cleaning products for people who hate cleaning post (like those microfiber mop slippers?!), it can help you save more time. While you are running around using the checklist, your feet could be helping to sweep and mop your floors!
If you combine this checklist with some of the strategies mentioned in the Conquering the Clutter post for organizing your home, it can help you maintain an organized space for longer i.e. less mess to need to speed clean!
Pro Tip #4
Use the checklist to remind yourself of what you are doing when you get distracted or forget. Check off as you go and refer back to it when you catch yourself off task.
That also helps in case you are in the middle of cleaning and have to take a break for something else. When you come back to it, the checklist shows you what you’ve already done and what you were working on before you had to stop.
With the Speed Cleaning Checklist and these tips, keeping a clean house isn’t just a pipe dream.
Get The Checklist!
Don’t miss out!
