How to Clean with ADHD: Therapist-Approved Hacks for a Calmer Home

Written By Gabriela Mueller

You had a long day at work, just finished getting dinner ready, and now see a sink full of dishes. A doom pile looms on the counter, maybe it’s bills, maybe it’s junk mail and an old grocery list. You can’t remember how long the laundry has been sitting in the washer.

You contemplate turning on Netflix and escaping the world for the rest of the night, but a constant movie reel of all the to dos keeps running through your head. What do you do? Where should you start?

Cleaning can feel like a daunting task for a lot of us, but especially for those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). People with ADHD often struggle with executive functioning, which help us to focus, plan, and switch between tasks. Here are some tips for cleaning that can make things feel more manageable.

If you struggle with transitioning between tasks

  • Make a cleaning playlist or have some of your favorite artists queued and ready to listen. Music that you enjoy and especially songs that make you feel more energized can help give your mind a cue that you are transitioning to a new activity.

  • Ask yourself, “What is the smallest next movement I can make towards washing the dishes, folding my clothes, [Fill in the blank]?”

    • This could look like putting your feet on the ground.

    • Standing up. If all you need to focus on next is standing up, that can feel more manageable than cleaning the whole home.

    • Move your body in the general direction of said task.

If you don’t know where to start

  • Set aside time to make a step by step list of how to.

    • Goblin Tools is a website that helps break down tasks if you want a little extra help. You type in the task and it will give you steps based on the level of detail you want. It also lets you decide the spicy-ness level you need. Less spicy means less detail, spicier means more detail and higher support.

    • Put the visual list in a place you can easily see it. Now every time you clean the kitchen (or whatever the task is) you have a step by step checklist.

  • Make a list of priorities and a list of bonus activities. On days you really aren’t feeling it and it’s hard to find the motivation, just do the bare minimum on your non-negotiable list. On days you might have a little extra time or are feeling inspired pick something on your bonus list.

    • Reflect on what are realistic expectations.

    • When prioritizing, think about what tasks are important for hygiene (brushing teeth, taking a shower) and survival needs (food, water, etc). Ask yourself, what are things you value and things you don’t really care about.

      • Example: If you have pets, cleaning food bowls and changing cat litter are priorities and maybe organizing a closet is a bonus item.

  • Find ways to cut out some of the steps.

    • Example: For a long time I used open-faced bins instead of a dresser or hanging up clothes. Yes, my clothes were a bit wrinkled, but it cut out the step of folding or hanging up clothes.

    • Example: Put needed cleaning supplies and replacements in each room. In my bathroom, I have cleaning spray, a sponge, replacements of toilet paper, and a laundry hamper. That way instead of leaving clothes on the floor, they have a home.

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath, really focus on slowing down your exhale. You got this!

If it’s boring or you’re dreading cleaning

  • Play a game

    • Start in whatever room you’re currently in. Look around the room and find one thing that doesn’t belong. Take that thing to the room it belongs to and put it away. Now you’re in a new room. Find something in that room that doesn’t belong and put it away in the room it belongs. Set a timer for 3, 5, or 10 minutes depending on what feels manageable. Once you’re done notice what feels good about seeing less clutter or what feels good about accomplishing this task. When you actively notice comfortable feelings, your brain starts to make new connections and seek out more of that good feeling.

    • Try to beat the clock. Set a timer for 5 minutes and try to get as many things done as you can in that 5 minutes. (or whatever amount of time you have the time and capacity for)

  • Think about your future self. How will your future self benefit from completing this task?

    • For me, when I look at a laundry pile I might think, “If I put these clothes away, future me tomorrow morning won’t be rushing digging through clothes to find an outfit. Maybe she’ll even have 5 extra minute to sit and drink coffee before leaving the house.” Or “Future me will have more time to relax/do the thing I really want to do this weekend if I do 1 or 2 small things each day this week.”

If life keeps life-ing and you are completely overwhelmed. 

  • Pause. Take a deep breath.

    • Who are your support people? 

    • Are there any tasks you can hand off or ask for help with? 

    • Check in with yourself, have you had a hard week and you need a day to rest and decompress? Can some of these things wait until tomorrow or will their be negative consequences to not doing the thing.

      • How do decide if a task can wait:

        • Is this a glass or plastic ball? Imagine yourself juggling a bunch of balls in the air, some are plastic and some are glass. There are too many to keep in there and it’s inevitable some of them will fall. If a glass ball falls it will shatter and it would take a lot of work to put it back together. If a plastic ball falls, you can always pick it back up when you have more space to juggle. Think about which tasks could “shatter” or create more problems if you let it fall and which tasks are “plastic”. You can get back to the “plastic” tasks later.

Everyone’s brains work a little differently from each other and what works for one person might not be the best fit for another, so try these out, take what helps and leave the rest.

Additional Resources for Cleaning with ADHD

ADHD Support that Really Gets You (& Your Brain)

If you’re looking for a therapist who understands ADHD or just need someone outside your circle to talk to, reach out to us today. Email us at info@createspacetherapy.com or complete the contact form. Not sure if starting therapy is for you? Learn more about our therapists here to see if anyone feels like a good fit.

Gabriela Mueller
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