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September 20, 2020 · 36 Comments

How to Start Cleaning When You’re Overwhelmed by Your Messy House

Cleaning· Cleaning & Organizing· Latest From the Blog

No Idea How To Even Start Cleaning When You’re Overwhelmed By Your Messy House? Feeling Totally Paralyzed?

[Updated September 2020] Okay, so your house is wrecked. You feel utterly defeated. You have no idea how to even start cleaning when you’re this overwhelmed by your messy house.

Things have gotten com-plete-ly away from you.

Kind of like if Roseanne’s and Frankie Heck’s houses got together and had a baby.

And then the baby swallowed a garbage truck and barfed it back up all over the living room.

Sound extreme? I envy you. And…

…you may be in the wrong place. Thanks so much for coming – we enjoyed your company and would love to have you back for a visit, but you really must give us a heads up because we need time to prepare.

It takes time to burn down our houses and rebuild before you arrive. [*1] (Click the * for side notes…)

This post may contain affiliate links. For my full disclosure policy, click here. As an Amazon Associate (and from other affiliates) I earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn’t cost you anything extra and means this blog may break even someday. Who knows? It could happen…

How To Clean a Gross House

Now, for the rest of us…

Where were we? Oh yeah, your house is destroyed, and you’re feeling thoroughly, completely overwhelmed by your messy, cluttered home. A nap is looking better and better – or maybe you could just go shopping and out to lunch. And maybe dinner. Possibly a hotel?

No. Don’t do that.

Don’t hide from your messy house. Don’t try to escape.

And, while you’re at it, don’t let that perfectionist inside you take over. She might even be the reason you’re in this mess to begin with. You know who I’m talking about.

She’s the one who says:

“Since I don’t have time and energy to put the chairs on the table and pull out the fridge to tackle the underlying scariness, I may as well not sweep at all right now. After all, it’s completely inefficient to sweep the middle of the floor if I’m going to just mess it all up again when I finally get around to excavating Dust Bunny Wonderland.” [*2]

Perfectionism, hyper-focusing, and the quest for maximum efficiency are major obstacles when trying to get started cleaning a really junky, dirty house. Those may serve you well later when you’re ready to dig deep. But let them go temporarily to get your crippling, overwhelmingly messy house clean enough to be livable.

cartoon of mom on couch tired and overwhelmed by messy house with mess on floor, overflowing laundry basket, cat on back of couch, and mom is dreaming of house with blue ribbon that says "world's cleanest house"

Yes. The cat has a real body while the person is only a stick figure. Thank you for noticing.

Okay, So How Do I Clean My Messy House Then?

Where do you begin when you’re feeling suffocated and trapped by your mess? Since you can’t just turn your house upside down and start from scratch? There are lots of ways to approach this, but chances are you’re too overwhelmed to choose. So I’ll choose for you.

Let’s go.

How To Clean A Messy House Step By Step

Before we begin, I recently made a Quick Reference Guide to Rescuing Your Messy House to guide you on how to clean your messy house room-by-room below. You can download it here for free.

thumbnail of printable: Free printable guide to clean your messy house#1 Zero In On What’s Most Important To Clean

  • First, decide which 3-5 messy rooms in your house are the most important for you to clean quickly.

For me this would be the kitchen, living room, hall bathroom and, if I’m up to it, the laundry room/garage entrance and master bedroom.

  • Concentrate on these rooms.
  • Do not detour from this 3-5 room rescue plan until you’ve subdued the feeling of overwhelm and recaptured control of your junky house.

#2 Choose a Reasonable Level of Cleanliness

Now go look in the mirror and have a quick chat with yourself. It should go something like this:

“Self, we need to talk. You and I both know we aren’t gonna get this filthy house mother-in-law-level clean today. Yeah, I know, it bugs the crap out of me, too – but remember what happens when we try to go from the cranky, overwhelmed, defensive woman on Hoarders to the gloating, self-satisfied chick in House Beautiful in one day? So maybe instead of doing what we’ve always done and tearing out even more junk or micro-focusing and scrubbing the entrance floor tiles with a toothbrush, we should maybe take a different approach?

I mean, we did Google/Pinterest for help, after all, which probably means our regular way doesn’t work.

So, Self (by the way is that a new wrinkle on your forehead? Right there – see it?–sorry – focus) – Self, what level of clean is going to make us not want to crawl into a hole if someone stops by?”

Seriously – be reasonable.

Okay, so we agree:

  • No grossness or blatant filth,
  • Carpet stains okay for now (but let’s mop up some of that Koolaid puddle),
  • No garbage, dirty dishes or laundry,
  • Neaten up the piles of junk and paperwork,
  • Get the towels off the bathroom floor,
  • De-bus-station the sink and toilet, and
  • Hopefully do something about the smears and crumbs everywhere.

