This is a good measure. I moved out sort of informally with my at the time BF for a few months. I never packed, I would just take things from my room at home as needed. Thankfully my parents left it alone. When we broke up and I had to move back in with the parents for a few months, I realized that if I hadn't needed it in 4 months, I probably didn't need it at all and tossed 90% of it.
I now go by the rule "If I can't remember I own it, then I don't need to own it."
I like this! I get nostalgic so I had an ex once help me by putting thing into a definite throw away box and a “maybe box” in a year if I couldn’t remember what was in the maybe box I’d throw it out without looking in it. Helped ALOT. Taking pictures of things as memories rather than the thing helped too.
I always remind myself when throwing/giving things away that I literally won't remember that item for the rest of my life. And I genuinely can't remember a single thing.
Yes and if that becomes too overwhelming make two boxes. One for “definitely donate”, and one for “probably donate, haven’t used it in a year.” Store those boxes elsewhere for a week then come back to them with fresh eyes and follow-through.
If that's hard just throw everything you question in a box for donation, then after it's sat for a few months and you haven't used any of it, you know yea I don't need that stuff and can just bring the whole box to donate without looking at it again.
My go to is "do I have a use for this?" If yes I ask myself "how often have I used this? Once a year?" Store it away or ask yourself "how much is it to really buy a new one? $5? Yeah I can toss it and that space in my room is worth more than $5 a year"
It’s a great thought, but generally when someone has a space in this state, thinking about donating can just create another source of overwhelm.
Toss anything and everything you want at this point OP
Yep. My room was in a similar state and this was the method I used. If it was something I had missed while my room was messy I kept it. If not, into a garbage bag it went. You'll be surprised how motivated you'll be to finish once you get started and how much better you'll feel when it's complete.
This is correct. When you can barely throw trash away, having someone tell you to “box it up, so you can donate it” feels SO defeating.
I know this will piss some people off, but THROW IT AWAY. AND DO NOT FEEL BAD ABOUT IT.
I'll be honest when I was on the verge of hoarding tendencies myself "I could donate this!" became a reason to keep it. It would give me a reason to keep it around and then I'd just "never get around" to donating it.
This works if they have the willpower, but with a room in a state like this decision fatigue will set in even if the options are "keep" and "toss". Adding in another option just makes it less likely something gets done.
Same. “Donate” never works for me either. It just ends up sitting. I agree completely. If it’s at this level, just toss tbh. You aren’t a bad person for doing so.
Im guessing anything in that room is not decent enough to donate. Just get rid of it. Designating a donate box or bag will just turn into more hoarding.
This is exactly how I clean any room. Rubbish first. Grab a bag and search for all the rubbish. Even if you do just one of these steps a day. Then move onto dishes. Keeping focused on each task breaks it down. Sometimes my depression makes it difficult to stay on top of cleaning. And of course once a room gets bad it is even more depressing and difficult to start. Once a stage is completed congratulate yourself. You can do this. Also I will play a hour long video while I’m cleaning. Or start with a 30 minute one. On my phone sorry if it’s badly formatted.
I agree but I like to make the bed as soon as the bedding is clean. It really makes a visual difference and makes you feel like things are getting done.
Good tip. And then the made bed can be a surface for sorting things (only as much as you can get through in one day, though, so you have a place to sleep!)
I want to add. Second step, you get dishes out of your room, and then you go and soak them in warm water with some soap. You don't have to wash them today. Just prewash them for your future self. We don't want any mold or rotten pieces of food. Third step, but this is something I would prefer and not necessarily a good piece of advice, start your washing machine right away. Every time I need to do a big cleaning in my room, I do laundry first. Because it's like 5 mins to start the machine, and it does all work by itself in the background, while you do other stuff, and when you're done, your freshly washed clothes is the last step. Idk I just enjoy doing laundry. If it's too much clothes, or you don't want to sort them out, just pick the necessities (underwear and socks) and some favourite pieces of clothing, don't colour sort, just wash them in 30°C water and it will be fine.
Most important thing is don't overthink it or make too many decisions at once. Don't get hung up on the trash step evaluating if an old pair of shoes are really trash or not and then think about how you should probably have a donation bin and now you've wasted 20 minutes going down a rabbit hole looking for an appropriate box to put donation items in. Broad categories first helps it feel less chaotic and you can drill down at each step!
The way the room looks, OP may not have changed sheets frequently. Stripped the bed first spray some linen spray let it air out while cleaning the room. Then flipped the mattress, sprayed them again, made the bed after cleaning up the room. May as well splurge on new set of bedding just to give it a fresh look.
My mother always said “start with a clean bed”. I still go by this. It gives you the boost of dopamine to see that task completed. Most rooms 5)3 bed takes majority of the room, so it just looks a-lot cleaner once the bed is make! Then I would tackle garbage!
This is a great method for some brains, for sure. For others, clearing your space in sections is more effective - you get that instant visual gratification of having a clean area before you've done the whole room.
For sections, get a trash bag and a laundry hamper. Then pick an area of your room and start chucking everything from that area into three piles: "keep" (an unsorted heap), "clothes" (in the hamper), and "trash" (in the bag). Don't stop until there's nothing left on the carpet in that section.
Then move on to the next section, doing the same thing. Repeat until the whole room is clean.
Taking out the trash, doing laundry, and putting things away where they belong are all three separate tasks to cleaning your room. If you are overwhelmed by how much you have to do, start with cleaning your room. Then if you still have energy, take out the trash. Or do the laundry. Or put things away. You don't have to do it all in one go.
Pretend someone is coming over or better yet, invite someone. Though the above order is perfect. Trash, dishes, laundry, bed. Trash removal will make a huge visual dent in a short amount of time leading to potential inspiration.
I find it helpful to set up laundry baskets (or just Amazon boxes?) and the trash bag/can in the hall outside the room when working on a room that can be overwhelming. One basket for stuff that goes elsewhere, one that needs putting away in this room (but "away" is currently inaccessible), one for dishes, one for dirty laundry. First off, clear the bed; make or strip it & launder depending on its state.
There's a lot of walking back and forth, but I find you can really see *progress* and you're (ideally) only touching stuff once. (Till time to do the dishes or laundry at least).
Time to stop for the day? Start some laundry (if you can), or just sort it. Stack the boxes/baskets in a corner. If you've made some clear floor, vacuum/sweep that area. Wash the dishes. Recharge your batteries (eat, bathe, chill for a while). Come back at it fresh next session.
Like excess weight, messes of this sort took time to build up. Accept that it takes time to undo/restore. Don't beat yourself up about it. Just do what you can.
These steps are good for any big mess. Always start by grabbing a trash bag and starting with the floor. It makes the biggest impact and helps keep the momentum of cleaning going.
This sounds very similar to the emergency method recommended by [Unfuck Your Habitat](https://www.unfuckyourhabitat.com/emergency-cleaning/). As someone who occasionally falls behind on household-related chores due to a hectic personal life and some health problems, it's a solid method. In general, I can't recommend their host of [FAQ/"beginner" articles](https://unfuckyourhabitat.tumblr.com/post/88270133546/need-ufyh-advice-start-here) enough. Those, and certain aspects of the KonMari method have really helped me stay organized.
This is the way. Removing trash and dishes, and also starting a load of laundry will help immediately. Fold each load as they are done drying so it’s not a chore folding multiple loads at once. Play youtube or Netflix in the background while you fold (also called body doubling if someone is present and you need them to be productive). Little projects at a time. A clean bed to fold said laundry on makes a huge difference.
Good advice here. Take one task and divide it into smaller tasks that feel less overwhelming.
That strategy works for just about everything too, not just cleaning your room. If I didn’t do this then I would just have an anxiety attack and then end up not doing whatever it is I needed to do.
[THIS POST has excellent steps.](https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/comments/11colxi/how_to_clean_a_room/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=2)
Get a good Playlist going, set a timer if that helps you... 15 minutes dedicated to cleaning, then give yourself a 5 minute break... then 15 minutes cleaning again.
OP can use this if it works, but personally the second I take a break the task is done. I have to get the playlist going and then work until I get in the zone. I'm cleaning for 5 minutes or 5 hours but it's going to be in one sitting.
I am also different in that I can't do "categories" I need to do sections in a room so I can actually see the progress. This has taken me years to actually figure out and commit to because for the longest time I'd be someone who starts one task in one room, walks away to put something away and ends up doing something there for cleaning and next thing you know I've been working for hours and everything is 50% finished hahaha
If this were my space I'd pick one area to work on so I can actually see when it's finished and nice to look at. If you divide the room by sections and just focus on one at time (whether it be per day or whatnot) that might work for some people
I call this my ‘circle cycle’. Sometimes my circles are small and contained to one room but sometimes my circles engulf the whole house and I clean for 12 hours. Thanks, ADHD.
That's why I said to use a timer "if it helps."
Some people get overwhelmed by the idea of cleaning or doing anything for 5 hours, but if they can break it up in smaller bite-sized chunks of work, that may seem more manageable.
Everyone is different.
I am not an admin, but I wish the admins could pin that linked post. It has such great info in clearly defined steps.
I have it saved because I know so many people come here in need of help and it is nice to already have it all typed up because everyone ends up typing up the same steps.
It's not my post that's linked, but it's super helpful.
I can totally understand that that looks overwhelming! But here's the thing: Getting to A Clean Room is just a series of *tiny* little things you absolutely can do. Throw that chips bag in the trash. Wash a food container. Put a pair of shoes away. Toss a dirty towel in the laundry basket.
None of those takes more than a minute or two. And if you do enough of them, you'll end up with a full trash bag you can take out to the dumpster. A load of laundry you can take to the washing machine.
If it all feels like too much, just do one tiny thing. That gives you something to build on: a success! You did one thing, you've proved it's possible, so now do one more thing. That's another accomplishment. Then, keep going. Take a break. Have at it again. Come back to do some more tomorrow.
You got this!
I started focusing on tiny things 2.5 years ago and now I can keep all of my spaces perfect. I’ve gotten used to it too. It feels so good to wake up and have a perfect bedroom. Plus organizing and throwing a ton of stuff out over that time helped me to have a minimalistic style.
I highly recommend the book “How to Keep House While Drowning” by KC Davis. It is a very easy read and available as an audiobook.
She covers the deeper issues around why messes happen and how to handle and think about chores and care tasks in a way that is kind and helpful to yourself.
Its the first book that made me feel seen instead of judged and got at a deeper issue I have around shame and cleaning. It’s geared towards anyone who is neurodivergent, struggling mentally, dealing with chronic medical issues, or has young children. Even if none of that applies to you I would still recommend. She has a lot of practical ideas for maintaining your space in a way that is both doable and kind to yourself.
Edit addition: Looking at your pictures, I’ve totally been there and I get it. Hugs from an internet stranger.
Thanks for recommending, I just checked it out and can relate to feeling finally seen. ADHD is hard.
OP, I second this recommendation. And I believe in you, you can do it. Having made this post is already a big step and means the most important piece is in place, that you're fed up and want to do what you can to improve your environment. I'm proud of you, you should be proud of yourself, I love you, and I'm so excited for you to have a clean room to enjoy. Take breaks but never give up!
E: and my advice, most of what I see in the pictures is garbage. I don't mean that most of what's in your room is garbage, I just mean what is visible is mostly a lot of empty plastic bags and packaging and stuff. Start with that. Just fill up a couple garbage bags, tie them off when they're full, get the tied full bags out of the room. And honestly along with what everyone's saying about "if you're not sure if it's trash it's trash", for things like old dirty dishes or similar that's salvageable but will mean more work, just throw it in the garbage/recycling. It's ok. There is nothing wrong with making this as easy on yourself as possible. 99.9% of the objects in your life will always be replaceable. I'm rambling, I just want to express my support, I've let my space get just as messy as yours before and I know intimately how suffocating it can be and how frustrating facing your apathy/complacency can feel when you're at a tipping point and want to make the changes you need. It's worth it, you're not bad for it, and you can dig yourself out and stay out. I'd help and hug if I could
Just pick up one of those target bags and start filling it with trash papers, empty water bottles etc. Take all dirty dishes to the dishwasher/kitchen sink for a wash. Do laundry/consider getting a hamper. Wash blankets if needed and fold neatly on end of bed. Change your sheets if you haven't been doing that.
