I Hate Doing Chores! [How To Enjoy Cleaning When You Hate Housework]

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I hate doing chores! How can I get motivated to clean my house? Learn how to enjoy cleaning when you absolutely hate housework.

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The best way to clean the house when you absolutely hate doing chores is to make sure you have a simple system that breaks everything down for you so you don’t get overwhelmed.

“I hate housework!” Have you ever felt that way? I surely have. After all, household chores are not nearly so exciting as other things because they’re so much a part of everyday life.

You don’t get a medal for a clean sink or a playroom with all the toys in its right place.

Everyday chores are repetitive and endless. You’ll always find a new pile of dishes to clean – over and over again – for the rest of your life.

I know some women honestly love to clean. And sometimes, it boggles my mind. I would do anything else to get out of housework. 

Of course, I love having a clean house. I simply hate the actual process involved.

But we don’t always get to do the things we like, do we? So, how do I do my housework when I absolutely dread it?

Sometimes, we simply have to put on our big girl pants and do what needs to be done. Because, unfortunately, there’s no such thing as Cinderella’s fairy godmother who could clean up for you with her magic wand! 

But really, how can I enjoy cleaning my house or, at the very least, find the motivation to clean a messy room?

Well, I do love to create a nurturing, relaxing and more peaceful environment for my family and part of it means keeping my home clean and all the housework chores done.

Even though it’s not my favorite thing to do, I have found some ways to make it more enjoyable for me.

And I’m convinced that if you use a few of these ideas, you can love doing housework, too.

Or at the very least, learn how to relax about housework.

The list below will help you find joy in doing your regular housework chores.

I hate doing chores cure #1: Eat that frog first.

If you hate cleaning and doing your housework chores, try to eat that frog and schedule it first thing in the morning (well, after your morning routine obviously) instead of living the entire day dreading the task.

What’s the frog? 

The frog is the unmotivating task facing you – in this case, housework.

If this is the most annoying to-do of your day, when you cross it out first thing in the morning, the rest of the day would go a lot smoother.

It will feel like a major win – and it is!

Not only you will not have it hanging on you, but you can feel the sense of accomplishment for the rest of your day.

To help you out, it’s advisable to have a planner or housework organizational chart to help keep track of your cleaning and organization tasks.

The more you organize yourself and your to-do’s the more you will fall in love with the housework and the results you achieve.

I hate doing chores cure #2: Find the right tools for the job.

I firmly believe that if you have the right tools for cleaning and maintaining your home, the task can get a a lot easier and far less aggravating.

You should always use the right tool for the right job, if you want to stay organized and motivated.

For instance, get a caddy to keep all cleaning things organized

Don’t use a window cleaner to sanitise the toilet.

Make sure you have a steamer that won’t warp your laminate floor.

Having the right tools for the job and loving the way they make your home incredibly cozy will help you enjoy housework (even a little bit).

I hate doing chores cure #3: Take pride in your home.

You can never love something if you don’t feel pride in it.

And you can’t be proud of it if it’s a mess.

That’s why we always get our housework done as soon as we know we’re expecting a guest.

Take pride in your home.

Present it in its best self – even when you aren’t expecting a soul.

When you fall in love with your house, you’ll ultimately fall in love with the housework!

Even when you don’t want to, tackle some small housework every day, so you’re always prepared for guests.

I hate doing chores cure #4: Watch something while cleaning.

If you’re doing your housework entirely on your own, you can use distraction to help you forget that you’re doing something you don’t want to do. 

Go on and watch your favorite shows while folding your laundry or unloading the dishwasher, and before you know it you’ll soon be enjoying – instead of dreading – the time you spend doing your housework. 

If you’re not into watching the telly, you could play some uplifting music.

Listen to a podcast.

Phone a parent, a sibling or a friend that you talk to a million times a day. If you feel bored while cleaning, chatting will help the time fly by. 

You can always set your mood right when you’re cleaning your house.

Side Note: I still remember those almost idyllic days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I’d sit in front of the telly and laugh my heart out as I ironed my clothes. It was very therapeutic for me. And I absolutely fell in love with ironing then. – Vanessa

I hate doing chores cure #5: Set a cleaning timetable.