Yeah, I guess I can live with that at the moment.

“For real, though, Self, you really should think about a night serum or something. That looks like the freakin’ grand canyon right above your left eyebrow.” [*3]

cartoon of door with two boys. speech bubble from behind door "mirror mirror..." one boy speech bubble "mom's in the bathroom talking to herself about eye bags and vacuuming" 2nd boy speech bubble "nooo! it's cleaning day! save yourself!"

Run. Away.

So think about it, and pick a level of clean that you can live with for now – a level that removes the paralysis and urge to avoid your house altogether.

It’s possible that a solid straightening will do the trick. Once you’re not suffocating in clutter, maybe you know you’ll be able to get your messy house under control?

Or perhaps you feel like this same cleaning session should include a good wiping down and vacuuming.

That’s fine – just avoid the urge to go deeper right now.

#3 Find Your Cleaning Motivation and Start Cleaning

Once you have a plan, just start. Use any motivation possible but just…start.

When my own well-padded rear end is deeply in love with the chair, I use the 100 second trick.

I do 100 seconds of something, anything to get started – unstuck and un-paralyzed. Usually it’s loading or unloading the dishwasher, since that seems like the biggest bottleneck when my house is out of control. I force myself up and count to 100.

The thought of 100 seconds of cleaning in your current overwhelming situation probably has you rolling on the floor, laughing hysterically. But it’s enough to get you up and moving.

And you’d be surprised how much you can accomplish in 100 seconds in a totally wrecked and disgusting house – since you don’t have to go far to find the next thing to do!

So pick a task and commit to 100 seconds of cleaning action.

(For 21 tips to get motivated to clean your house, check out this post)

Stay On Track While Tackling the Mess

Once you’re in motion and tackling the chaos, set a timer.

In this case, the timer isn’t a signal to stop – it’s simply a goal reminder. Each time it goes off, you’ll remember that you’re digging out of your messy house – one little bottle cap, used tissue, and holey sock at a time.

The timer also mitigates time-blindness – by constantly going off every 5 or 10 minutes, you won’t fog out and totally lose track of time.

You do not want to accidentally get sidetracked or hyper-focused. This isn’t the time to:

  • Deep clean your dishwasher,
  • Reorganize the pantry, or,
  • God forbid, even peek into your teenage son’s room. [*4]

If the timer rings and you wake up under the sink, scrubbing at a rust stain, stop and get back to your messy house cleaning plan.

The timer keeps you in the room or on task. If you get distracted and leave or get off-task, the timer’s your audio cue that you’re in the wrong place. Reset it, go back, and try again.

hyperfocusing mom deep cleaning instead of focusing on mess. messy dresser and mess on floor. mom speech bubble "we have no clean dishes, the bathroom smells like a dead possum, and the cat box hasn't been scoooped in 3 weeks. it seemed like the perfect time to switch out the seasonal clothes" and man standing in room with speech bubble "sounds reasonable"

No words.

Godspeed

Okay, now – so if…

  • Motivating yourself to get moving and conquer the chaos,
  • Choosing which messy rooms to tackle first, and
  • Setting timers to keep yourself on task

…are enough to break the paralyzing spell of overwhelm your messy house has cast upon you, you’re on your way.

But if you still aren’t sure what to do and in what order, or if you have limited time (or just want to get your messy house cleaned up already!), be intentional.

Join My List?



#4 Follow a Cleaning Plan

Set the timer, put on your hazmat gear, and follow me:

Remove the Trash

  • Begin with the trash. Grab a trash bag and go through the chosen rooms ONLY, gathering anything that’s definitely trash. Not donations, stuff that goes to other people, or other items that need to leave the house – just flat out trash.
  • If you recycle, do that separately in another pass through. This is a simple scoop-and-stuff mission, [*5] so don’t get muddled up with two different containers. This is a one decision game. Is this trash? True or False. Then move on.
  • It’s okay if you still have trash to pick up when the timer goes off. Reset the timer and keep going. In this case, the timer is just to keep you focused on what you’re supposed to be doing and in your chosen rooms. Do not go into the other rooms.
  • If you find yourself cleaning in a different messy room that’s not on your list when the timer chimes, or you’re off-task completely and not cleaning at all, leave that room, reset the timer, and get going on your plan again.

It’s okay. It happens.

two women talking, speech bubble "heh. that's what she said. heh heh." though bubble "that's what she said? how old are you? 12?"

If only I could do middle school again. I’d kill it this time around.