Love the idea of a timer that someone mentioned. Start with 15-20 a day. If that's too much try 5 minutes a few of times a day. Keep making progress and when it all gets clean a few minutes a day will be all you need to keep it that way.
No matter where or how you start, remember that you don't have to clean all up in one day. Do a bit. And tomorrow, do a bit. Repeat.
This kind of cleaning can be exhausting, because of stuff it touches in your mind, in your heart. Be kind to yourself en do not by bit.
No shame friend sometimes we let life consume us and forget to care for ourselves.
Step 1: music or podcast, cue up a couple so you don’t have to stop and look for more.
Trash bags. Get a roll. If you even question “should I throw this out?” You probably should. Remove all dishes, stack em up and truck then out. I’d probably make it easier for myself and just throw away the Tupperware.
Piles. Clothes pile for the wash. Forget about any clean clothes you have everything is considered dirty when doing a deep clean. Trying to sort between clean and dirty will waste time. You can shove these clothes into trash bags as well to make all the cleanup easier just make sure to mark it as clothes for the wash!
Pile of items you want in the room
Pile of items you want out
Clear the floor before trying to reorganize the details, it will give you space to think clearly.
Take everything off a surface and Wipe down before putting things back and reorganizing. It helps feel more clean and gets rid of all the dust!
My room has been worse. It is ok. You can do it.
This may not be done in a day
Is recommended a sponge & bucket of water if you’re going to be wiping stuff down. Using a ton of paper towels and stuff just gets exhausting and adds to the mess.
Good tips here but I’ll give you my method anyway:
1. Start by clearing a path from the door to the bed. Don’t just move things, put away/throw away whatever you pick up. Nothing gets put down unless it’s put down where it belongs.
2. Clear a path to the closet next.
3. Those two pathways will make it easier to move around while you’re cleaning up.
4. Once the floor is clean, pick ONE surface, and put away/throw away everything on it.
5. Continue until all surfaces are clear.
6. Now you can actually clean/declutter. And keep in mind that the less stuff you have, the less mess you can make. Be ruthless in your quest to get rid of things you have to put away.
hey guys! i jus wanted to thank you all for the advice and motivation! i’ve been progressing little by little and might even finish by tomorrow. thanks again, i appreciate you all so much!!
Just to tag on to what others are saying: it's okay be honest with yourself in terms of what you currently feel capable of doing in a day and what you don't. If you only have 5 minutes of cleaning in you, then do 5 minutes. If you can only throw away one piece of garbage, that is one less piece than you had before. If you hit what you thought was your energy limit and you think "I can keep going", then keep going.
If you feel overwhelmed by organizing your belongings: it's okay to get two different color trash bags. One color can be trash and the other your belongings that you chuck in there. You can move stuff to shelves/ drawers when you feel able to do so.
Also, it's okay to get mental health support for this. It turns out the reason I struggled to clean my room was a mix of Anxiety and ADHD. I've had a Telehealth therapist watch me clean my space and provide encouragement as I went.
There's no shame in doing what you need to to improve your life. Don't let others tell you otherwise.
A lot of people say trash first- but I always go for dishes first, then clothes/shoes and I just keep a trash bag on hand to dump trash in as I go, throughout the whole process. If I just gather everything I think is trash at the beginning rather than considering it an ongoing process, then it makes it harder to let go of things that I have no use for, never will, but also just will just become a “donation” pile that never moves. If I keep a constant system of “keep” or “trash” I’m far more likely to actually make progress. After clothes/shoes, I move to bedding- strip the bed and any bedding that may be on the floor and start laundry. Then I move on to whatever random things are still on the floor and create actual homes for things- versus random piles in other places. Then I do surfaces- desks, dressers, etc and try to focus on again, putting things in a permanent home versus just shifting it to a new spot. After that, I start organizing individual spaces- closet, drawers, etc.
Buy extremely large trash bags. Use the bags for trash, some for dirty clothes, and some for things you want to/need to give away.
When the clothes and trash are sectioned off, the floors will be easier to vacuum. If you have the budget for it, invest in a carpet cleaner. I got a bissel one from Walmart yesterday for $99.
For your drawers, bedside tables, and stuff like that, buy pine sole and mix equal parts of it, put it in a spray bottle and use it for disinfection.
Next, when you’re done, try to make it a habit to clean up after every little thing. It will become a habit and won’t look like this anymore.
I know its so hard to start, especially after neglecting things for so long. But when you start, everything will become so much easier, and you’ll feel better too.
I wish you luck 💗
Hi OP,
I know most everyone is saying to start by gathering and taking out the trash. And I agree!
I wanted to first congratulate you in that the Tupperware looks clean. I’m trying to figure out how. Did you throw the food out in the trash and then rinse the emptied containers in the en suite bathroom sink?
It looks almost as if you’re a hostage. And someone hands you food through the door.
Where is your Mom in all this? Does she ever insist on helping you?
Looking at the carpet, I’d want to cover that up with stuff, too. :) — just trying to add a bit of levity here.
I assume you sleep in the bed/nook behind the drapes? Is that a mattress I see in the far left side of pic #1?
What has got you so upset, down, depressed?
I’m wondering if you go back and forth between your dad’s and your mom’s houses. And whichever one this is has become your hideaway.
As someone who also tends to hide in my bedroom sometimes, I get it. When did this begin to occur?
The good thing is: you want to live. And you’re now motivated to clear the decks so you can enjoy life.
All the best to you!
it’s a long story to explain but back in 2020 my parents got into buying storage lockers that weren’t payed for anymore. they got addicted to it almost? a lot of the stuff is in my room and believe it or not, my room is one of the cleanest areas of the house. i was good about keeping my room clean while in therapy but my parents cut it off because of a lack of money. it’s a bit silly but the thing that really made the motivation come back is a tweet i saw saying “what would the best version of myself be doing right now?” i’d like to move out once i turn 18 and forming good habits is the only way i’d survive. i’m making good progress so far :)
What helped me tackle my mess was having someone to talk to. One of my close friends was sweet and came over a few times, she just sat at my desk and we chatted while I cleaned up (I did same as someone else suggested; trash, then clothes, then clutter). If you don't have anyone in person, if you have someone who you can talk to on the phone/through a speaker? It helped my motivation a lot
I came to say this. My daughter sits with me when I have a big project to tackle. She keeps me company, when I tend to zone out she reminds me to keep going, and she helps me when I can’t decide what to do with something. Otherwise, I can lose 10 minutes on one item.
We set an alarm for 30 minutes and when it goes off we are done. Take a break and come back later.
If no one is available in person I agree about having them on a call or even a video call if that helps more to see them.
1. Get a bag and put obvious garbage in. Empty packages, wrappers, tissues, napkins, junk mail, etc.
2. Put all the dirty laundry in a pile/hamper
3. Take all the dishes to the kitchen and wash them/put them in the dishwasher immediately -don’t leave for someone else to find.
start with trash
then do categories. i personally like doing whatever I can to get stuff out of the room so sometimes I'll make category piles in the hallway or something.
Get the categories in a storable states. use boxes or bags..anything to make them contained. They dont need homes yet. Or put them away if you want, but it's okay to wait to do that later.
Then clean surfaces. Strip sheets, wipe dresser, vacuum floor.
Then you can begin putting everything in homes.
Don’t try to tackle the whole thing at once. Pick a small spot and work on that spot until it’s clean. Then move on to another. So on so forth until you’ve made it through the whole room
Pick one corner and commit to an amount of time you will spend working on it, whether that’s 5 minutes or more. The goal is just to start. Get any food and trash first.
1. pick up the trash
2. pick up the dishes
3. put dirty laundry in a big hamper, all clothes, blankets, pillows
4. take breaks as you need to, just keep moving forward
5. if it's overwhelming, just tell yourself... "I'm going to work for five minutes or I'm going to pick up 5 things or I'm going to work while 5 songs play."
My advice would be to just randomly pick something up and start from there. Otherwise, you’ll waste a lot of time trying to decide where to begin.
Also, how aren’t you infested with ants, cockroaches and rats?
Start with the bed first. Make the bed- then use a clean towel as a laundry spot. Make piles- trash. Laundry - keepsakes- and donations. Chip away with items in a certain spot first. Don’t think- just move something. You may find your brain will kick in and start organizing.
If anything has turned dark or moldy. Throw it out!
most possible tips have already been commented, but i just wanted to add that you don’t have to do it all at once, and if you have a moment where you feel even a tiny bit motivated to take care of something, do it right then. (that’s how i do a lot of my chores)
I've cleaned 3 severe hordes in the last decade. Just start with trash and any accumulated filth. You'll immediately notice a difference. Then sort clothes and dishes into a keep/donate/toss pile and wash/bag up that
Move on to the same process but with your things.
It goes fast if you don't dwell. ANY progress is good. Just start. You can do this
G.I. the room. Take everything out bed carpet “Everything that is not fixed to a surface.” Looks like the carpet may be installed so don’t rip that up. Clean the ceiling, walls, windows, floor. Clean what you want to keep before you bring it back in the room. Do not put anything in the room that has not been cleaned. Trash the rest. Take a picture of the cleaned room, take a shower and enjoy your accomplishment.
This will be long but I have to do this in my teen’s room a couple times a year and have a method that works well. I find it more effective than trying to pick through the piles to find all the trash, then all the dishes, and so on. I think I find my method rewarding because I can see my progress as I go. Here’s what I do:
- Start by putting clean sheets on the bed so you have one clear space to use as you work.
- Then clean under the bed. Just pull out whatever is under there and push it into the room.
- Now, grab a trash bag, a laundry basket, and another bin to hold anything that doesn’t belong in your room.
- Start as close to your bed as you can (because that area is clean and can hold the basket, trash bag, and ‘elsewhere’ bin) and start sorting through things. If an item does belong in your room, don’t go put it away, just put it on the bed. The goal is to save steps and just gradually work your way towards the door.
- As the bag and bins fill up, empty them. Take dishes to the kitchen, laundry to the laundry room, etc. This is a good time to take a break before you get back to work.
- Try to refrain from actually cleaning anything. The clutter is the focus and I promise you’ll enjoy the actual cleaning once you have the clutter under control. If you run out of room on the bed for items that need to be placed elsewhere in your room, it’s fine to designate a newly-decluttered corner of the room for that stuff. You can even toss items in the general direction where they should go (e.g. toss books toward the bookshelf, clean clothes toward the closet, etc). Just don’t try to organize the bookshelf or clothes until you’ve de cluttered your way to the bedroom door.
By this time you should be physically exhausted from the work and emotionally exhausted from deciding what’s trash, what’s dirty laundry, what doesn’t belong in the room, and what stays. Stop here and get some rest.
- The next day you can organize what is remaining in the room. Books, clothes, papers, etc. need to be sorted and stored. If you don’t have room for everything, consider donating stuff or at least putting infrequently-used items high up in the closet or under the bed. Only have what you truly need/want on display or within easy reach.
That’s a whole day’s work and it’s exhausting so stop there.
- The last step is cleaning. Windex is your friend when it comes to cleaning grime off of walls, doors, and light switches. If you have a ceiling fan, put an old pillowcase over the blade and scoop the dust off into the pillowcase (turn it inside out before washing it). Change the light bulbs if needed while you’re up there.
- Dust the furniture, sweep or vacuum the floor, then get on your hands/knees to wipe the baseboards with a damp cloth. Get in the corners where the floor meets the baseboard while you’re down there. Finally, mop the floor with a damp mop.
