The art of cleaning

You know, me and cleaning are not the best of friends. I love clean things and clean places but I always find a reason to not clean. Netflix, for example; the perfect excuse to do nothing at all.

Today I had to clean my car because I haven’t done it in a million months and the dog hair has collected to the point I’m pretty sure 90% of breathable air has turned into breathable hair.

I thought I’d share my pointers on how to get the motivation to actually do the cleaning you don’t want to do.

1. Prepare the night before. Whether this means setting out the clothes you want to wear or just mentally preparing; do it! I geared myself up all week to clean this morning. I woke up, put ‘cleaning’ clothes on (aka my favourite lumberjack shirt because it makes me feel like a bad ass) and after breakfast I GOT TO IT.
2. Plug into your favourite music. I like to do this before I even start to clean so that the next step is as fun as can be. I hit up The Killers ‘Hot Fuzz’ album because it’s a classic and makes everything better.
3. Get your stuff together! You’ll need cleaning equipment; grab it. Vacuum cleaner, clothes, a rubber glove*, upholstery cleaner and window cleaning stuff.
4. Now you can clean; start with the hardest part. For me it’s getting the dog hair out of the boot of my car – it’s the part that takes the longest so I do it when I have all my mental and physical strength! This is also the part you’ll hate the most because the first cut is the deepest… I mean, starting will feel like an uphill struggle but you’ll soon be coasting.
5. Vacuum the hell out of everything. This is the thing I always think I hate doing but when I start it I love it. Despite the bits you have to go over again, and again, and again… having a clean floor when your car is usually full of stones (where the hell do they come from?!), for me, is a delight. You know when you vacuum and you can tell the difference. Like when you mop the floor and you can see it’s clean? Oh yeah, I love mopping the floor!**
6. Wipe down all surfaces that need it. Whether you do it with a duster or a damp cloth (I prefer a damp cloth because dusters make me feel like I’m just poofing all the dirt into the air) just go nuts. Wipe everything to the beat of the music, baby!
7. Check everything over and go over anything that needs a second blast. With me it’s always the seats in my car. So many people get in and out of my car (because I give everyone lifts everywhere) my seats are kind of grubby. I have to scrub them with upholstery cleaner and then go over stubborn parts again. It’s a pain but I really enjoy being able to vigorously scrub at things – therapy, or something?
8. End with something eeeeeasy! I end with windows because cleaning windows is fun to me. Spray and wipe – what’s easier than that? Plus it makes me feel like I’m doing something for myself because I need to see out of the windows!
9. Have a cup of coffee/tea/wine/beer/whisky and sit down. I’d recommend a good stretch/yoga after any cleaning because you use muscles you don’t tend to use but you know me – yoga for everything.

Wow – 9 steps; I know it seems silly to give advice on cleaning but it’s more to remind myself that once I start it I actually really enjoy it! Now my car is as clean as a whistle (that’s a saying, right?) and I feel so GOOD about it. Next I have to clean my bedroom but I’m putting that off for a rainy day!

Hope this helps some of my fellow lazy/messy people out there! I literally feel so productive right now I’m going to sit down for the rest of the day…

Sam

*Rubber gloves are the best tool for getting dog hair off anything. 

** At this point you’re probably going to want to take a break. DON’T DO IT. Taking a break whilst cleaning is a sure fire way to not finish.