Hey Hey Domestic Darlings! If you’ve ever felt completely overwhelmed by the idea of cleaning and decluttering—especially if you have ADHD or tend to get distracted easily—girl you’re in the right place.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at a messy room, determined to tackle it, only to pull EVERYTHING out, get completely burnt out halfway through, and end up with a messier house than I started with. Sound familiar? Trust me, you’re not alone.
When I saw a post on Threads the other day that cheekily said, “ADHD is feeling overwhelmed by a messy room but making it worse by pulling everything out to try to organize,” I had to laugh. Been there, done that, wrote the book on it.
But guess what? I’ve finally figured out ways to deep clean, declutter, and organize without totally overwhelming myself or flaming out halfway through. And today, I’m sharing all my sneaky hacks to help you get your home in order without tearing your hair out.
Grab a cozy drink, get comfy, and imagine we’re just chatting as friends. Here’s how I approach cleaning with a little humor, a LOT of patience, and some really practical tricks.
1. Get Your Daily Cleaning Routine Done First
I know the temptation to jump straight into decluttering a closet or scrubbing grout, but trust me, start small. There’s wisdom in the basics!
There’s this beautiful quote from The Art of Homemaking by Daryl V. Hoole (a charming 1950s housewife guide) that goes something like this: “To me, the routine housework is a foundation, and the quicker and better I can lay the foundation each morning, the higher I can build during the day.”
Here’s what that means for me in real life:
- First, air the beds. I mean, they’re already there—you might as well give them a little love. You don’t even have to make the bed. Just neatly pull back the covers, and crack the bedroom window for 15 minutes. This has reduced my allergies so much.
- Next, start a load of laundry. Because laundry piles up faster than weeds in spring. Which is why I do one designated load of laundry Monday-Saturday. You can find my laundry schedule here.
- Do the dishes. You’ll thank yourself for not staring at a sink full of crusty plates.
- Tidy the visible clutter. Nothing fancy, just make sure your counters and tables don’t look like a dumping ground.
- Hit a quick weekly chore. For me, that might mean cleaning the bathroom on Tuesdays or tackling the fridge on Fridays. I don’t do a perfect job at these either! I set a 15 minute timer and speed clean them. They sometimes even take less time than that since I’m in a routine of cleaning them so often! You can find my full weekly cleaning schedule here telling you what I clean on each day of the week.
This step isn’t glamorous, but it works. The house feels calmer, you feel less overwhelmed, and when you move on to deeper cleaning or decluttering, you’re not distracted by the “everyday mess.”
Pro Tip: If you struggle to stay on task, set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and make it a game to see how much you can get done. There’s something really satisfying about racing the clock! I set about a 5 minute timer for each of these tasks, and 15 minutes for the last one (which is actually built into my podcast cleaning routine episodes I listen to).
2. Break It Down — 15 Minutes at a Time
Here’s where I’ve really learned to work with my ADHD brain instead of against it. The secret? SMALL, manageable chunks of time.
Instead of spending hours at once decluttering or deep cleaning (spoiler alert, that leads to burnout), I stack 15-minute sessions into my weekly schedule. Mondays and Saturdays, for example, are my dedicated “deep clean or declutter” days.
But the key is to keep the task small. I’m not trying to organize an entire pantry in one go. Instead:
- Declutter one shelf in the pantry, not the whole thing.
- Deep clean under the sink, not the entire kitchen.
- Tidy one drawer in your dresser, not your whole wardrobe.
This approach takes the pressure off and still gets results. And if, after 15 minutes, you feel motivated to keep going? Great! But if not, no worries—you made progress, and that’s what counts.
Pro Tip: Pair this with a checklist. Visual cues are a lifesaver for staying focused, especially if your brain has a million tabs open at once. You can find my guide on 5 minute deep cleaning tasks you can do here.
3. Cleaning with Vintage Radio Shows (Or Whatever Makes You Happy)
Okay, this might be the secret sauce to how I actually enjoy cleaning—old radio shows! I honestly love them. Classics like Fibber McGee and Molly, Dragnet, or Lux Radio Theater are engaging, entertaining, and perfectly timed for cleaning sessions. And I have a radio cleaning routine membership full of hundreds of episodes (with new ones published weekly) here. I’ve got morning, evening, kids, and power hour cleaning routines as long as 2 week cleaning challenges! Check it out here.