Remove the Clutter

  • Once the rooms are trash-free, get a laundry basket or box or tub or tote bag and scan each room for stuff that’s out of place. If it belongs elsewhere, into the basket it goes.
  • On to the next messy room. Does anything in the basket live in that room? Put it there (not away, just into the room), scan that room for stuff that doesn’t belong, add it to your basket, and move on.
  • Do this over and over, round-and-round, messy-room-to-messy-room until you have a basket (or baskets plural) left with stuff that doesn’t go in any of these 5 rooms.
  • At this point, you may leave the rooms designated by your plan but, and this is important, set a timer first. Once again, you do not want to get sidetracked. You’re not cleaning any other rooms, you are simply moving stuff out of the chosen rooms to the general area where it belongs.
  • Take the basket to the rest of the house and deposit whatever’s in there that goes elsewhere into the other rooms, but don’t stop. Do not do anything else to those rooms.

Don’t Get Distracted with Deep Cleaning / Decluttering / Organizing

  • If you come across a truly monumental mess – looming mountains of clothing or a big project – it’s fine to work around that. Especially if you don’t want to disturb the order you already have in the project or get totally derailed from your scoop-and-stuff mission. It might make more sense to attack it when your surroundings are calmer.

For example, if you have 3 weeks’ worth of laundry to put away (and no real idea of where to put it all) or a dresser that you previously emptied into the middle of the room, just try to keep the jumble in one area.

Remember – trying to deal with all levels of clutter and dirt at the same time is what got you feeling paralyzed and overwhelmed about your messy house to begin with, right?

  • If you have boxes or tubs easily available and going to get them won’t distract you (use the timer – for God’s sake, woman, don’t leave the area without a timer – you will never, ever return!), you can try to containerize any “projects” you find. If not, just smush it into as small an area as possible [*6] without disturbing your previous progress, and work around it.

Put It All Away (Or Not)

  • Now that you have everything in the area in which it belongs (minus the epic messes), start putting those things away.

Inefficiently is fine. If you are crippling yourself with trying to only make ONE trip to this area or that, just stop. You can go more than once.

Sometimes trying to be oh-so-cleverly-efficient is what got us into this overwhelmed state, so let up on that.

  • Continue to use a timer to avoid hyper-focusing and distractions.

But what about the stuff you can’t put away? There’s no designated place, or there’s so much already in that place that it overflows its intended space?

  • If it belongs in the room but doesn’t actually have a specific place to live yet, find a box or a laundry basket and pile it in there. Once your formerly messy surroundings are under better control, and you’re not dealing with overwhelming filth and utterly paralyzing chaos, find places for it. Until you’re ready to clean those rooms, just a “homeless junk” basket in each room will suffice.
  • If something does have a home but that home is stuffed full, put it nearby – as close to its home as possible. Resist the temptation to stash the stuff elsewhere “for now.”

NOTE: In the kitchen, “home” for dirty dishes refers to the dishwasher or in/next to the sink until all of your straightening is done. You’re not cleaning yet. If your dishwasher is already at capacity, start it and just pile the other dirty dishes near the sink in an organized way. Don’t start washing them at the moment.

  • And do not stop to engage in a big clothing purge or dresser reorganization. Those are for later, and you can invite your friend, Hyperfocus, along for the party. [*7]
  • Once everything else is picked up, then tackle the dishes – either by unloading and reloading the dishwasher, or delving into a hand-washing session

Now that the main area of your junky house is picked up, hopefully you’re not as debilitated and the mess is less overwhelming.

If picking up is enough for you, you can stop here.

However, if you still have time and energy, keep going.

#5 (Optional) Blessing – The Actual Cleaning Part

Time for a bit of light cleaning now that the junky part of your messy house is under control and you’re only left with the dirt. Look for a more detailed post in the future on how to do a Flylady House Blessing (this is her term for light surface cleaning).

***I finally wrote that post – here’s how I keep my house surface-level clean followoing Fylady’s weekly cleaning method in about an hour a week***

She’s the queen of cleaning a dirty house while avoiding crippling perfectionism and overwhelm (and I wrote a whole post about how the Flylady saved my house and even my life here).

I follow her basic housekeeping method by setting a timer for 15 minutes each to do a few light cleaning tasks.

You may have different cleaning chores you care about. The main point is to:

  • Hit only the surfaces,
  • Do only the things that make a difference right now, and
  • Not get mired up in your distracting desire to rearrange all the Tupperware or clean all that nastiness out of the window tracks. Or even to vacuum under the couch (right now).

When your house is destroyed, cluttered, and filthy, it’s important to just get it livable again. This will boost your mood and confidence

The “blessing” is when I:

Dust/Swiffer

I’m talking quickie dusting session. I don’t even move stuff out of the way.