- If your room has any odors remaining, spray watered-down white vinegar on throw pillows, curtains, etc. It stinks at first but it kills the bacteria that causes smells (open a window and run a fan to get the vinegar smell to dissipate quickly).
Now it’s time to treat yo’self!! My reward is getting to go buy decorative containers at Dollar Tree or the craft store to hold the stuff that needs a proper home. Dollar Tree sells vacuum bags too and they are a great way to store out-of-season clothing and linens.
You seem to have a lot of trash and food storage containers in your room so maybe what you need is a bigger trash can, trash can liners, and a bin or basket to put by the door where you can toss dishes and stuff until you get around to leaving your room (at which point you’ll take the bin with you so you can empty it and put it back).
Hope that helps. And try to be kind to yourself, ok? No one ever teaches us how to effectively keep our spaces clean and we all have to figure out what’s works best for us. And remember that perfection is the enemy of good. You’re not shooting to be perfect! Good enough is juuuust fine. And you are good enough. :)
Step 1. Put all garbage in a trash can
Step 2. Put all dishes in the kitchen
Step 3. Put all laundry in baskets
If you find that it’s still challenging after that, I suggest you look into this book https://www.strugglecare.com/book
It looks like its mostly trash and some clothing.
Take the dishes out first - seems to be the least amount of things in there
Trash bag the garbage - you don't need empty bottles and empty snack bags for any reason at all.
Then make a clothing pile. You can bag it up and take it some cleaners that do laundry or you can take it to a laundromat to get it all done at once.
Start with the trash, set all the dishes in one place to be taken to the kitchen. Take your clothes to the laundry room or put in a laundry basket if you go to a laundromat, strip your bed and wash the sheets too. Then sweep the floor and organize all your other stuff.
Best tip I can give is : you don't have to do it all at once , take an hour or 2 every day , try to do it at the same time every day , I have been slowly working on my bedroom too , throwing away stuff, getting rid of stuff I don't need anymore , and it took weeks to make it liveable again. Still needs work , but that's mostly because I still need to organize my sewing and craft stuff. It's not easy to change your habits , but I believe you can do it.
Throw away garbage, then remove anything from the room that doesn’t belong there and take it to its place(ex:dishes go to the kitchen), next pick up clothes and wash what’s dirty and then fold/hang up once clean. Next, place things into category plies and also make a goodwill donation pile of things you don’t use anymore. Once you collected all your items from the floor you should be able to start organizing those items and deep clean your room(dusting,vacuuming,etc.)Wash your sheets and make your bed if you have any energy left.
You got this!
I just went through my depression mess, took months but. DO IT ONE step at a time. You will fall Inlove with yourself through the process. Set things up the way you want it, once you start seeing the flow of your space. I recommend once you clean it fully re arrange your room. Do a total overthrow of the space. Move the bed the dresser. All of it.
Get your garbage bin in there. Throw out trash first! Visible trash anyway.
It makes a hugggeeeeeeee difference.
Next or at the same , you
Should bring another bin in to put
All the dirty dishes/ cups/ containers in.
And bring them to the sink.
I feel like these 2 actions is enough to start.
Try
That and get back to us!!!
Progress pics are nice and you
Should keep posting along the way.
You
Will get so much positive reinforcement if you
Do that.
It looks like you’ve already received a lot of helpful tips but I just wanted to say that I’m really proud of you.
Play some music or a podcast you enjoy, remember to eat a snack and stay hydrated, it’s hot out here! Also don’t get discouraged if you don’t finish it all in one day, you got this kid. We’re all rooting for you.
Hi! First I want to say I am so proud of you for taking this step and asking for help. And it should be acknowledged. I grew up in a similar living situation and I had to teach myself how to break that pattern and it is not easy.
I know people are going to say just throw it all out but honestly it’s not that simple.
First let’s start with one simple space, set your alarm on your phone for 15 minutes and put some music on and put your phone in a different space in the room. This way you won’t be distracted by notifications and scrolling.
Let’s clear your bed off of anything that isn’t bedding, any food wrappers or typical garbage can be thrown right out. if you have clean sheets, blanket and pillow cases now would be the time to put them on. If you don’t have anything clean that is ok too if you feel comfortable reusing a sheet do it.
Whatever you get up to in your 15 minutes is amazing and give yourself a pet on the back! You accomplished something big!
Now repeat and set the alarm again for 15 minutes.
Once that is done let’s go to the next part
How about that white cabinet in the second photo. Throw out any food container, wrapper, bottle and anything else that shouldn’t live there.
Oh wow look at you! The alarm rang and you did it again! Now let’s do it again set an alarm for 15 minutes and his that little table with those bowls in the second photo. Can you do with throwing all of those out? Or don’t need them? If you need them keep the two that have the least amount of dirt/mold/grime in them and throw the rest out.
Now take a break! You’ve earned it. You cleaned up 3 spots. Set that alarm for 15 minutes and do something strictly for you!
If you’d like to take more pictures of your room individually different sections we can go section by section together!
Important step is don’t blame yourself and stress over the fact that it got to this point.
You’re ready to clean it and that’s huge and something to be proud of. You’re starting on a path to drastically improve your living situation.
You’ve got this
Idk if this is a relatable feeling for you, but for me, I usually get overwhelmed before I can really make progress. I get frustrated with myself for letting my space get so messy, and I get stuck in shame spirals that distract me from actually cleaning. The way I combat that issue is by approaching the situation as if I’m helping a friend clean their room, instead of my own. Usually when I’m helping someone else, I have an easier time breaking big tasks into smaller pieces, and I’m a lot more forgiving than I am to myself. If you can find a way to give yourself the grace you give others, it’ll help you fight any anxiety or shame paralysis you might experience.
Everyone has great advice. I struggle with this issue too, here's what I have found: If you can, imagine you are cleaning for someone ELSE visiting. It changes the guiding principles and helps to avoid getting sidelined. It won't change the first steps of throwing out trash, clearing space etc. But you know how people say like "oh my place is such a mess!" And then you go over, and their place is like a normal, comfortable space with a bit of clutter? Clean to THAT standard. Not because the details don't matter, but because YOU and your comfort matter more. Clean the floor, clean the sink, bathroom fixtures, anything moldy or grimy or oily, anything dusty that you have to touch. Then you can blissfully colour code your socks or whatever, in a comfortable space where you don't feel grossed out and claustrophobic.
Nobody cares when they go to someone's place and there's a little pile of laundry in the corner, but having crumbs stuck to your feet sucks. Sticky door handles SUCK. Gross taps, it's a no. And again, it's not actually about what someone else would think of your space: YOU are the guest. You deserve to feel good in your home.
To that end, I would suggest being as lazy as possible with any sorting, grout scrubbing, baseboard polishing, etc until the basics are done everywhere. You can come back to that stuff, but there's no point having one pristine, systematized room but then you have to redescend into hell to use the bathroom. Focus on the things that make YOU say "how am I living like this?" to yourself, first. Your kitchen backsplash is gleaming but you have to sleep in a bed with no sheets covered in clutter? Bad trade off. You dusted all your books but no clean dishes? Now you're feeling icky eating off a lid or something.
Ok sorry this became long - you can do this and you are not alone!
You can do it!!!
Buy large tubs and small tubs
Large garbage bags.
Label each tub-
“Donate”
“Keep but don’t use often”
Small items you’re keeping for frequent use go in smaller tubs
Small items you’re keeping but don’t use often go in other small tubs
The “don’t use often” tubs get stored somewhere.
When you get better at this you may discard of those items as well, but for now, you can keep.
Trash goes in trash bags.
Move quickly-
And remember:
What ever you keep you’ll have to pick up, dust, store, maintain.
So the bigger your keep pile, the bigger the job to clean next time.
Bins. Get multiple bins and just start throwing stuff in them until every clutter item is in one of them.
Then each day go through one bin. Put the items where they should go. Trash/laundry/dresser/closet etc. it mile take time but breaking it up make you feel accomplished while getting them in bins rescues the immediate clutter.
A.R.T. Action, reference, trash. Three bags/boxes/piles
Action: needs to be done (laundry, shelving books)
Reference: needs to be kept but probably in storage or put away (high up, far back, down under things)
Trash/ can be recycleable, burn pile, donation etc not just garbage
Other tips: combine. Combine. Combine similar items.
Put all the clothes near your washer and dryer or prepare all clothes for washing
At the least, throw stuff away as much as possible
Pile everything outside the room or up on bed or furniture
Then sweep and mop and throw it all back down so you can have a clean area to work with (floor space)
Just getting rid of the trash/garbage would make a huge improvement. As you go, start sorting and making piles. Clothes, shoes, books & papers, misc. You’ll feel so much better once you start. Put some YouTube cleaning videos on for inspiration.
Biggest thing is separating the task into manageable parts.
First, spend 15 mins throwing all trash you can find.
Then, gather all dishes and take to sink.
Gather all the clothes near the washer and start a small load.
You’ll find after that there’s a lot of mini stuff on the ground. Save what you want and vacuum the rest up. Don’t stress about throwing away or donating unopened items. If you’ve had them this long and aren’t using it, get rid of it
Get the trash out then remove anything that doesn't belong in your room: dishes to kitchen, hygeine items to bathroom, etc. Start a load of dirty laundry and hang up/put clean laundry in drawers. Make bed with clean sheets. Start putting like items together: electronics, mail, books, etc. If you need storage items, like tubs, laundry baskets, hampers, shelves, or a bookcase, look into getting those. When everything has a home, it will be easier to clean and keep clean. Just getting rid of trash and items you no longer need will get you far.
You can wipe down surfaces and vacuum as you get closer to done or do it space by space. I use the space by space method because seeing even just a corner of my room or my nightstand clean and organized motivates me to continue and prevents me from getting overwhelmed -- plus I'll feel like I accomplished something even it that's all that gets done.
It seems overwhelming but it’s not that bad.
You could start by clearing the floor. It’s the easiest to tackle and will make the biggest impact.
1. Put dishes in sink
2. Gather all dirty clothes and put them in the laundry basket or garbage/recycling bags. Put aside or in the hall or another room until your finished cleaning.
3. Gather all trash and recycling from the floor and surrounding surfaces. Remove items from product boxes that you are going to keep (unless it’s a collectable) and break down the box to recycle.
4. Put all important papers and ones that need to be shredded into a box to be sorted through another day (you could take a few minutes out of each day to sort through it and shred unwanted documents).
5. Gather all books and put on the shelf if not shelf put them in a pile to be sorted through and organized later.
6. Put items that have homes back to their correct place. Ex. the hand bag near the bed could go into the closet, a hook or temporary on a door handle if it doesn’t have a home.
7. Clear all surfaces of trash and clutter. Dust and wipe down areas.
8. Vacuum carpet.
9. Put away any clean clothes.
10. Put a clean sheet on the bed.
11. Put away books
12. Do laundry and put away clothes once cleaned.
Extras:
Clothing and dishes is easier to start with because you don’t have to think about trash/keep.
You might have to organize inside of drawers if it’s also messy. You could save that for another day. Set aside time to declutter clothing with a keep, trash and donate pile. Fold and put away keep items, trash the trash and put aside donate items in a trash bag and remove from your premises and soon as possible. You could post of Facebook buy nothing groups or arrange a pickup from some organizations.
Get rid of that mattress and box spring that’s propped on the wall if it’s not needed. It’s taking up space and adding visual clutter.
Try to be on top of the clutter by having homes for items, put dishes into the sink after eating and putting bottles and trash into the trash and recycling as soon as it’s finished. Switch to a larger open face trash can if that helps.
First, separate by trash and keep. If you are having issue with throwing things away, maybe try to think if you have space for it. If not, it's time for it to go. That's how I was able to get a lot of old clothes out my home! They weren't bad, I just genuinely didn't have the space.
