Are you curious about what a messy home says about you? It’s not that simple. Actually, there are a number of reasons why your home is messy and solutions to get help with tidying up your house.
Parenting can be stressful, overwhelming, and rewarding — all at once. We often hear that an unorganized home just means a happy one, but it’s not always the case.
However, having a cluttered home might have a lot to do with a cry for help.
Related: Spring Cleaning List Of Ideas For Kids
I’ve always said that when my house is a mess, I’m a mess. I clean up as often as possible, but when the kids or my husband get sick, it’s almost impossible to keep up with everything.
Why? Because when the unexpected happens, things get out of control.
What Does A Messy Home Mean?
There are various reasons why a messy house isn’t appealing to others and how it gets to this point. However, you can’t let the opinion of others make you feel less of a person.
You may have a lot on your plate or you’re simply not feeling well. Whatever the case might be, there are solutions to these reasons and I shared them below.
Reason #1: The flu took over
As exciting as it might be to take time off from everyday tasks, those tasks can easily pile up. So yes, the laundry gets out of hand. The dishes in the sink will start to pile up.
Solution: In this case, a messy home means something came up and you haven’t had a chance to tackle the house chores. It’s no big deal.
You’ll get to things when you can.
Breathe! Family and friends who complain should shut their mouths, and pick a task to help you with instead of complaining.
Reason #2: You’ve been very busy
Crazy schedules can be a huge factor as to why your home is a mess, and that’s okay. From afterschool activities to demands from work, it’s a bit nutty to think you’ll be able to manage it all without a little mess here and there.
After all, what a messy home says about you, in this case, is just how exhausted you are from everything.
Solution: Set up a cleaning schedule that meets your everyday needs. It’d be a great time to get everyone on board as well.
You can make house chores fun by including the children.
Reason #3: No cleaning schedule in place
Cleaning whenever you feel like it or whenever you think you have time isn’t always the best idea.
I laughed when a family member said they couldn’t do something because that was their time to mop. As hilarious as it might’ve sounded, it’s worth giving yourself a daily cleaning schedule.
Solution: Make a cleaning schedule that you can stick to. Don’t try and clean your home when it’s bedtime.
Be realistic with the time you have. You also want to make sure you get enough rest and relaxation throughout the day.
Self-care is essential for busy mamas.
Reason #4: You don’t have room for your things
It’s okay to admit that you’ve been hoarding things over the years. However, it’s important to understand that everything needs to have a place.
Solution: Over-piling items on top of each other isn’t having a place for these items. If you find that you don’t have a place for items — and you really don’t have use for it either — it’s best to donate or sell it instead.
Reason #5: You don’t put things away
One of the easiest ways to make a tidy home appear as an unkept one is by not placing things back. It’s easy to reach for the milk in the fridge, but if you leave it out, it’ll spoil.
Solution: Think of your items as having a spoil limit. Just like milk belongs in the fridge, so do your items have a place.
Besides, if you’ve already finished using something, it’s better to put it away. This way, you’ll know where to find it the next time you need it.
Reason #6: You don’t have the best habits
This ties into putting things where they belong and having a cleaning schedule in place. If you don’t create good habits for yourself, how will your family learn from you?
I’ll let you in on a secret. For years, my husband would forget to take the trash out. Oftentimes the garbage would pile up for weeks until he finally remembered to take it out.
It was easy for others to make comments, and for some to say I should take on the task. It’s amazing to hear what a messy home says about you to others.
Honestly, I really didn’t like the last one. What mom wants more on their plate?
Yet, I did it. I took it on. I take out the trash every week, but guess who brings in the trash cans every week. That’s right, hubby does it!
Solution: Make it a team effort with your family. Get everyone involved and remind them of the rules. You can even make them up as you go, but do your best to stick to them. These rules will slowly become habits your family will create on their own.
How To Clean And Organize A Messy Home
Cleaning your home is essential for better living. You breathe a lot better when the environment around you isn’t filled with garbage.
Having an organized home also helps with your concentration. When things are in there place, so will your thoughts.