Wipe Down Dirty Surfaces

This is just a scouting mission for fingerprints and jelly spots with a wet microfiber in hand

Clean Bathroom Fixtures

Toilets and sinks only. You’re on a timer so what happens behind the shower curtain stays behind the shower curtain

Shine Things Up

This is more fingerprint scouting, this time on Windex-able surfaces like the spit-spattered bathroom mirrors and in-your-face glass, such as the storm door. Save the windows for another day.

Clean the Dirty Parts of the Floors

Sweep the middles, vacuum the rugs, spot mop the worst areas. If your bathrooms are small, you can hit the floors in there when you do the toilet and just use a rag. Much easier than dragging a mop upstairs.

Messy House Vanquished

Voila! A house you can walk through, shiny surfaces, nothing crunching underneath, and no bathroom grossness. Consider yourself done!

#6 Extra Credit House Cleaning Awesomeness

(OMG How Many Times Is She Going to Say I’m Done and Then Add More???)

If you’re energized by your newly livable, mess and clutter-free rooms, feel free to forge ahead.

Now you can:

  • Expand into the other areas of your house, conquering other messy rooms.
  • Go back and work on the pockets of disaster (laundry-folding, overstuffed dressers, DIY project from hell).
  • Clean a little deeper.
  • Or reward yourself with that lunch. Or the nap.

I’m So Taking the Nap

When you’re up against a paralyzing-ly messy house that overwhelms you – a mess like this:

  • The entire contents of the toy box,
  • Layers of trash,
  • Remnants of a craft project or two gone horribly wrong, and
  • Junior’s spelling homework [*8] and half-opened mail,
  • All resting on a solid base of Oreo leavin’s, apple juice puddles, and leaking soda cans plus
  • Add a dash of cat puke here and there, a mixed pile of clean and dirty laundry, and top if all off with a liberal sprinkling (okay, deluge) of pet hair…

…resist the escape urges. And the perfectionism daydreams.

I promise you can get it together, but not if you hide out. Your messy house won’t fix itself, and the longer you wait, the worse the mess will get. [*9]

And you just know that this is the time someone will stop by.

You just know it.

RECAP: How to Start Cleaning a REally Messy House When You’re Overwhelmed

So next time you’re faced with an overwhelmingly wrecked home, you have a plan. You’ll know how to conquer the chaos and start cleaning when you’re paralyzed and overwhelmed by your messy house. Just:

  • Focus on the messes you can see first.
  • Use timers to keep from hyper-focusing.
  • Stay in the rooms that matter.
  • Assembly-line your tasks:
    1. Move everything to its rightful room,
    2. Put away everything you can,
    3. Lightly clean the surface yuck, one step at a time.
  • Release perfectionism and its flip side, procrastination/neglect.

Even though it’s tempting to burrow into a deeper mess in the middle of a surface mess, it rarely pays off. Most people don’t have a chunk of time all at once, with no distractions and no smaller people wreaking havoc – enough time where they can successfully hyper-focus AND manage to get both the new “project” mess and the original mess cleaned up.

Usually when I do that, I end up regretting it. I submit to you my previous party-cleaning method when starting with a disaster area of a home:

Instead of doing a solid, acceptable surface cleaning of my messy, definitely-not-company-ready house, I would clean from the inside out for events – meaning the house always looked much worse before it began to look better. I did not know how to prioritize – it was all equally important.

Even though I knew at some level it would be way worse for guests to arrive to a messy, dirty living room littered in crumbs, sippee cups, dirty socks and even less pleasant stuff, my brain couldn’t release the compulsion to also Q-tip shower tracks. [*10]

Probably because of my desperate desire to give the fake impression of an always perfect house.

The psychology under that is something we can explore another time. [*11]

Bad News If You’re Overwhelmed by Your Messy House

Until they make easily affordable, mainstream houses that you can pick up, shake out, and bring in a power washer to clean up all that calcified syrup, jelly, baby spit-up and cat vomit, you don’t get a fresh start just because your house is a mess.

You also don’t get to just move across town to avoid your messy house.

woman moving because overwhelmed by house. cartoon of two women with for sale sign.  first woman's speech bubble "no no we loved the neighborhood. but you know how it is. once the dishes and laundry pile up, it's time to move on..." second woman has shocked face

Seems legit.

And please stop Googling minimalist websites in lieu of cleaning the mess that’s all around you. You’re not a minimalist. Yet anyway.

You aren’t allowed to have a new house until you learn to take care of the one you’ve got.

Just kidding – in reality you can have as many new houses as you can afford but I thought it would be funny to channel Mom.

“No, you may not get a puppy until you learn how to take care of the pets you already have. I’m getting sick of flushing goldfish every other month. Our toilet is not nearly large enough for a labradoodle.”

Now For the Good News

You will get your messy house under control.