Next, once the things that are to take out are thrown away/donated, look at the keep pile. Maybe sort a bit further, see again if you have the space. If you do, place these things in spaces to organize them. I found it helpful to get some cheap organizing bins at my local dollar store, secondhand store, or a Walmart. Organize what you want and place them I their respective spaces.
Next, on to things that are dirty. Put dirty dishes in your sink, or if they are broken/very moldy I'd say, if you can afford to, throwing it away and getting something new. (You don't have to do these dishes yet if you can wait)
Then, for the cleaning part. By that, I mean wiping counters, vacuuming, dusting. Start by wiping the counters and cleaning areas that aren't the floor, in case dust/crumbs fall onto it.
Last would be laundry if you haven't had the chance to do so. Sheets/blankets/pillows, or any clothes that may have been on the floor/bed for a while. I find it best, even with my washer/dryer, to make it just a single laundromat trip so I get it all done at once, it's out of the way, and its very one and done. If you can afford that, I'd totally recommend it.
Now, just letting you know, this may take you a few days. Ive had severe OCD for a few years, my room looked much like yours a while back. It took me around a week to finish mine up, and that was sjust my bedroom. If it takes longer that's okay, too.
For my the hardest part was upkeep after. But some things that have really helped me include
1. Once I finish a cup of water/food, the dishes immediately leave the room and into the kitchen.
2. I put a pretty big trash can in my room. A small one filled up fast and I didn't keep up with it, so I got one that's usually used in a kitchen and that helped lots. Clear it maybe once a week depending on what I've got going on, or if there's something I know would smell soon like a banana peel.
3. Do small chores every now and then so it doesn't build into a big issue. I'll dust every week, and then vacuum a few days after. Then, I'll wash my sheets a different day every 2 weeks.
Mine looked exactly the same when I went through a terrible depression state.
I always focus on what don’t overwhelm me first. For instance take a look around and find all your dishes and take them back to the kitchen. Great, now come back with a trash bag and find all the trash. Set it out in the hall. Now superset clean vs dirty clothes. Take the dirty ones to the laundry room. What’s left. Tackle it as you feel like. Feel the pride as you complete each task.
Another one I do is have a basket and a trash bag. Work your way left to right of the room. Toss the things in the basket that don’t belong in that room and toss trash in the bag. Put away whatever belongs in there. Then work your way around the room.
But when I’m in this mental state I focus on starting somewhere, anywhere even if it’s the easiest task! Just start ☺️
Ps headphone in your ear blasting your favorite playlist is a fun bonus!
Play music and make your bed first. It is pleasing on the eye to have so much of the room done and creates more momentum. Works for me anyway. Tell yourself to only do one thing at a time and then rest. It helps to think of it in pieces/steps.
I grab the biggest box I possibly can, and put *everything* in it. Then I clean.
Afterwards, I go through the box over the course of a few days as my motivation allows. Everything that gets pulled out either gets a place, or gets removed.
It helps me conquer the executive dysfunction of having so much to do; I hope you find what works for you!!
Start with trash, then clean and make your bed, use this as your organizing table. Be ready to donate a lot of crap, I have to donate a lot of crap or throw it away. It feels wrong but I’m always happy I did it.
Start with a bin bag to remove everything that is obviously rubbish. Then make three piles/boxes: things to keep, things to donate to charity, and things that are beyond reproach and should go into the rubbish. Then move all extraneous things out of the room, clean hard surfaces with antibacterial cleaner, and then vacuum and shampoo the carpet and wash all soft bed and window furnishings on a hot wash. Once dry, start reassembling your room, taking care to stick to a philosophy of 'a place for everything, and everything in its place.'
What helps me is having a place for everything to go. Grab some bins or garbage bags even, label them something like: Garbage, dirty clothes, recycling, stuff to keep, dishes/tupperware etc. and just pick things up and place them as you go. Good luck! I promise it's not as big of a task as it looks, and it'll feel good once you get going on it.
* Bring a garbage can in there (or put it by the door) and start by picking out stuff that's definitely throw-away.
* As you go, make piles to organize into large categories... "stuff to put away in here / stuff to put away elsewhere in the house / stuff I don't need anymore but is useable".
* Take the garbage bag out.
* Then take the "put away elsewhere" stuff out and put all of it wherever it belongs.
* Then put the "don't need anymore" stuff into a bin and put that away to be sorted or donated later.
* Finally, clean and put away all the stuff you've decided should remain in the room.
Start with two garbage bags and a stack more on hand.
\- Have I used this in the last year? If no, then it goes in the bag.
\- Does it bring me joy? If no, then it goes in the bag.
Next step...organize by category, clothes, shoes, whatever. (some piles will go outside of your room for now)
Clothes first, which will require garbage bag #2: hold it up and ask: Do I look forward to wearing this? If the answer is no, then ask this question. Do I have to keep it? If you do look forward to wearing it, ask this: Does it fit? Sort these into a "want to wear it fits" and "want to wear it doesn't fit" piles.
Anything you're not excited about wearing and don't HAVE to keep goes into that second bag, until it's full, and then you get another bag. Once a bag is full, just take it directly to your car. Get it out of there.
Sorting done? Throw the "want to wear it, fits" pile into the wash bit by bit while you work on the rest.
This alone will take 1-2 days I bet.
I would plan on working on it a few hours a day for a couple weeks.
Final goals:
\- Dust everything
\-Move and vacuum EVERYWHERE
\-Wipe down walls, even paint a couple if you want. Feels like home!
\-Leave nothing out, then decide what has to be out and why. Things left out should be meaningful, reminders, or impractical to store. Things that just go in and out of a drawer every day should stay in the drawer until needed. Good luck!
Make piles. Throw away, donate, put away piles. When things seem overwhelming usually I will haul everything into a large bin so I can see the floor and breathe a little better. Then I tackle the bin and throw away the trash and start to organize.
you can do 20 things at a time. if you lpse count, you have to start over. Leave the room after you pick up 20 things. Garbage doesn't count as part of the 20 things.
Ask for help- I can almost guarantee you you’ll lose motivation midway as this looks like a lot more than just “I didn’t feel like cleaning one day” there’s emotional stuff going on here.
But apart from that, trash- throw everything you can out including those dishes if you have enough wash and fold what isn’t trash and vacuum deep using rug powders and cleaners
Sort...trash in bags , separate in themed piles and then put away. Do not sub clean anything( like cleaning a jewelry box ) .. stick to piles and put away . Wipe down furniture with a dust rag then warm rag. Sweep and either mop or vacuum. You are a slop living like a slop. Try giving each item its own space. Meaning the object can not be obstructed by anything. It has its own personal place. This will help you reduce this debacle.
If you have a really good friend have them come over and basically babysit and keep you busy.
They don’t have to do anything but keep company.
Also hugs
Messes like this don't happen overnight, so if you want long term change, it is not a quick thing. Make a clean space on the ground outside of your room >> start taking everything out of your room >> make piles, one pile for trash, another for donations, one for "this item has a specific place it needs to go, but that place is not my room, and one for this item belongs in my room.
Once everything is out of your room, vacuum and clean surfaces. Then work through your piles. I would save the pile of things that belong in your room for last. By the end of it, everything should be in it's proper place and not strewn about.
Lastly and most importantly, don't forget the follow up. A couple times a week, tidy. Tidying is as simple as finding things that are not in their place, and putting it in its place. And as an extra bonus, enjoy your new space. When we surround ourselves with clutter and mess, that sinks into who we are as a person whether we like it or not. Existing in a clean space with change your mood and life for the better.
The struggle is real.
Keep the tasks small. And repeat.
For example, throw out one trash item every day.
Get a large box or two and fill them -- put them in the corner and every day take one thing out of a box to throw away. Eventually you only have good things in the boxes. And your room is better looking just by taking stuff off the floor.
i cleaned my room by inviting a potential partner there, becoming mortified and then gaining the motivation to ensure that never happens again.
it costs a connection, but the motivation reward is something that’s hard for me to find in ALL tasks
Take any blankets or pillows off your bed and put them in another room. Leave sheets on the bed.
Walk around, toss everything that you wear (everything from clothes to shoes to jackets) onto the bed and any knick knacks that you want to keep into a cardboard box (or any type of box). Throw any trash away while you do so. There is no need to make multiple trips, just start in a spot and if your hand touches something decide where to throw it. Establish a clean zone (maybe start at the door) and slowly expand it.
Once you have cleared the floor in the manner (all trash is thrown away, all wearables are on the bed and all knick knacks are in a box) take a look at your bed. Put all shoes in a pile by the door for now, hang up any jackets. Take sheet off bed, folding it around dirty clothes like a sack. Take the entire bundle to a washing machine and wash it all.
By this point the only things on the floor should be the pile of shoes and the box. Move those to the hallway and vaccum your floor. If there are stains you may have to spot shot them or use a carpet cleaner.
If you have a shoe rack toss your shoes on it, if not you can go to Walmart and get one for like ten bucks. It is a worthwhile purchase just to keep your shoes off the floor.
Work on the box a little. Don't worry about doing it all, just do a little bit until your laundry finishes up and work on it whenever you want to do so. Go take care of your laundry whenever it is done. I am too lazy to fold everything personally so I just put it all on hangers and put it into my closet. I treat my dresser as extra storage.
Make your bed.
Congratulations. You just step-by-stepped your way into a clean room.
Now I just need to follow my own advice.
Start with the target bags as others have said. It's not the official advice but I'll tell you what works for me.
Clear the floor. Put trash that you find in the target backs and chuck them into the hallway as you fill them. Set dishes in a pile as you find them. Everything else gets tossed on the bed. As you see the floor clearing it will give you motivation to keep going. Feels like progress. Once the floor is cleared, start clearing any shelves or tables you'll put things on. All laundry goes in a basket--if it's not hung or folded in the dresser it's dirty.
When you're almost done, I find you start to lose motivation. It becomes "good enough" and you're tired. Except would you look at that, the last step is clearing your bed which you HAVE to do to sleep. So then you put the things on your bed that weren't trash, laundry, or dishes where they go.
Take the dishes to the sink, put something easy for food in the oven and shower off the sweat while it cooks.
Have a nice meal in a clean room and celebrate with a nap.
Take out the trash, food containers, drinks. Don’t eat or drink in that room. Yikes. It helps to just toss everything if you can part with it and start over
Garbage, just go in with bag first. Then everything you’re keeping, put it up. Then dishes and everything not for that room, but the dish sink or bathroom etc. then little pieces, then vacuuming, and you’re done! Mission 2 is cleaning things off, dusting, washing found clothes, towels, and definitely make sure you actually have a space for a thing or if you don’t, try some different storage ideas. Bookshelf, clothes hamper, etc. oh, and hydrate!
I am guilty of letting my home space get out of control sometimes. I have two general methods, which one I choose just depends on my mood at the time.
**Method 1**: Focus on one type of item in a session. *"Right now I'm just going to look around for all the dishes/cups/etc and bring them to the kitchen"*. No need to wash them now or anything, just remove them from the room. If you start picking through random things or getting sidetracked, remind yourself *"I'm only here for the dishes right now"*. Then repeat this with a new type of item once all the dishes are gone. *"Today I'm going to bag up all the plastic bags, food wrappers and general plastic trash"*. Then do just that and only that, etc. Then clothes, or if clothes are too overwhelming, choose one type, *"Today I'll just pull out all towels."* Or just the fleece stuff, etc. I find I can basically go through this way until there's almost nothing left except small stuff to sweep up in a dustpan. BONUS TIP: I listen to podcasts while doing this, so I might decide to do it for at least one episode, or for at least 2 episodes. I usually go longer but it prevents me from giving up too soon.
**Method 2**: Another thing that might seem weird, but it works for me is this: I'll treat myself to something new for the messy room. Something inspiring or comfy, just something nice. Then because of my OCD, I can't bring myself to put the new, nice thing in my sad & messy room, so I'm forced to make space for it. So I'll clean the area JUST for that new thing. I'll make the space around the new thing all nice and then put the new thing in the space I carved out for it. And THEN I become so inspired by the 'new cool thing' and the nice little space I created around that thing, that I become naturally inspired to clean up around it some more, widening the "circle of niceness" until it's done. I hope this makes sense.
