Start to Clean When You're Overwhelmed by Messy House

#1 WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TO CLEAN

You must decide which of the 3 to 5 areas in your house are the most important ones for you to quickly clean.

For us, this is the living room, kitchen, as well as the bathroom in the hall and, should you be feeling up for it, the garage/laundry room entrance as well as the master bedroom.

Focus on these rooms.

Don't stray from these 3 to 5-room improvement strategies until you've overcome the overwhelming feeling and regained control of your messy home.

#2 CHOOSE A REASONABLE LEVEL OF CLEANLINESS

Take a to the mirror and then have a talk with yourself.

Think about it, and then choose the level of cleanliness you are able to live with at the moment—a level that will eliminate the anxiety and desire to get rid of your home altogether.

It's likely that a thorough straightening could be the answer. When you're no longer suffocating with the clutter, do you think you'll be able to bring your house in order?

Perhaps you think this cleaning routine ought to include a thorough wiping down and a good vacuuming.

You can do that, but try to resist the temptation to get deeper right now.

#3 FIND YOUR CLEANING MOTIVATION AND START CLEANING

If you've got a strategy, then you can begin. Find any reason to do it, but just...start.

Choose a project which you will commit yourself to 100 minutes of clean-up action.

#4 STAY ON TRACK WHILE TACKLING THE MESS

After you've started working through the chaos, set the timer.

In this instance, the timer's not an indication to stop; it's just a reminder of your goal. Every time it rings, and you'll be reminded that you're cleaning out your home's mess—one tiny container cap or used piece of tissue and dirty sock at one moment.

The timer can also help with the effects of time blindness. By turning it on every five or 10 mins, you will not be able to see and lose track of time.

It is not a good idea to be distracted or become overfocused. It's not the right moment to:

• Make sure your dishwasher is clean,
• Sort out the pantry or
• God forbid, glimpse into your son's bedroom.

If the alarm goes off and you awake under the sink, scratching at the rust stain, put it down and go back to the sloppy house cleaning routine.

The timer helps you stay within the room and on track. If you're distracted and go off-task, the clock is your sound signal that you're not in the right spot. Reset it, and come back to try again.

#5 GODSPEED

Okay, now that you know, you can imagine...

• Motivation to get moving and overcome the chaos
• Deciding which rooms with a mess to begin with and
• Set timers so that you can stay on track

...are enough to break the spell of chaos that your messy home has placed upon you. You're on your way.

If you're still not exactly sure what to do and which order to do it or if you're in very little time (or simply would like to get the house clean! ), be deliberate.