When you’re ready to start, scroll back up or click here, grab your timer, grab your trash bag, grab your laundry basket, and go!

I know you can do it.

Sorry, Maybe a Little Bit More Bad News

By the way, you also don’t get to run away by going to lunch or dinner or a hotel. No fun for you until your junky house is clean.

Because, face it, eventually you’d have to come back home, anyway.

Other Ways To Attack That Mess In Your Home

But wait, there’s more! (No, not more bad news – more to read.)

As a veteran of digging out of paralyzing, overwhelming messes, I sometimes have to switch it up to get myself motivated to clean my messy house. If you’re feeling too unfocused to follow a method like the one above, try the method in How To Focus While Cleaning – 5 Ways To Avoid Distractions! It allows you to roam around and clean as you go with a plan-that-doesn’t-feel-like-a-plan.

If you need to get the house picked up in a hurry, try doing it the way I outlined in How To Clean Your House Fast For Unexpected Company!

If you just need general motivation to get started, the games listed in How to Get Motivated to Clean Your House When You’re Just Not Feeling It may help.

Still Feeling Paralyzed and Overwhelmed When You Think of Cleaning Your Messy House? Need More Help?

There may be more going on than just regular overwhelm. If you are struggling with depression  not sure where to start cleaning your messy house, and even these methods are just way too much for your right now, read How To Motivate Yourself To Clean When You’re Depressed. I hope it helps!

Want To Get My Newsletters (If I Ever Get Around to Sending Any?)

You can sign up right here




I’m desperately trying to avoid those pop-ups that beg you to join my mailing list. That’s partially because I don’t even do anything with my mailing list. But mostly because those things make me want to throw my phone across the room.

However, I’d eventually like to send newsletters with tips that don’t merit a whole blog post.

If you want to be on my list, take a moment and fill out my subscribe box.

Then, one day, after you’ve forgotten all about me and this post, possibly years from now, you may get an email with the most amazing tip you’ve ever read.

It’s not super likely because I’m terrified of emailing people, but you never know. If I can keep my house clean (and I can – most of the time) nowadays, then there’s no limit to what I may be able to make myself do in the future.

So please sign up!

And if you don’t like not getting anything free to sign up, let me know in the comments below and I’ll draw you a picture of my cat and send it to you. He’s the sweetest thing ever and mostly adorable but also a smidge ugly and he has a snotty eye – if I give him enough treats, I think he’d hold still long enough for me to sketch him out for you.

Do You Mind Sharing This On Pinterest To Your Cleaning Board?

And if this post helped you, I’d love and appreciate it if you saved it to your Pinterest boards for later and so others can see it.

I used to see this on other blogs and think “why on earth would I pin something I already read.” But now I know it gives the blogger some love and helps people find her so they can get help and so she doesn’t see zero page views and get discouraged and cry and stuff. So please pin this.

You’re the best!

And if you’d like to read more about cleaning overwhelm and motivation, I want to hear from you – leave a comment below. I Heart Comments!

How To Start Cleaning When You’re Paralyzed and Overwhelmed By Your Messy House

Asides (Click the * next to each number to scroll back up to the post…)

[*1] And plus make sure you pee before you show up because there’s no way in hell you’re using our bathroom.

[*2] We all know I’m using dust bunnies as a euphemism here for all the crumbs, milk jug caps, cat toys, Legos, and cheese wrappers hidden back there but we’re going to pretend we are like the Super Cleany Moms who only have to worry about cute, benign dust balls under their fridge – as if!

[*3] Maybe skip the mirror part.

[*4] If his room is one of your 3-5, let me know. I will add you to my prayer list.

[*5] That’s what she said?

[*6] She said that too.

[*7] I hear she makes an excellent fruit salsa. Apparently all that monotonous chopping doesn’t bother her in the least. [*12]

[*8] That’s where that went!

[*9] Unless you are blessed to have one of those moms I’ve heard of who can’t stand for her kid to live in a mess and will show up and clean – in that case, get a good book and some chocolate and retire to your bedchamber until Mama shows up. Mom, if you’re reading this, you wouldn’t hurt my self-esteem one bit if you ever wanted to show up and do a deep clean somewhere in my house. Mom?[*13]

[*10] For example, when I was 7 months pregnant and cleaning for my oldest son’s birthday party. I made the mess worse by cleaning from the inside out. It might have been fine and dandy if I hadn’t fallen down two measly steps. When I had to spend the afternoon in the maternity ward with a heartbeat monitor just in case, I was thankful for my stash-and-dash-certified husband. He’s the best at helping me hide my shame. He got the mess tidied up (from the outside in – he does not share my issues). And the party went off without extreme mortification.

[*11] Nope.

[*12] Don’t eat her onion dip though. Blech.