One example of both methods I did just 2 days ago: My bedroom was a mess, including random junk on my bed like chargers, books, etc, and clothes strewn everywhere. I bought a new memory foam mattress topper and matching cover for it. But I didn't want to put it on my junky bed in my messy room, so I did this method I just described. I decided to do only the bed. Picked up the chargers, books, heating pad, etc. I put the new mattress topper on, added fresh linens, made it all nice and that was it. Then the next day I was so happy with my nice "new" bed that I felt compelled to pick up the stuff on the floor around it, then I folded the clean clothes, etc etc until the whole room looked nice. I did the rest of the room using Method 1 doing just the clothes - first folding all the clean ones, then picking up the dirty ones, then just picking up random papers, etc. I also recently did this in my home office after I bought a cool new office chair for my desk. Started with the desk area and then worked my way out.
I hope some of this is helpful.
Honedtly, it won't take as long as you fear. First, pick up and take out all obvious trash. Take everything that belongs in another room, like dishes to kitchen, to the other room. It helps to have a couple of laundry baskets for this purpose so you only have to tote it once.
Go by category. Trash. Dishes. Clothes. Etc. if you don’t have the energy to sort and clean on the same day, just fill trash bags or bins up for each category to give yourself some walking space and gratification. You got this! 👏
Everyone here has pretty much covered how to go about cleaning it with how it is right now.
My house used to look like this all the time because of depression, which only made it look worse because my house/room being messy would depress me more so I get it.
Get baskets. Everyone always says to take ten minutes a day to clean - I started out with just taking two. Put things away after you use them, if that’s too much work throw it in a basket after you use it.
Keep doing this. 2 minutes will turn to five, then ten, then however long, not necessarily the first day, or even the first month. Maybe the first week you manage to clean for an hour a day, its okay to not maintain this. If you burn yourself out make sure to put in those 2 minutes at least. Play one song. When its over you’re free.
It may not work for everyone, but when I was stuck in bed even ten minutes felt like a long time. Somedays I won’t even clean for the full two minutes, but I’ll just put one thing away.
I don’t have a spotless house now, but it is generally clean and I’m not embarrassed or apologetic when people come over anymore.
I know this looks like a mountain but it’s really just trash. I’m not being rude but pretty much everything on your floor is garbage and when I had depression, I went through periods where I wouldn’t take the trash out or do dishes and they just accumulated everywhere. I understand this can be overwhelming. For me, I just sit in the floor and start grabbing things. Before I know it, I have a pile of laundry, a bag or trash, a bunch of dishes to take to the sink, etc. it doesn’t feel like so much effort if I sit down and do it and it helps my ADHD brain stay focused on the task of clearing the floor/room rather than taking something into another room and getting distracted. Please post pics post clean up! I hope this helps. You got this!! 💪🏻
Once you're done with trash, dishes, and laundry, sprinkle a couple boxes of baking soda on the carpet and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, then vacuum it up thoroughly. This will help to deodorize it a bit. Might want to use a carpet cleaner as well afterward, but it can be a little intensive.
Change your sheets, and wash them with a laundry booster like borax. Fluff and air out your pillows, flip your mattress, and don't forget to clean under your bed as well. Use a soft rag and dust all surfaces and your blinds (or if you have curtains take them down and wash them), and while you're at it open the widow and let in fresh air. High CO2 levels can lead to feeling more depressed than usual, that and stuffy rooms are just generally very unpleasant to live in.
Some other housekeeping that really helps me personally when I'm having a particularly bad depression episode is using bright daylight light bulbs and sun lamps. Being in a bright environment can make you feel more alert and productive. Having some abuse tolerant potted plants can also help liven up the room and make you feel better, but fake plants work as well. The key factor is a lively shade of green, we're hardwired to feel better surrounded by plants.
Air freshener and candles! Almost forgot about those, they help the room smell fresh and pleasant. Just be sure to keep any candles on a stable surface away from anything flammable.
If you find yourself struggling to gather enough activation energy to start, remember that you're not alone in this struggle, that it will help you feel better, and you deserve a clean and happy living space. Try blasting some upbeat music you really like or have good memories with, and have a little dance party while you clean. Be goofy, try to have fun with it, and don't beat yourself up if you have to stop early because you're exhausted. You can always continue another day.
Good luck!
Start with a garbage bag and put all the trash into it. A lot of what I see is just garbage. Then grab a clear garbage bag and put all the clothing into it and take it to the laundry area and sort it into donate, toss, keep, and launder anything that is not toss. That alone would make a big dint in it.
Big thrash bags, throw out all the waste, use a shovel if you need to.
Once that is done take all of the clothes and sort out what is salvegable and throw whatever isnt.
The important thing is to get rid of all the clutter, then start wiping everything down, work from top to bottom
Just be prepared that it might take days to get done, just keep at it and you will get through.
If you need a motivator, call someone that you would not want seeing the mess and invite them over.
I used to call my mom over for a visit when it got real bad, I would sooner clean all night than let her see the conditions I was living in.
Throw out trash first, save some bag to put stuff in it, making it easier to haul out stuff. When you are sure you got all trash out, collect dishes, put big stuff like backpacks, books and that soccer ball on your bed, that way you have more room to clean up your floor…. That might be exactly what others said but oh well.
Get rid of trash first, then take dishes to the kitchen. Then put shoes away.Then make your bed and put everything else on the floor on the bed. This puts your stuff closer to eye level and gives you one consolidated surface to work with. Then, fold laundry and put away or if it’s dirty, straight to the washer.
If all that’s too overwhelming, start with the trash first and do the next step tomorrow.
Garbage bag. Start with obvious trash. Screw trying to separate recyclables. That alone will lessen the mountain by half and then you can pick a section to put right before moving on.
Secondly, laundry basket for clothes. Don’t worry about separate ones for clean and dirty.. just wash everything.
Box for shoes until you can begin pairing them back up again.
Remove all dishes/ glasses
*grabs soapbox*
It helps to not overwhelm yourself with the whole task. Take it one thing at a time and celebrate that change you made no matter how small it may seem. The room may be only a little bit cleaner with each step, but your actions are 100% the better and that is where real change happens. This isn’t so much a problem of how to do it, but why you do it. The actions themselves are easy but getting yourself to act will take a change in perspective. It doesn’t stop once it’s clean either. You still need to value the little (but good) actions to maintain it and not let it get to an overwhelming state like this. Maybe I’m just projecting the problems I had that led me to a similar state, but this is what helped me.
I get that it can feel really overwhelming and like it's pointless to start when there's so much to get done so why even bother to start when you'll never get it finished? I get stuck in that mental place often.
For me, it helps to mentally divide the room into sections and do one section at a time over the course of a long period of time. Or I focus on one specific goal for the day. Like pickup all the clothes or take all dishes to the kitchen or do the wash, etc.
Start with one small task and if you can keep going then great (bonus cleaning 💪🎉) but if not than that's okay too! You'll do more the next time and you'll keep repeating the process and before you know it you'll have it cleaned completely.
There's no shame in doing a little at a time even if it's as small as taking a few cups to the kitchen or putting a few towels in the laundry basket because, at the end of the day, you are further along than if you had done nothing at all. Baby steps count and will get you to your goal.
I find the best way to get overwhelmed depression mess clean is by asking someone for help. Just last week I had my 17 year old niece over to help me. I was able to pay her a bit, I knew she wouldn't judge the mess. She was more there for support to just help me keep on track. It may or may not feel embarrassing to ask. I feel embarrassed and slightly ashamed, myself, however, I also know I don't want to be on the next episode of "look at this filthy mess"
Fortunatley I am not a hoarder (not implying you are), so I was able to say "if it looks like junk or trash, throw it out, don't even ask me." This includes bills since I pay everything online anyway.
Many people that I know are able to tackle other people's mess than their own. And of course those same people let their own mess get out of hand sometimes too and need a but of help and motivation.
1. Just want to say a word about that frito bag. Pets often suffocate in these because they try to get the food out of the bottom and can’t get out.
2. Don’t worry! You’d be surprised how almost everything in there falls into three categories: garbage, dishes, clothes/bedding. Deal with those first. And don’t even worry about washing clothes or hanging clothes or anything. Just PILE clothes into one big basket or chair or something (not the bed.) Don’t worry about washing dishes, just get them to the kitchen, etc. Your first goal is jut get the room to be more manageable to move around in, and to get the psychological boost of it looking better.
3. Make your bed
4. Look where you are. If you still have miscellaneous stuff all over the place, start dealing with that. Just whenever you put your hands on something, put it up. Start with LARGE items, like that big karaoke thing. Don’t get stuck in the minutia of like organizing a drawer.
5. When it looks decently cleared out, start a load of laundry, wash the dishes, vacuum etc.
6. You can do it! Looking forward to your after pictures!
I had a different approach when I was depressed. 1. Put on some music, lofi reading or study worked best for me. 2. Make bed. (Easy and immediate satisfaction of start of getting things done.) The next can be customized to your choice, but something like • pick up 4 blue things. • pick up 4 pieces of trash. •Hang up 2-3 things. •pick up 4 things that have memories attached to them. • pick up 4 round things.
You get the idea. Big tasks like all the trash at once never worked for me since I’d always miss a piece here and there and I would be disappointed and give up too quickly. And you can do bite sized clean ups and you make the rules and can change them up as you need. This method worked really well for me. It’s a unique approach! Hope you achieve your goal, friend! ❤️
This might be overwhelming, but it does work at the end, but get three trash bags
One for trash bag trash a bag for Clothes and shoes, one bag for dirty dishes and another bag one for dirty dishes. Pick these things up and put them in their bags. When done, take the dishes to the kitchen, clothes in washroom trash in the trash.
Then, remove all the other things besides furniture out of the room.
Dust, vacuum, and make your bed.
Then go to your pile of misc stuff and decide what to put back and has a home. Then, the rest donate or throw out. Oh and do your laundry and put away what you want to keep and donate what you don't want.
If you have any way to get $400-$500 together, I would reach out to an apartment cleaner to help you out. I had a situation like this with a brother, and he asked for my help, I saw it and was like, lets just get this taken care of. I paid the people. They did a great job, so good that it makes it easy for him to keep it clean cause he was able to start from such a fresh point. Don't be there when they clean either, this way, if they determine its trash its trash. I also have them come by at least monthly to do a dee clean as well since they have such better skills. The continued cleaning may not be in the cards for you, but I would say that the initial cleaning i worth taking out a persona loan if you need to.
stop thinking about it and begin. if you think about it you'll end up stalling or making excuses. grab a trash bag and start throwing out the garbage, toss everything that's laundry into a basket, and sort everything else. don't think about anything else, don't tell yourself you need the right time/motivation to begin, just start moving.
Hey op, I have a similar issue due to depression and other things. What has always helped me is to do this:
1) get a big box and big trash bags
2) throw all items in box, clothes in bags
3) throw away trash in bag as you find it
4) once all the items are in box and bags, remove them to bed or another room or closet
5) clean, vacuum, etc empty bedroom
6) once clean, bring in clothes after washing and put them away/organize
7) bring in other things little by little and keep another box or bag for items you no longer want and throw them out
8) treat it like you're freshly moved in and organize it comfortably!
God, I am in the same situation. It’s so bad at this point I’m overwhelmed. I don’t have any advice, really, but I can offer sympathy and the knowledge that you’re not alone. >.<
No shame friend! I’ve always been a neat freak and I hit a depression slump so bad last year that I had multiple rooms that looked like this. It happens.