There’s something about a deadline that just forces you into action.

If you’re like me, the sound of that ticking timer might just encourage you to work faster. 

Stick your timer with you when you’re on the move to clean and declutter.

Set your timer when you start a chore and you’re good to go!

You’ll know and feel a lot motivated that the entire housework won’t last more than, say, 30 minutes per room.

It will hardly take a day or two to completely shift your home from a cluttered mess to a beautifully decluttered home. 

I hate doing chores cure #6: Get some help.

Who says you have to do all the work alone?

Depending on the age, you can get your kids to help you out when you’re doing specific chores.

For example, you can assign roles and print out a list of chore ideas your family can select from and use it as an inspiration to get started.

If you have no one other than yourself to manage the housework, get help from a friend.

Beyond actual cleaning, your friend can also function as an extra pair of eyes to help you sort out and organize your home.

You know, two minds are better than one!

Besides, you can always swap and help him in return. 

This way you can be motivated to clean and organize better and faster.

And then finish the day with a movie night or another fun activity as a reward for all your hard work (more on that later). 

I hate doing chores cure #7: Declutter and organize on a weekend.

You might not want to spend your entire week cleaning (totally understandable!).

How about a switch from a weekday to just the weekend?

I personally think that the best time to do major and deep cleaning is the beginning of your weekend.

There are many reasons for it.

You’re fresh and have more energy on the weekend more than the typical workday. 

There are no school or office requirements so if you have a spouse and children, they’d be at home and can lend a hand.

When you’re done with a complete weekend declutter , there will be nothing in the house that keeps pressing you.

You can relax your mind for the upcoming week and enjoy the sense of gratification.

I hate doing chores cure #8: Make it smell good.

Good smells can really boost your mood.

Select cleaning products with scents you love (mine is Mrs. Meyer’s Geranium), or you can add drops of lavender or any other essential oil of your choice to your homemade cleaning products. 

This little trick of appealing to your sense of smell will not only boost your mood, but also help your house smell divine.

Isn’t it a win-win?

I hate doing chores cure #9: Think about calories burned during housework.

Your housework can become a really enjoyable task if you start combining it with something else.

How about exercise? 

According to Shape.com, you burn around 153 calories for an hour of mopping and around 119 calories for half an hour of vacuuming. 

This means that should you get productive around the house, you probably won’t have to pay for the gym. 

Even better if you use something like Sweatcoin, which is a free app that tracks your steps and then rewards you for it! And I can tell you, they’ve got some really cool rewards – $1,000 worth in PayPal vouchers, anyone?

I hate doing chores cure #10: Reward yourself.

When you’re done with the weekly cleaning of bathrooms and kitchens etc all day, it’s time to reward yourself.

The more accomplished you feel, the more you will want to reward yourself. 

Watch your favorite show on Netflix.

Enjoy some me-time.

Eat out with your family. 

Have a bowl of your favorite dessert.

Giving yourself a treat at the end of a troublesome chore and not letting yourself enjoy something you want until it’s done will help you get your cleaning done as well as boost the sense of accomplishment.

I hate doing chores cure #11: Realize why you’re doing it.

In cleaning, as in everything else, you need a reason.

Why are you cleaning anyway?

When you were a kid, your mom probably made you pick up your stuff in your room. 

Now you’re a full-grown adult and your mother won’t be hounding you anymore.

What are you going to do and why are you doing it?

Does a clean house make you happier?

Does a clean house reduce stress?

These could be strong enough reasons.

Maybe you clean because you enjoy maintaining a clean and organized environment for you and your loved ones.

Maybe you enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from making yourself do necessary things, even when you yourself are against it.

Once you find a powerful enough to reason that will push your motivation right past the resistance, you’ll find that you’ve also moved past hating the housework and right into enjoyment.

So, did you like these few ideas to help you clean up? What tactics make your housework enjoyable? If something on this list works for you, or if you have a suggestion of your own, let me know in the comments below! 

Finally learn how to enjoy cleaning when you absolutely hate doing chores and find the motivation to just do it.

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