[*13] I have a very bad feeling I will be one of those moms to my youngest when if he moves out.

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Related Posts

15 Lessons I Learned from the Flylady (and How She Saved My Life!)

How To Emergency Clean Your House Fast!

How To Focus While Cleaning – 5 Ways To Avoid Distractions!

How to Get Motivated to Clean Your House When You’re Just Not Feeling It

How To Motivate Yourself To Clean When You’re Depressed

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pinterest image: messy living room how to clean messy house when you're totally overwhelmed

pinterest image: messy living room how to clean messy house when you're totally overwhelmed

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Comments

  1. Sarah says

    August 17, 2020 at 3:46 PM

    Thank you for this very helpful article! I’m reading this while stuck at home because of the Coronavirus quarantine. With all my young kids being at home, my house is an absolute mess. Your advice has been a lifesaver, I’ve just been trying to clean a little at a time and it has really helped me manage things. I’ve been reading all kinds of cleaning blogs to keep myself busy during this time, and I’m looking forward to reading more of your blog posts!

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      August 17, 2020 at 7:09 PM

      Thank you, Sarah. I’m glad it’s helping. 🙂 These are tough times for everyone, but especially rough for parents of little ones. Good luck and stay safe!

      Reply
  2. Nicole worner says

    December 20, 2020 at 12:40 PM

    Loved loved loved this article!!! It made me feel better about my current situation lOl and gave me a good laugh- I also joined your newsletter because you seem like a genuine down to earth real person…. Not someone that is going to sugar coat and make things seem more perfect then they are lol

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      December 21, 2020 at 4:48 PM

      Hi Nicole! Thanks for taking the time to comment – it really means a lot to me! I’m glad you enjoyed the post :). Hopefully one day I’ll get over my terror of emailing people and start actually sending newsletters. When I do, I guess you’ll be one of the first to know lol. Thank you again and let me know if there are any other topics you’d like to read about. ~Joni 🙂

      Reply
  3. Megan says

    January 19, 2021 at 3:19 AM

    Let me give you a snapshot. It’s 2:15 am on a Monday. I’m laying in bed freaking out because another day went by that I didn’t touch the Mt O Laundry with its own zip code. I twisted my ankle getting out of bed and going to the bathroom because there is not even a path through the dirty clothes. I can’t go back to sleep because I know all of the big projects are also getting more and more out of control. I’m now filled with anxiety and can’t go back to sleep. I’m also crippled with fear that I’ll never get out of this and I’ll die buried under that mountain. You’re giving me hope. Some serious hope. I’ll keep you posted.

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      January 19, 2021 at 12:23 PM

      My heart goes out to you, Megan. I know that feeling! I’m glad you’re getting some ideas from my post. Please do keep me posted – I’m rooting for you! I’m just finishing up a post about catching up on laundry (I’m a slow writer so “just finishing up” could mean days, weeks, or decades before it’s totally finished). Would it be okay if I quote what you said about Mt. O Laundry having its own zip code? 🙂

      Reply
  4. Megan says

    January 19, 2021 at 9:46 PM

    You can definitely use it! I love that I could give some inspiration back to you after your post left me with so much! 🥰

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      January 19, 2021 at 10:58 PM

      Thank you! The post is up – no images or printable yet and it needs editing but you inspired me to get it published Thanks for helping me defeat perfectionism, my worst enemy. Maybe it will help you. Either way, keep me posted on your progress. And thanks for letting me quote you. The timing was perfect! 🙂

      Reply
    • Michelle says

      May 11, 2021 at 12:47 AM

      Love this! I feel like finally someone gets me!! You have got me motivated to not get side tracked and get something done. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Life Unflaked says

        May 11, 2021 at 12:05 PM

        Thank you Michelle! So glad it helped ❤️

        Reply
  5. Emily says

    June 17, 2021 at 9:05 AM

    Hi! I signed up and proved I am not a robot, but I never received the email with the free printable. I would love to get it. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      June 17, 2021 at 2:28 PM

      Sorry that happened but I’m glad you reached out. I just sent you an email with the .PDF. If you see this comment and don’t get the email from me, let me know. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Twyla says

    June 24, 2021 at 9:39 PM

    I have pretty severe rhumatoid arthrits and my Mom wasn’t allowed to hhelp because she hadto sit in the recliner because of a possible blood clot. We were having people over to celibrate my Daughters Birthday. I was ready to cancel but my wise mother turned boss from her chair. I started hauling out the cleaning stuff she yelled stop. Her orders were 1 put anythkng that doesn’t belong here in a basket put it in the tuba d close the shower curtain. 2. Dust anything people can see . Forget tops of book casesand tops of cabinets and on top of fridge.3 take the old-1 fashioned dust mop and gjo ovdf the floor not under things, basically pick up any big chunks. Then if you have time and can still stand grab windex wipe front storm, bathroom mirror, and handles. I was done needed a nap , house
    C+ not one complaint. One friend even said i thought you were going to cancel because the house was such a mess!! Thanks Mom I really miss you