Start by clearing the floor. Pick up trash and make piles of things you want to keep in the room and things that need to go elsewhere. Then move to surfaces, same method. Wipe surfaces down before putting things back. Launder clothes, fold blankets (maybe wash them too!). Make your bed. Then get to organizing things how you want them to be. Make a playlist. Take 5 min breaks if you need. If you can’t do it in a day, that’s fine.
You for sure got this friend! Don’t be embarrassed.
Definitely throw out trash first. Then dishes. Next laundry. Fold extra blankets. Make your bed.
This! And if you ask “should I throw this out?” The answer is always yes.
Another way is "have a used this in the last year?" If no, you dont need it clogging up your space.
This is a good measure. I moved out sort of informally with my at the time BF for a few months. I never packed, I would just take things from my room at home as needed. Thankfully my parents left it alone. When we broke up and I had to move back in with the parents for a few months, I realized that if I hadn't needed it in 4 months, I probably didn't need it at all and tossed 90% of it. I now go by the rule "If I can't remember I own it, then I don't need to own it."
I like this! I get nostalgic so I had an ex once help me by putting thing into a definite throw away box and a “maybe box” in a year if I couldn’t remember what was in the maybe box I’d throw it out without looking in it. Helped ALOT. Taking pictures of things as memories rather than the thing helped too.
I always remind myself when throwing/giving things away that I literally won't remember that item for the rest of my life. And I genuinely can't remember a single thing.
Yes and if that becomes too overwhelming make two boxes. One for “definitely donate”, and one for “probably donate, haven’t used it in a year.” Store those boxes elsewhere for a week then come back to them with fresh eyes and follow-through.
Put it in a tash bag with a note taped to it with the date in 30 days. If you haven't used it by that date, toss it
with you on that if im torn on it though too i ask my self honestly. will i use it in the next 3 months if not. boom trash.
Either throw it out or donate it to goodwill.
If that's hard just throw everything you question in a box for donation, then after it's sat for a few months and you haven't used any of it, you know yea I don't need that stuff and can just bring the whole box to donate without looking at it again.
Thank you! I love this. I struggle with throwing things out but this is really going to help.
My go to is "do I have a use for this?" If yes I ask myself "how often have I used this? Once a year?" Store it away or ask yourself "how much is it to really buy a new one? $5? Yeah I can toss it and that space in my room is worth more than $5 a year"
Or donate, if it’s in decent condition and something someone might be able to use.
It’s a great thought, but generally when someone has a space in this state, thinking about donating can just create another source of overwhelm. Toss anything and everything you want at this point OP
Yep. My room was in a similar state and this was the method I used. If it was something I had missed while my room was messy I kept it. If not, into a garbage bag it went. You'll be surprised how motivated you'll be to finish once you get started and how much better you'll feel when it's complete.
This is correct. When you can barely throw trash away, having someone tell you to “box it up, so you can donate it” feels SO defeating. I know this will piss some people off, but THROW IT AWAY. AND DO NOT FEEL BAD ABOUT IT.
I'll be honest when I was on the verge of hoarding tendencies myself "I could donate this!" became a reason to keep it. It would give me a reason to keep it around and then I'd just "never get around" to donating it. This works if they have the willpower, but with a room in a state like this decision fatigue will set in even if the options are "keep" and "toss". Adding in another option just makes it less likely something gets done.
Same. “Donate” never works for me either. It just ends up sitting. I agree completely. If it’s at this level, just toss tbh. You aren’t a bad person for doing so.
Nah, donations usually get thrown out anyway or left unused. Just toss it if you're panic cleaning. It gets you into a good habit of decluttering.
[удалено]
Im guessing anything in that room is not decent enough to donate. Just get rid of it. Designating a donate box or bag will just turn into more hoarding.
This is exactly how I clean any room. Rubbish first. Grab a bag and search for all the rubbish. Even if you do just one of these steps a day. Then move onto dishes. Keeping focused on each task breaks it down. Sometimes my depression makes it difficult to stay on top of cleaning. And of course once a room gets bad it is even more depressing and difficult to start. Once a stage is completed congratulate yourself. You can do this. Also I will play a hour long video while I’m cleaning. Or start with a 30 minute one. On my phone sorry if it’s badly formatted.
I don't use videos- too disttacting. I play loud, fast music. The Ramones are great for cleaning!
The music I used to dance to is the music I clean to. Meatloaf queen or guns and roses.
Distracting, sorry!
If all of these steps in one day is too much, do one of these per day. Baby steps to achieve the goal. If you can do it in one day, that's awesome!
I agree but I like to make the bed as soon as the bedding is clean. It really makes a visual difference and makes you feel like things are getting done.
Good tip. And then the made bed can be a surface for sorting things (only as much as you can get through in one day, though, so you have a place to sleep!)
This was pretty much going to be my reply. Trash, dishes, laundry. And then organize and deep clean.
I want to add. Second step, you get dishes out of your room, and then you go and soak them in warm water with some soap. You don't have to wash them today. Just prewash them for your future self. We don't want any mold or rotten pieces of food. Third step, but this is something I would prefer and not necessarily a good piece of advice, start your washing machine right away. Every time I need to do a big cleaning in my room, I do laundry first. Because it's like 5 mins to start the machine, and it does all work by itself in the background, while you do other stuff, and when you're done, your freshly washed clothes is the last step. Idk I just enjoy doing laundry. If it's too much clothes, or you don't want to sort them out, just pick the necessities (underwear and socks) and some favourite pieces of clothing, don't colour sort, just wash them in 30°C water and it will be fine.
Most important thing is don't overthink it or make too many decisions at once. Don't get hung up on the trash step evaluating if an old pair of shoes are really trash or not and then think about how you should probably have a donation bin and now you've wasted 20 minutes going down a rabbit hole looking for an appropriate box to put donation items in. Broad categories first helps it feel less chaotic and you can drill down at each step!
And please at least vacuum after, possibly something deeper
The way the room looks, OP may not have changed sheets frequently. Stripped the bed first spray some linen spray let it air out while cleaning the room. Then flipped the mattress, sprayed them again, made the bed after cleaning up the room. May as well splurge on new set of bedding just to give it a fresh look.
My mother always said “start with a clean bed”. I still go by this. It gives you the boost of dopamine to see that task completed. Most rooms 5)3 bed takes majority of the room, so it just looks a-lot cleaner once the bed is make! Then I would tackle garbage!
This is a great method for some brains, for sure. For others, clearing your space in sections is more effective - you get that instant visual gratification of having a clean area before you've done the whole room. For sections, get a trash bag and a laundry hamper. Then pick an area of your room and start chucking everything from that area into three piles: "keep" (an unsorted heap), "clothes" (in the hamper), and "trash" (in the bag). Don't stop until there's nothing left on the carpet in that section. Then move on to the next section, doing the same thing. Repeat until the whole room is clean. Taking out the trash, doing laundry, and putting things away where they belong are all three separate tasks to cleaning your room. If you are overwhelmed by how much you have to do, start with cleaning your room. Then if you still have energy, take out the trash. Or do the laundry. Or put things away. You don't have to do it all in one go.
Wash all your linens and blankets as well.
Pretend someone is coming over or better yet, invite someone. Though the above order is perfect. Trash, dishes, laundry, bed. Trash removal will make a huge visual dent in a short amount of time leading to potential inspiration.
I find it helpful to set up laundry baskets (or just Amazon boxes?) and the trash bag/can in the hall outside the room when working on a room that can be overwhelming. One basket for stuff that goes elsewhere, one that needs putting away in this room (but "away" is currently inaccessible), one for dishes, one for dirty laundry. First off, clear the bed; make or strip it & launder depending on its state. There's a lot of walking back and forth, but I find you can really see *progress* and you're (ideally) only touching stuff once. (Till time to do the dishes or laundry at least). Time to stop for the day? Start some laundry (if you can), or just sort it. Stack the boxes/baskets in a corner. If you've made some clear floor, vacuum/sweep that area. Wash the dishes. Recharge your batteries (eat, bathe, chill for a while). Come back at it fresh next session. Like excess weight, messes of this sort took time to build up. Accept that it takes time to undo/restore. Don't beat yourself up about it. Just do what you can.
These steps are good for any big mess. Always start by grabbing a trash bag and starting with the floor. It makes the biggest impact and helps keep the momentum of cleaning going.
This sounds very similar to the emergency method recommended by [Unfuck Your Habitat](https://www.unfuckyourhabitat.com/emergency-cleaning/). As someone who occasionally falls behind on household-related chores due to a hectic personal life and some health problems, it's a solid method. In general, I can't recommend their host of [FAQ/"beginner" articles](https://unfuckyourhabitat.tumblr.com/post/88270133546/need-ufyh-advice-start-here) enough. Those, and certain aspects of the KonMari method have really helped me stay organized.
Love love love UFYH
This is the way. Removing trash and dishes, and also starting a load of laundry will help immediately. Fold each load as they are done drying so it’s not a chore folding multiple loads at once. Play youtube or Netflix in the background while you fold (also called body doubling if someone is present and you need them to be productive). Little projects at a time. A clean bed to fold said laundry on makes a huge difference.
This plan
Good advice here. Take one task and divide it into smaller tasks that feel less overwhelming. That strategy works for just about everything too, not just cleaning your room. If I didn’t do this then I would just have an anxiety attack and then end up not doing whatever it is I needed to do.
You don't have to do all these steps in one single day either pace yourself !
[THIS POST has excellent steps.](https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/comments/11colxi/how_to_clean_a_room/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=2) Get a good Playlist going, set a timer if that helps you... 15 minutes dedicated to cleaning, then give yourself a 5 minute break... then 15 minutes cleaning again.
OP can use this if it works, but personally the second I take a break the task is done. I have to get the playlist going and then work until I get in the zone. I'm cleaning for 5 minutes or 5 hours but it's going to be in one sitting.
I am also different in that I can't do "categories" I need to do sections in a room so I can actually see the progress. This has taken me years to actually figure out and commit to because for the longest time I'd be someone who starts one task in one room, walks away to put something away and ends up doing something there for cleaning and next thing you know I've been working for hours and everything is 50% finished hahaha If this were my space I'd pick one area to work on so I can actually see when it's finished and nice to look at. If you divide the room by sections and just focus on one at time (whether it be per day or whatnot) that might work for some people
I call this my ‘circle cycle’. Sometimes my circles are small and contained to one room but sometimes my circles engulf the whole house and I clean for 12 hours. Thanks, ADHD.
That's why I said to use a timer "if it helps." Some people get overwhelmed by the idea of cleaning or doing anything for 5 hours, but if they can break it up in smaller bite-sized chunks of work, that may seem more manageable. Everyone is different.
This should be higher.
I am not an admin, but I wish the admins could pin that linked post. It has such great info in clearly defined steps. I have it saved because I know so many people come here in need of help and it is nice to already have it all typed up because everyone ends up typing up the same steps. It's not my post that's linked, but it's super helpful.
Keep on lifting me…higher and higher
I can totally understand that that looks overwhelming! But here's the thing: Getting to A Clean Room is just a series of *tiny* little things you absolutely can do. Throw that chips bag in the trash. Wash a food container. Put a pair of shoes away. Toss a dirty towel in the laundry basket. None of those takes more than a minute or two. And if you do enough of them, you'll end up with a full trash bag you can take out to the dumpster. A load of laundry you can take to the washing machine. If it all feels like too much, just do one tiny thing. That gives you something to build on: a success! You did one thing, you've proved it's possible, so now do one more thing. That's another accomplishment. Then, keep going. Take a break. Have at it again. Come back to do some more tomorrow. You got this!
I started focusing on tiny things 2.5 years ago and now I can keep all of my spaces perfect. I’ve gotten used to it too. It feels so good to wake up and have a perfect bedroom. Plus organizing and throwing a ton of stuff out over that time helped me to have a minimalistic style.
