How To Get In The Mood To Clean Your Room

We're not going to sit here and try to convince you that cleaning is fun. Unless you're a hyper-organized person who finds their bliss while alphabetizing their bookshelves, a to-do list of chores is the opposite of a good time. Unfortunately, we all have to pick up after ourselves. To make it slightly less painless, we've rounded up 10 tips that will pretty much trick you into cleaning your home. From little "lifehacks" that allow you to bypass the part of your brain that wants to procrastinate, to tips that'll save you plenty of time, these shortcuts are what some of us need to keep our homes in a somewhat live-able condition.

1. Play music. The same thing that can motivate you to get through your workout can also get you cleaning. Make a 20-minute-long playlist and get cleaning -- until the music is up. We've found that we often want to keep up the good work after the last song finishes.

2. Set a timer. Similar to the playlist trick, only you set a timer for a short length of time. 20 minutes always seems manageable. Again, give yourself complete permission to stop after the timer goes off, as long as you remain focused during those 20 minutes.

vintage timer

3. Put just one thing back in its rightful place. So you're waking through the living room and all of a sudden you notice a dirty glass on the coffee table. Don't let it sit there, just take it to the kitchen where it belongs and it'll help minimize the pile up of messes. And accomplishing a small task can remind you how painless the job you've been putting off actually is in practice. Don't underestimate how many little actions can add up, too.

4. Reward yourself. Do not go for that pedi or fabulous brunch until you've accomplished something. This way you're motivated to get the job done because there's something awesome waiting as soon as you're finished. It's also much easier to relax without the guilt of inaction hanging over your head.

5. Do one small task a day. Don't try to clean like it's 1965, it's just not reasonable to spend a whole day doing it. But if you assign one small chore to each day of the week, by Sunday you'll be lounging in your (pretty much) spotless abode.

6. Have a friend come over to help. It might be hard to get them there, but if you promise some wine and pizza, we're sure they'll be happy to oblige. And before you know it, you'll be chatting while cleaning out your closet and you'll probably be able to get rid of a lot of stuff. Second opinions are what save many people from lapsing into hoarding.

7. Acknowledge your weakness. Some of us can't get dressed in the morning without leaving a pile of clothes on the floor. Admit this tiny flaw, then accommodate. In this case, put a small chair in the place your pile would sit. This will at least limit the mess (a chair can only hold so much) and keep the stuff off the floor.

8. Try a new cleaning product. Much like when you get a new pair of shoes that you can't wait to show-off, if you invest in a fancy new cleaning product, it may motivate you to use it.

9. Use a trigger. A trigger is an action that spurs a result. (Like, having to have a scotch when you watch "Mad Men.") If you always load the dishwasher after you have your cup of coffee, it'll become automatic behavior. Or, at least a cup of coffee will always give you an impulse to clean.

10. Invite visitors. For the perpetually messy, the only strong motivation to cleaning up is so other people won't know your terrible secret.

Click through our slideshow to see more cleaning tips and tricks.

The Best Cleaning & Organizing Tips

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