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      June 25, 2021 at 11:55 AM

      Hi Twyla, It sounds like you were lucky to have such a wise mom. She gave you very good advice! I’m glad having a messy house didn’t stop you from celebrating your daughter’s birthday. BTW I love your name – I first saw this comment literally one minute after finishing an episode of Schitt’s Creek (if you don’t watch it, Twyla is a main character). Have a good day!

      Reply
  7. Tricia says

    July 7, 2021 at 4:24 PM

    I can so relate to everything you say I am a messy person and it seems to get worse I have been playing games with myselfto get things done for a long time and was embarrassed to tell anyone about it. I suffer from the side of perfectionism that says it is all or nothing and I am diagnosed ADD I have always been able to get it done by almost killing myself and am a confessed can’t understand why anyone would just stop by) 🙁 However as I get older I am finding that harder to accomplish I resorted to locking the doors on three rooms the last time i had guests. While I think that may be ok once in awhile i don’t ever want it to become the standard. Thanks for your candor and I do believe that what you have here is a great plan. By the way my mom was a great housekeeper – but i realized now she employed some of these tactics too. She could never understand the debilitating effects of ADD. But that will not be my crutch – I will continue to try to do better Thanks so much

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      July 7, 2021 at 4:47 PM

      Hi Tricia, thanks so much for commenting. I think it definitely helps to find kindred spirits. I’ve done the locked door thing myself lol. I recently read that ADHD actually gets worse as we get older – yay! 🥴. I sent you an email so if you don’t see it in your inbox, check your spam filter. There was something I thought you might be interested in. Have a great day and thank you for taking the time to comment!

      Reply
  8. Cathy says

    July 11, 2021 at 4:09 PM

    It is refreshing to read about this kind of cleaning from someone who actually seems to understand. I’ve seen too many “messy house cleanings” that were 14 crayons and a gum wrapper on the floor and a days worth of dishes in the sink.
    Im off to fill a trash bag now!

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      July 12, 2021 at 4:19 PM

      Hi Cathy! Unfortunately, I understand all too well lol. Good luck! I hope you made good progress with your trash bag 😁

      Reply
  9. Phyllis says

    July 17, 2021 at 9:13 AM

    GREAT Reading, I subscribed and I look forward to more reading of the Articles you mentioned in your post. I desperately need the one on Depression. Love your sense of humor!!

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      July 17, 2021 at 6:27 PM

      Hi Phyllis, Thank you so much for commenting – it means a lot to me that you took the time to. I hope if you get a chance to read the depression post it helps you. I’m sorry you have to deal with that but am right there with you. ❤️ And thanks for signing up for my email list. Keep your fingers crossed for me that one day I get over my fear of emailing. 🙂 Who knows – it might happen! 🤞

      Reply
  10. Mary says

    July 21, 2021 at 7:31 PM

    Thanks so much for this. I was crying laughing (because I think you might’ve been looking in my windows).
    Do you know the author Bunmi Laditan? I think you’d like her.

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      July 21, 2021 at 8:56 PM

      Hi Mary, I’m so glad I made you cry laugh. That’s way better than making you cry cry. I swear I wasn’t looking in your windows. They told me to stop doing that… I’ve never heard of Bunmi Laditan but I’m googling her right now. Thanks for letting me know about her! Not only do I love finding new authors, but I’m also supposed to be cleaning right now and an excuse to be on my phone instead (I’m counting it as “working” since it was suggested by a reader) is always welcome 😉. Have a great night! – Joni

      Reply
  11. Vicki says

    July 25, 2021 at 4:08 PM

    Got some real chuckles as I read this, everyone has been here whether they admit it or not! Some really great tips, thank you very much. It’s easy to get into a rut and watch a movie instead, even a bad B rated one rather than clean but the reality is, you can’t have anyone over till you do and a bit at a time makes it much easier than an all out cleaning blitz that you have to do it all before “X” happens. Keep up the great words 👍

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      July 26, 2021 at 7:48 AM

      Hi Vicki, Sometimes even a visit to the dentist can be more fun than cleaning. But it feels so much better when you can let someone in the door without pretending your power’s out and you can’t turn on any lights lol. 😎 Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and I’m glad it made you laugh. Have a great day!- Joni

      Reply
  12. Kimmi says

    August 28, 2021 at 1:43 AM

    I’ve never had an article explain exactly how cleaning goes for me so well. I hope these tips help me and I can’t wait to use them tomorrow.