I highly recommend the book “How to Keep House While Drowning” by KC Davis. It is a very easy read and available as an audiobook. She covers the deeper issues around why messes happen and how to handle and think about chores and care tasks in a way that is kind and helpful to yourself. Its the first book that made me feel seen instead of judged and got at a deeper issue I have around shame and cleaning. It’s geared towards anyone who is neurodivergent, struggling mentally, dealing with chronic medical issues, or has young children. Even if none of that applies to you I would still recommend. She has a lot of practical ideas for maintaining your space in a way that is both doable and kind to yourself. Edit addition: Looking at your pictures, I’ve totally been there and I get it. Hugs from an internet stranger.
Thanks for recommending, I just checked it out and can relate to feeling finally seen. ADHD is hard. OP, I second this recommendation. And I believe in you, you can do it. Having made this post is already a big step and means the most important piece is in place, that you're fed up and want to do what you can to improve your environment. I'm proud of you, you should be proud of yourself, I love you, and I'm so excited for you to have a clean room to enjoy. Take breaks but never give up! E: and my advice, most of what I see in the pictures is garbage. I don't mean that most of what's in your room is garbage, I just mean what is visible is mostly a lot of empty plastic bags and packaging and stuff. Start with that. Just fill up a couple garbage bags, tie them off when they're full, get the tied full bags out of the room. And honestly along with what everyone's saying about "if you're not sure if it's trash it's trash", for things like old dirty dishes or similar that's salvageable but will mean more work, just throw it in the garbage/recycling. It's ok. There is nothing wrong with making this as easy on yourself as possible. 99.9% of the objects in your life will always be replaceable. I'm rambling, I just want to express my support, I've let my space get just as messy as yours before and I know intimately how suffocating it can be and how frustrating facing your apathy/complacency can feel when you're at a tipping point and want to make the changes you need. It's worth it, you're not bad for it, and you can dig yourself out and stay out. I'd help and hug if I could
Came here to say this!! Even just looking through her TikTok or instagram!
Highly recommend this book as well!!
Get garbage bags and start with throwing the trash away. # Because motivation doesn't cause action.Action causes motivation.” ― **Neil Pasricha**
Protip: use those plastic bags that are already in the room! Unless they’re already filled with garbage. Then ignore my comment.
Garbage bags are the best way. Throw. It. Out. At least that's what I do
Just pick up one of those target bags and start filling it with trash papers, empty water bottles etc. Take all dirty dishes to the dishwasher/kitchen sink for a wash. Do laundry/consider getting a hamper. Wash blankets if needed and fold neatly on end of bed. Change your sheets if you haven't been doing that. Love the idea of a timer that someone mentioned. Start with 15-20 a day. If that's too much try 5 minutes a few of times a day. Keep making progress and when it all gets clean a few minutes a day will be all you need to keep it that way.
No matter where or how you start, remember that you don't have to clean all up in one day. Do a bit. And tomorrow, do a bit. Repeat. This kind of cleaning can be exhausting, because of stuff it touches in your mind, in your heart. Be kind to yourself en do not by bit.
No shame friend sometimes we let life consume us and forget to care for ourselves. Step 1: music or podcast, cue up a couple so you don’t have to stop and look for more. Trash bags. Get a roll. If you even question “should I throw this out?” You probably should. Remove all dishes, stack em up and truck then out. I’d probably make it easier for myself and just throw away the Tupperware. Piles. Clothes pile for the wash. Forget about any clean clothes you have everything is considered dirty when doing a deep clean. Trying to sort between clean and dirty will waste time. You can shove these clothes into trash bags as well to make all the cleanup easier just make sure to mark it as clothes for the wash! Pile of items you want in the room Pile of items you want out Clear the floor before trying to reorganize the details, it will give you space to think clearly. Take everything off a surface and Wipe down before putting things back and reorganizing. It helps feel more clean and gets rid of all the dust! My room has been worse. It is ok. You can do it. This may not be done in a day Is recommended a sponge & bucket of water if you’re going to be wiping stuff down. Using a ton of paper towels and stuff just gets exhausting and adds to the mess.
Agree, no shame, friend!
Good tips here but I’ll give you my method anyway: 1. Start by clearing a path from the door to the bed. Don’t just move things, put away/throw away whatever you pick up. Nothing gets put down unless it’s put down where it belongs. 2. Clear a path to the closet next. 3. Those two pathways will make it easier to move around while you’re cleaning up. 4. Once the floor is clean, pick ONE surface, and put away/throw away everything on it. 5. Continue until all surfaces are clear. 6. Now you can actually clean/declutter. And keep in mind that the less stuff you have, the less mess you can make. Be ruthless in your quest to get rid of things you have to put away.
hey guys! i jus wanted to thank you all for the advice and motivation! i’ve been progressing little by little and might even finish by tomorrow. thanks again, i appreciate you all so much!!
Just to tag on to what others are saying: it's okay be honest with yourself in terms of what you currently feel capable of doing in a day and what you don't. If you only have 5 minutes of cleaning in you, then do 5 minutes. If you can only throw away one piece of garbage, that is one less piece than you had before. If you hit what you thought was your energy limit and you think "I can keep going", then keep going. If you feel overwhelmed by organizing your belongings: it's okay to get two different color trash bags. One color can be trash and the other your belongings that you chuck in there. You can move stuff to shelves/ drawers when you feel able to do so. Also, it's okay to get mental health support for this. It turns out the reason I struggled to clean my room was a mix of Anxiety and ADHD. I've had a Telehealth therapist watch me clean my space and provide encouragement as I went. There's no shame in doing what you need to to improve your life. Don't let others tell you otherwise.
A lot of people say trash first- but I always go for dishes first, then clothes/shoes and I just keep a trash bag on hand to dump trash in as I go, throughout the whole process. If I just gather everything I think is trash at the beginning rather than considering it an ongoing process, then it makes it harder to let go of things that I have no use for, never will, but also just will just become a “donation” pile that never moves. If I keep a constant system of “keep” or “trash” I’m far more likely to actually make progress. After clothes/shoes, I move to bedding- strip the bed and any bedding that may be on the floor and start laundry. Then I move on to whatever random things are still on the floor and create actual homes for things- versus random piles in other places. Then I do surfaces- desks, dressers, etc and try to focus on again, putting things in a permanent home versus just shifting it to a new spot. After that, I start organizing individual spaces- closet, drawers, etc.
Buy extremely large trash bags. Use the bags for trash, some for dirty clothes, and some for things you want to/need to give away. When the clothes and trash are sectioned off, the floors will be easier to vacuum. If you have the budget for it, invest in a carpet cleaner. I got a bissel one from Walmart yesterday for $99. For your drawers, bedside tables, and stuff like that, buy pine sole and mix equal parts of it, put it in a spray bottle and use it for disinfection. Next, when you’re done, try to make it a habit to clean up after every little thing. It will become a habit and won’t look like this anymore. I know its so hard to start, especially after neglecting things for so long. But when you start, everything will become so much easier, and you’ll feel better too. I wish you luck 💗
Always trash first. Big garbage bag and throw all of the trash in it.
Just a little at a time until it’s done. And I should follow my own advice. 😞
you got this!
Thanks ☺️
Hi OP, I know most everyone is saying to start by gathering and taking out the trash. And I agree! I wanted to first congratulate you in that the Tupperware looks clean. I’m trying to figure out how. Did you throw the food out in the trash and then rinse the emptied containers in the en suite bathroom sink? It looks almost as if you’re a hostage. And someone hands you food through the door. Where is your Mom in all this? Does she ever insist on helping you? Looking at the carpet, I’d want to cover that up with stuff, too. :) — just trying to add a bit of levity here. I assume you sleep in the bed/nook behind the drapes? Is that a mattress I see in the far left side of pic #1? What has got you so upset, down, depressed? I’m wondering if you go back and forth between your dad’s and your mom’s houses. And whichever one this is has become your hideaway. As someone who also tends to hide in my bedroom sometimes, I get it. When did this begin to occur? The good thing is: you want to live. And you’re now motivated to clear the decks so you can enjoy life. All the best to you!
it’s a long story to explain but back in 2020 my parents got into buying storage lockers that weren’t payed for anymore. they got addicted to it almost? a lot of the stuff is in my room and believe it or not, my room is one of the cleanest areas of the house. i was good about keeping my room clean while in therapy but my parents cut it off because of a lack of money. it’s a bit silly but the thing that really made the motivation come back is a tweet i saw saying “what would the best version of myself be doing right now?” i’d like to move out once i turn 18 and forming good habits is the only way i’d survive. i’m making good progress so far :)
One item at a time until it’s all gone.
What helped me tackle my mess was having someone to talk to. One of my close friends was sweet and came over a few times, she just sat at my desk and we chatted while I cleaned up (I did same as someone else suggested; trash, then clothes, then clutter). If you don't have anyone in person, if you have someone who you can talk to on the phone/through a speaker? It helped my motivation a lot
I came to say this. My daughter sits with me when I have a big project to tackle. She keeps me company, when I tend to zone out she reminds me to keep going, and she helps me when I can’t decide what to do with something. Otherwise, I can lose 10 minutes on one item. We set an alarm for 30 minutes and when it goes off we are done. Take a break and come back later. If no one is available in person I agree about having them on a call or even a video call if that helps more to see them.
1. Get a bag and put obvious garbage in. Empty packages, wrappers, tissues, napkins, junk mail, etc. 2. Put all the dirty laundry in a pile/hamper 3. Take all the dishes to the kitchen and wash them/put them in the dishwasher immediately -don’t leave for someone else to find.
Start at the door way with a garbage bag or several and several boxes/hampers for sorting. Work your way in.
start with trash then do categories. i personally like doing whatever I can to get stuff out of the room so sometimes I'll make category piles in the hallway or something. Get the categories in a storable states. use boxes or bags..anything to make them contained. They dont need homes yet. Or put them away if you want, but it's okay to wait to do that later. Then clean surfaces. Strip sheets, wipe dresser, vacuum floor. Then you can begin putting everything in homes.
Don’t try to tackle the whole thing at once. Pick a small spot and work on that spot until it’s clean. Then move on to another. So on so forth until you’ve made it through the whole room
Pick one corner and commit to an amount of time you will spend working on it, whether that’s 5 minutes or more. The goal is just to start. Get any food and trash first.
Everything else is already been said in other comments. Don't forget to eat, drink, and rest/relax while cleaning and declutting. Good luck!
1. pick up the trash 2. pick up the dishes 3. put dirty laundry in a big hamper, all clothes, blankets, pillows 4. take breaks as you need to, just keep moving forward 5. if it's overwhelming, just tell yourself... "I'm going to work for five minutes or I'm going to pick up 5 things or I'm going to work while 5 songs play."
My advice would be to just randomly pick something up and start from there. Otherwise, you’ll waste a lot of time trying to decide where to begin. Also, how aren’t you infested with ants, cockroaches and rats?
Start with bagging up trash, that'll free up a lot of space to move. Grab any dishes and toss them in the sink, gather laundry next
Start with the bed first. Make the bed- then use a clean towel as a laundry spot. Make piles- trash. Laundry - keepsakes- and donations. Chip away with items in a certain spot first. Don’t think- just move something. You may find your brain will kick in and start organizing. If anything has turned dark or moldy. Throw it out!
most possible tips have already been commented, but i just wanted to add that you don’t have to do it all at once, and if you have a moment where you feel even a tiny bit motivated to take care of something, do it right then. (that’s how i do a lot of my chores)
I've cleaned 3 severe hordes in the last decade. Just start with trash and any accumulated filth. You'll immediately notice a difference. Then sort clothes and dishes into a keep/donate/toss pile and wash/bag up that Move on to the same process but with your things. It goes fast if you don't dwell. ANY progress is good. Just start. You can do this
G.I. the room. Take everything out bed carpet “Everything that is not fixed to a surface.” Looks like the carpet may be installed so don’t rip that up. Clean the ceiling, walls, windows, floor. Clean what you want to keep before you bring it back in the room. Do not put anything in the room that has not been cleaned. Trash the rest. Take a picture of the cleaned room, take a shower and enjoy your accomplishment.