Here’s why this works so well:
- The shows keep your brain entertained so cleaning feels like less of a chore.
- The timing of the episodes matches up nicely with cleaning tasks.
- They add a little charm and nostalgia to your day, which is just fun.
If vintage radio isn’t your thing, don’t worry. Podcasts, audiobooks, or even your favorite playlist work just as well. The key is finding something you enjoy that helps you stay focused.
Pro Tip: Use the sleep timer on your podcast or audiobook app, to set a timer for each cleaning task on your to-do list to keep you focused.
4. Seasonal Home Reset Challenges
Sometimes your home needs more than a little TLC—it needs a full-on refresh, and that’s where my seasonal cleaning challenges come in.
These two-week challenges are built into my routine for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring, but you can start one anytime your home feels like it needs a reset.
Here’s how they work:
- Week One: Declutter a different zone in your home for 15 minutes a day. (You can find my post on my zone system here)
- Week Two: Deep clean those same zones, also for 15 minutes a day.
It’s super simple and manageable, and it makes your home feel fresh and organized without turning cleaning into a marathon.
Pro Tip: If you need guidance, I have free episodes of these challenges available—they walk you through daily tasks and keep you motivated. You can find those here. Or just make your own version with a timer and a checklist.
5. Decluttering Without Overwhelm
Decluttering with an ADHD brain can spiral out of control fast. One minute you’re organizing a sock drawer, and the next you’re sitting in a pile of stuff wondering how you got there.
Here’s how I avoid that now:
- The Four-Box Method: Label four boxes “Keep,” “Donate,” “Trash,” and “Relocate.” Use these to sort one small space at a time.
- The One Shelf Rule: Only declutter ONE shelf, drawer, or area at a time. Resist the urge to pull everything out.
- The 10-Minute Rule: Set a timer for 10 minutes to declutter a small space. If you get stuck deciding on an item, don’t sit there and stare at it. Set it aside and make a quick decision at the end of the 10 minutes..
And one more thing—make sure you actually follow through on donating or discarding items. If you need to, to help you get rid of nostalgic or items you’re not sure of you can immediately take your bags/boxes of discarded items to your vehicle trunk. And leave it for a week. If there is something you need you can pull it out. But after the week is up, if you didn’t need it it’s time to drive it to the donation center. You can even set a date for this on your calendar and make a little “solo-date” with yourself. Plan to get lunch or coffee somewhere after you donate everything as a little reward.
Pro Tip: The “one-in, one-out” rule is a game-changer. For every new item that comes into your home, one has to leave. Simple, but oh-so-effective.
6. Celebrate the Small Wins
Finally, don’t forget to give yourself credit for every little bit of progress. Finished your 15-minute declutter session? Take a moment to appreciate that shelf or drawer. Completed your daily cleaning routine? Reward yourself with a cup of tea or by lighting a beautiful smelling candle.
ADHD brains thrive on positive reinforcement, and it’s so important to recognize how far you’ve come instead of fixating on what’s left to do.
Remember, your house doesn’t need to be perfect, and neither do you. Progress over perfection here, friends! Another great hack is instead of rewarding yourself AFTER you do something, ADHD brains love it when you reward yourself WHILE you’re doing something. Here’s some little rewards you can do WHILE you declutter or clean.
- Buy an audiobook you love that you can only listen to while you are cleaning or decluttering.
- Buy a candle you can light only when cleaning/decluttering.
- Wear a cute apron, outfit, or perfume that you’re excited about while you clean.
- Put on a face mask or hair mask while you clean so you can feel like it’s a little self care spa session.
Final Thoughts
If ADHD—or just plain old overwhelm—has kept you from deep cleaning and decluttering, I hope these tips help you take that first step. A little structure, some bite-sized tasks, and the right motivation (hello, vintage radio shows! Click here for some free episodes) can make a huge difference.
Now, go tackle one tiny corner of your space. You’ve got this!
Love this post? Share it with a friend who could use a little decluttering inspiration—or save it for your next cleaning day!