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      August 28, 2021 at 8:54 AM

      Hi Kimmi,
      Fingers crossed that these tips help you then. If you see this reply, come back and let me know how it went. And know they I’m here, virtually cheering you on! 📣 – Joni

      Reply
  13. Ashleigh says

    September 15, 2021 at 4:56 AM

    Oh, I adore you. I haven’t understood and agreed with someone so completely in a really long time. Thanks for the tips! The timer trick seems so obvious, but never occurred to my incredibly inattentive adhd brain.

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      September 15, 2021 at 9:57 PM

      Hi Ashleigh! I have to say, this is the best comment ever to wake up to! ❤️ I’m so glad my post helped you, and I adore you too for taking the time to comment and make my day. Take care – Joni

      Reply
  14. Bri says

    October 26, 2021 at 5:36 PM

    Hey there!

    This post is really incredible— it’s like you have insight directly into my brain. I’ve been pretty overwhelmed lately with the state of my apartment, and your blog actually gave me a glimmer of hope/motivation to actually make things a little better around here. Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      October 26, 2021 at 5:47 PM

      Hi Bri! I’m really sorry you’re struggling but glad this post gives you hope. If I can get my house clean and keep it that way, anyone can lol. Please check back in and let me know how it’s going 🌷 – Joni

      Reply
  15. Laurie says

    November 20, 2021 at 1:49 PM

    Hi I’m so grateful for your article. House cleaning has always been an ongoing challenge for me, combined with clutter everywhere, not having homes for things, indecisiveness, ADHD, inertia, motivation, guilt about putting anything in a landfill, depression, shame at the mess. I take Ritalin and do lots of cognitive behavioral therapy with myself after having had it from someone else over the years. I pretty much know how to deal with the feelings and thoughts.
    I NEVER have company. My husband doesn’t understand; he’s sweet, he just doesn’t understand the embarrassment. He doesn’t care what people think, but I let that get in the way -the embarrassment that people would see.
    Not beginning anything because of not knowing where to start. Like people say “pick up one thing”. Well there are still 6,389 OTHER things to pick up, so I’m not even making a dent. Why bother?
    I probably know every technique for decluttering and house cleaning out there, because I often search the Internet for ideas, support and empathy.
    Anyway your article was great and very encouraging and empathetic. Then when I read the comments at the bottom, I saw your picture and I thought “this lady is familiar”. I think she’s the one I learned the “hula hoop technique” from a long time ago. I looked it up in your search bar and darn!! You ARE the one who taught me that!! I really like it and use it. So thank you so much for everything, your understanding and for your support.

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      November 21, 2021 at 8:32 PM

      Hi Laurie!
      I’m right there with you when it comes to being embarrassed when company sees my house messy. I know we shouldn’t care but we do, right? I’ve never tried the “pick up one thing” method either for the same reason as you, although I do count to 100 seconds sometimes just to get started. I’m always amazed by how much you can get done in 100 seconds in a really messy house.

      That’s so awesome you’ve found my blog twice and used something in it that worked for you 😁. I was so excited when you said that that I took my phone to my husband and said “read the end! Read the end!” Lol.

      Thank you for taking the time to send me such a heartfelt comment. Best of luck and I hope something in this post helps you too 🌷 – Joni

      Reply
  16. Alicia Hursley says

    December 30, 2021 at 10:01 AM

    Thank you so much for sharing these tips Joni. I needed them so badly because I hosted my family for Christmas for the very first time this year. I was so overwhelmed with cleaning that I basically froze up and didn’t know where to start. You helped me get back on track and throw a clean and fun Christmas party with my family. Now I just need to bring in an upholstery cleaner to get rid of a wine stain my mom left behind haha

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      January 23, 2022 at 12:10 PM

      Hi Alicia,
      Thank you for your comments. I’m glad your party went well! 🌷

      Reply
  17. Shannon says

    May 7, 2022 at 3:57 PM

    So glad I found this post, it really does make me feel like I can do this…I’ve been overwhelmed by my place for so long. Thank you!!! Now setting the timer!!!

    Reply
    • Life Unflaked says

      May 9, 2022 at 9:00 PM

      Hey if I can do it, anyone can! Good luck and please come back and let me know how it went 👍👍👍

      Reply

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I'm Joni, a somewhat scatterbrained mom of 3. I believe organizing isn't the end goal in itself - it's a tool to get you to the good stuff without pulling your hair out. Because I tend to step left when I'm supposed to step right (usually not on purpose, it just kinda happens), I've figured out lots of workarounds to help me get out of my own way. Whether you are ADHD or not, if organizing doesn't come easy, maybe I can help. Let's do this together. More about me...

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