If you’re living in a mess and you’d like to get control of your space, then there are a handful of things you’ll need to consider.
You’ll want to focus on the things you can get rid of first, and slowly begin to organize everything that you’ll like to keep. When you do this, you’ll be able to declutter unnecessary things while focusing on the essentials in your life.
Below are 5 simple cleaning hacks on how to declutter a messy home you can start working on in no time:
Getting rid of the trash
When you remove items that no longer serve a purpose in your life, you’re making room for the things that do. Sometimes it’s an item that no longer works and you were hoping to fix it but never got around to doing it.
It’s okay to admit that an item has lost it’s value. What’s not okay is keeping it without intentions of using it anytime soon.
Separate the laundry
Whether it’s dirty or clean clothes, you’ll need to start somewhere with organizing your clothing items. Separating the dirty clothes by colors is best.
Once you’ve separated the dirty laundry, you’ll need to put it in the wash. While that one is washing, head over to the clean clothes and fold.
Making use of the time you have is important when focusing on how to organize a messy home. It saves you from headaches and from feeling overwhelmed throughout the day.
Organize cluttered areas
The mail can get out of control, and so does that junk drawer you keep in the kitchen. When you look around every room, you’ll notice an area that has clutter.
One of the things I like to do is reorganize my living area as often as possible, focusing on making it more functional and accessible for what the room is intended.
For instance, the kitchen cabinets that are closest to the sink are what contain my everyday use items. This makes it easier for me when serving my family and cleaning up at night.
Stick to one room at a time
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by a messy home, but there are solutions. The best thing to do is to focus on one room at a time and get the most done that day.
If you find yourself focusing on every part of the house, then you’re more likely to not accomplish anything. Organizing my space first, i.e. my messy bedroom and bathroom, has been a joy.
It’s the room I spend a lot of time in, and I like to feel relaxed when I walk into it.
Put things in their place
Every item in your home has a place. Those that don’t need to go ASAP! Okay, maybe not right away, but you get it.
Creating space in your home allows you more breathing space and your mind can focus better as well. Finding a place for the things in your home is important to understand what you need and don’t need in your life.
How To Get Help When You Have A Messy House
As a mom of multiples and two dogs, I know the struggle of wanting to keep your home tidy. Regardless of how much effort you put into cleaning your home, you’ll find that it’s never perfect.
Not to worry. One of my best-kept secrets is getting people to help when my house is a disgusting mess without them realizing it.
It’s not just my husband. I’ve been able to get our kids to help around the house and even people who come over to visit.
The Clean Up Test
The trick is to start cleaning up and handing them items to help you with. You’ll notice who your true friends are when people begin to leave when they see you cleaning up.
A true friend can see you cleaning up and will stick around to offer a hand. BONUS TIP: If someone asks to offer a hand to clean up, then you should give them something to do.
Maybe you’re not the one who has a mess at home all the time. It might be a friend or a family member. I hope the next time you stop by their home you offer to help. We can all use some extra help here and there.
64 responses to “How To Clean A Messy Home Step By Step”
#4 is a very real thing. Having the right room for your items is imperative.
We definitely go through stages and I think there’s always give & take. Sometimes we’re rocking one area and letting another slide and sometimes they switch.
Thank you so much for these tips! Really helpful!
I just moved into my forever home and I have things scattered in areas where things have not found a home yet. I want to make sure if it does not get a home it gets sold or given to someone else that needs it. Having lived the cluttered lifestyle with my ex-husband I can no longer do it! I like things orderly as it helps my anxiety.
Definitely one or two of those reasons. I’m quite busy nowadays with my two little sweet boys so it’s quite hectic.
I think I have all of these reasons combined! I am not kidding but it at least explains why I get overwhelmed.
These are all so true! Sometimes life gets a little too busy that we do not have time to fix or clean the house. Thank you for listing all these and the solutions.
#5 is my nemesis so thank you for this!
My house always ends up messy by Friday. I catch up on the weekend and then repeat every week.
a messy house or bedroom/bathroom means i’m too tired and weak to care. LOL. i try to use my cleaning schedule and that helps to have it written down what i do when.