I Was So Tired of Cleaning the Same Room Over and Over Again…
You know the drill.
You finally clean a room (like actually clean it) and it feels so good.
For about 24 hours.
Then the shoes come back. The paper piles start re-growing. The dishes creep out of the sink and onto the counters.
It’s like the mess is playing a cruel little game with your sanity.
Don’t forget to save this pin for later! Trust me, you’ll want to come back to these tips when overwhelm hits.
If you’ve got ADHD (or you suspect you might), this post is for you. Or maybe your kids have it. Or your partner. Or everyone in the house is neurospicy in their own way.
Because here’s the thing: cleaning with ADHD isn’t about motivation or willpower or color-coded bins.
It’s about building systems that work WITH your brain, not against it.
These 9 solutions? They’re the only things that helped me go from constantly resetting chaos to having a home that (mostly) stays clean.
Even with an ADHD brain and kids.
1. Think Tiny, Not Tidy
Big cleaning goals equal instant overwhelm.
I stopped aiming to “clean the kitchen.” Instead, I tried “clear the kitchen island” or “empty the sink.”
Guess what? That got me way further.
When I told myself I only had to do a 10-minute task, my brain stopped panicking. And I actually started.
When I started, I often kept going. But even when I didn’t, I still won.
🍕 ADHD tip: Call it “one pizza slice” instead of a whole pie. That’s how your brain will take a bite.
2. Timers Are My Favorite Kind of Magic
I fought timers for years. They felt rigid and school-like.
But wow, they work.
Now I set a 15-minute “reset timer” after dinner. It’s quick. It’s non-scary.
I pop on music or a podcast, and it becomes automatic.
Sometimes I race the timer. Sometimes I barely beat it. But stuff gets done either way.
You’d be amazed what you can clean up in 10 minutes when you’re not trying to be perfect. Just done.
3. The Nightly Family Reset Changed Everything
Here’s something that truly helped my ADHD household: everyone resets together.
After dinner (or before screens), we do a 5-minute family tidy.
That’s it. Five minutes.
Everyone grabs what’s theirs and puts it away.
It’s short, it’s doable, and it trains the kids to connect routines with rhythm, not perfection. This is especially helpful if they also have ADHD.
Bonus: It’s way easier to ask them to clean for 5 minutes than 30. Even teens will play along.
4. Stop Buying Organizing Stuff First
This one hit hard.
I used to shop for baskets, bins, and drawer dividers like it was part of the solution. But really? It was just avoidance.
I had to declutter first, then see what I actually needed.
Now I don’t buy containers until the space is clean and I’ve measured it.
Less clutter. Less wasted money. Fewer unopened organizing products haunting the corners of my home.
This also saved me from my past self who thought every ADHD mess could be fixed by buying “just one more system.”
5. I Declutter on the Way to the Bathroom (Yes, Really)
This one’s weirdly powerful.
I grab one thing that’s out of place every time I walk into a different room.
Just one thing. A rogue sock. A toy. A plate.
It’s called diffusion cleaning, and it works.
You don’t have to stop and fix a whole room. You just help the house un-mess itself, one step at a time.
6. Make It Easy to Put Things Away
We used to have this “perfect” organizing system in our entryway.
Shoes went in bins by size and type. Keys had a tray. Bags had hooks way up high where the kids couldn’t reach them.
Yeah, guess how long that lasted.
Now? Hooks at kid height. Big baskets for all shoes (not sorted). Visual bins for everything.
It’s not Pinterest-worthy, but it works.
Because ADHD systems should feel effortless, not elegant.
7. Celebrate 70% Done
I used to stop cleaning halfway through because I couldn’t finish it “right.”
Now I finish dirty jobs at 70%, on purpose.
Because 70% done every week is better than 0% done perfectly… never.
I remind myself: good enough equals done.
And “done” feels way better than guilt and piles.
8. I Had to Learn to Decide in the Moment
ADHD plus clutter equals decision fatigue.
I used to shuffle stuff from one room to another because I didn’t want to decide what to do with it. Sound familiar?
Now I use this one trick:
If I’m holding something, I decide now. Does it have a home? Do I use it? Would I keep it if it were covered in poop? (I know. But it works.)
I don’t overthink it.
And if I’m not ready, I at least don’t just move it somewhere else to haunt me later.
9. I Don’t Clean Alone Anymore
Sometimes I do a Zoom call with a friend while I clean.
Sometimes I watch a “Clean With Me” video on YouTube.
Sometimes I just have the kids hang out nearby.
But I don’t go solo anymore.
That’s called body doubling, and for ADHD brains, it’s like caffeine for focus.
Even if the person isn’t helping, their presence helps your brain stay on track. I get way more done when I’m not trying to muscle through alone.
Final Thoughts (aka: It’s Not Just You)
If your house constantly feels like a revolving door of mess, please hear this:
You’re not lazy. You’re not broken.
You’re working with a different kind of brain.
These small shifts aren’t about being perfect. They’re about creating rhythms that actually fit how ADHD brains function.
Whether it’s yours, your kid’s, or your whole household’s.
I still have messy days. But now, I don’t live there.
And that makes all the difference.
If even one of these tips helps your home feel a little calmer (or helps you clean a little less), that’s a win.
And you deserve wins.
P.S. If you loved this and want more ADHD-friendly home resets, I share everything I’ve tried (and what actually worked) right here on the blog. You’re not alone in this. 💙