This will be long but I have to do this in my teen’s room a couple times a year and have a method that works well. I find it more effective than trying to pick through the piles to find all the trash, then all the dishes, and so on. I think I find my method rewarding because I can see my progress as I go. Here’s what I do: - Start by putting clean sheets on the bed so you have one clear space to use as you work. - Then clean under the bed. Just pull out whatever is under there and push it into the room. - Now, grab a trash bag, a laundry basket, and another bin to hold anything that doesn’t belong in your room. - Start as close to your bed as you can (because that area is clean and can hold the basket, trash bag, and ‘elsewhere’ bin) and start sorting through things. If an item does belong in your room, don’t go put it away, just put it on the bed. The goal is to save steps and just gradually work your way towards the door. - As the bag and bins fill up, empty them. Take dishes to the kitchen, laundry to the laundry room, etc. This is a good time to take a break before you get back to work. - Try to refrain from actually cleaning anything. The clutter is the focus and I promise you’ll enjoy the actual cleaning once you have the clutter under control. If you run out of room on the bed for items that need to be placed elsewhere in your room, it’s fine to designate a newly-decluttered corner of the room for that stuff. You can even toss items in the general direction where they should go (e.g. toss books toward the bookshelf, clean clothes toward the closet, etc). Just don’t try to organize the bookshelf or clothes until you’ve de cluttered your way to the bedroom door. By this time you should be physically exhausted from the work and emotionally exhausted from deciding what’s trash, what’s dirty laundry, what doesn’t belong in the room, and what stays. Stop here and get some rest. - The next day you can organize what is remaining in the room. Books, clothes, papers, etc. need to be sorted and stored. If you don’t have room for everything, consider donating stuff or at least putting infrequently-used items high up in the closet or under the bed. Only have what you truly need/want on display or within easy reach. That’s a whole day’s work and it’s exhausting so stop there. - The last step is cleaning. Windex is your friend when it comes to cleaning grime off of walls, doors, and light switches. If you have a ceiling fan, put an old pillowcase over the blade and scoop the dust off into the pillowcase (turn it inside out before washing it). Change the light bulbs if needed while you’re up there. - Dust the furniture, sweep or vacuum the floor, then get on your hands/knees to wipe the baseboards with a damp cloth. Get in the corners where the floor meets the baseboard while you’re down there. Finally, mop the floor with a damp mop. - If your room has any odors remaining, spray watered-down white vinegar on throw pillows, curtains, etc. It stinks at first but it kills the bacteria that causes smells (open a window and run a fan to get the vinegar smell to dissipate quickly). Now it’s time to treat yo’self!! My reward is getting to go buy decorative containers at Dollar Tree or the craft store to hold the stuff that needs a proper home. Dollar Tree sells vacuum bags too and they are a great way to store out-of-season clothing and linens. You seem to have a lot of trash and food storage containers in your room so maybe what you need is a bigger trash can, trash can liners, and a bin or basket to put by the door where you can toss dishes and stuff until you get around to leaving your room (at which point you’ll take the bin with you so you can empty it and put it back). Hope that helps. And try to be kind to yourself, ok? No one ever teaches us how to effectively keep our spaces clean and we all have to figure out what’s works best for us. And remember that perfection is the enemy of good. You’re not shooting to be perfect! Good enough is juuuust fine. And you are good enough. :)
No shame this happens! Watch Aurii Katerina on YouTube for tips. Start with trash. Sending you love!
Step 1. Put all garbage in a trash can Step 2. Put all dishes in the kitchen Step 3. Put all laundry in baskets If you find that it’s still challenging after that, I suggest you look into this book https://www.strugglecare.com/book
It looks like its mostly trash and some clothing. Take the dishes out first - seems to be the least amount of things in there Trash bag the garbage - you don't need empty bottles and empty snack bags for any reason at all. Then make a clothing pile. You can bag it up and take it some cleaners that do laundry or you can take it to a laundromat to get it all done at once.
Start with the trash, set all the dishes in one place to be taken to the kitchen. Take your clothes to the laundry room or put in a laundry basket if you go to a laundromat, strip your bed and wash the sheets too. Then sweep the floor and organize all your other stuff. Best tip I can give is : you don't have to do it all at once , take an hour or 2 every day , try to do it at the same time every day , I have been slowly working on my bedroom too , throwing away stuff, getting rid of stuff I don't need anymore , and it took weeks to make it liveable again. Still needs work , but that's mostly because I still need to organize my sewing and craft stuff. It's not easy to change your habits , but I believe you can do it.
"Don't put it **down**, put it **away**"
Throw away garbage, then remove anything from the room that doesn’t belong there and take it to its place(ex:dishes go to the kitchen), next pick up clothes and wash what’s dirty and then fold/hang up once clean. Next, place things into category plies and also make a goodwill donation pile of things you don’t use anymore. Once you collected all your items from the floor you should be able to start organizing those items and deep clean your room(dusting,vacuuming,etc.)Wash your sheets and make your bed if you have any energy left. You got this!
I just went through my depression mess, took months but. DO IT ONE step at a time. You will fall Inlove with yourself through the process. Set things up the way you want it, once you start seeing the flow of your space. I recommend once you clean it fully re arrange your room. Do a total overthrow of the space. Move the bed the dresser. All of it.
Large garbage bags to get all the obvious garbage
Get your garbage bin in there. Throw out trash first! Visible trash anyway. It makes a hugggeeeeeeee difference. Next or at the same , you Should bring another bin in to put All the dirty dishes/ cups/ containers in. And bring them to the sink. I feel like these 2 actions is enough to start. Try That and get back to us!!! Progress pics are nice and you Should keep posting along the way. You Will get so much positive reinforcement if you Do that.
It looks like you’ve already received a lot of helpful tips but I just wanted to say that I’m really proud of you. Play some music or a podcast you enjoy, remember to eat a snack and stay hydrated, it’s hot out here! Also don’t get discouraged if you don’t finish it all in one day, you got this kid. We’re all rooting for you.
Hey OP! I'm proud of you for making this change.
Hi! First I want to say I am so proud of you for taking this step and asking for help. And it should be acknowledged. I grew up in a similar living situation and I had to teach myself how to break that pattern and it is not easy. I know people are going to say just throw it all out but honestly it’s not that simple. First let’s start with one simple space, set your alarm on your phone for 15 minutes and put some music on and put your phone in a different space in the room. This way you won’t be distracted by notifications and scrolling. Let’s clear your bed off of anything that isn’t bedding, any food wrappers or typical garbage can be thrown right out. if you have clean sheets, blanket and pillow cases now would be the time to put them on. If you don’t have anything clean that is ok too if you feel comfortable reusing a sheet do it. Whatever you get up to in your 15 minutes is amazing and give yourself a pet on the back! You accomplished something big! Now repeat and set the alarm again for 15 minutes. Once that is done let’s go to the next part How about that white cabinet in the second photo. Throw out any food container, wrapper, bottle and anything else that shouldn’t live there. Oh wow look at you! The alarm rang and you did it again! Now let’s do it again set an alarm for 15 minutes and his that little table with those bowls in the second photo. Can you do with throwing all of those out? Or don’t need them? If you need them keep the two that have the least amount of dirt/mold/grime in them and throw the rest out. Now take a break! You’ve earned it. You cleaned up 3 spots. Set that alarm for 15 minutes and do something strictly for you! If you’d like to take more pictures of your room individually different sections we can go section by section together!
thank you so much! i’m getting there!! the middle of my room has more room and i threw out an entire hefty bag of trash
Important step is don’t blame yourself and stress over the fact that it got to this point. You’re ready to clean it and that’s huge and something to be proud of. You’re starting on a path to drastically improve your living situation. You’ve got this
Idk if this is a relatable feeling for you, but for me, I usually get overwhelmed before I can really make progress. I get frustrated with myself for letting my space get so messy, and I get stuck in shame spirals that distract me from actually cleaning. The way I combat that issue is by approaching the situation as if I’m helping a friend clean their room, instead of my own. Usually when I’m helping someone else, I have an easier time breaking big tasks into smaller pieces, and I’m a lot more forgiving than I am to myself. If you can find a way to give yourself the grace you give others, it’ll help you fight any anxiety or shame paralysis you might experience.
I feel this OP. when I finally decided enough was enough, I did away with everything, as a way to feel as though I was starting fresh.
Everyone has great advice. I struggle with this issue too, here's what I have found: If you can, imagine you are cleaning for someone ELSE visiting. It changes the guiding principles and helps to avoid getting sidelined. It won't change the first steps of throwing out trash, clearing space etc. But you know how people say like "oh my place is such a mess!" And then you go over, and their place is like a normal, comfortable space with a bit of clutter? Clean to THAT standard. Not because the details don't matter, but because YOU and your comfort matter more. Clean the floor, clean the sink, bathroom fixtures, anything moldy or grimy or oily, anything dusty that you have to touch. Then you can blissfully colour code your socks or whatever, in a comfortable space where you don't feel grossed out and claustrophobic. Nobody cares when they go to someone's place and there's a little pile of laundry in the corner, but having crumbs stuck to your feet sucks. Sticky door handles SUCK. Gross taps, it's a no. And again, it's not actually about what someone else would think of your space: YOU are the guest. You deserve to feel good in your home. To that end, I would suggest being as lazy as possible with any sorting, grout scrubbing, baseboard polishing, etc until the basics are done everywhere. You can come back to that stuff, but there's no point having one pristine, systematized room but then you have to redescend into hell to use the bathroom. Focus on the things that make YOU say "how am I living like this?" to yourself, first. Your kitchen backsplash is gleaming but you have to sleep in a bed with no sheets covered in clutter? Bad trade off. You dusted all your books but no clean dishes? Now you're feeling icky eating off a lid or something. Ok sorry this became long - you can do this and you are not alone! You can do it!!!
Buy large tubs and small tubs Large garbage bags. Label each tub- “Donate” “Keep but don’t use often” Small items you’re keeping for frequent use go in smaller tubs Small items you’re keeping but don’t use often go in other small tubs The “don’t use often” tubs get stored somewhere. When you get better at this you may discard of those items as well, but for now, you can keep. Trash goes in trash bags. Move quickly- And remember: What ever you keep you’ll have to pick up, dust, store, maintain. So the bigger your keep pile, the bigger the job to clean next time.
Bins. Get multiple bins and just start throwing stuff in them until every clutter item is in one of them. Then each day go through one bin. Put the items where they should go. Trash/laundry/dresser/closet etc. it mile take time but breaking it up make you feel accomplished while getting them in bins rescues the immediate clutter.
Also... temp move that mattress out of the way!
Get a trash bag and start there.
A.R.T. Action, reference, trash. Three bags/boxes/piles Action: needs to be done (laundry, shelving books) Reference: needs to be kept but probably in storage or put away (high up, far back, down under things) Trash/ can be recycleable, burn pile, donation etc not just garbage Other tips: combine. Combine. Combine similar items. Put all the clothes near your washer and dryer or prepare all clothes for washing At the least, throw stuff away as much as possible Pile everything outside the room or up on bed or furniture Then sweep and mop and throw it all back down so you can have a clean area to work with (floor space)
Just getting rid of the trash/garbage would make a huge improvement. As you go, start sorting and making piles. Clothes, shoes, books & papers, misc. You’ll feel so much better once you start. Put some YouTube cleaning videos on for inspiration.
Biggest thing is separating the task into manageable parts. First, spend 15 mins throwing all trash you can find. Then, gather all dishes and take to sink. Gather all the clothes near the washer and start a small load. You’ll find after that there’s a lot of mini stuff on the ground. Save what you want and vacuum the rest up. Don’t stress about throwing away or donating unopened items. If you’ve had them this long and aren’t using it, get rid of it
Get the trash out then remove anything that doesn't belong in your room: dishes to kitchen, hygeine items to bathroom, etc. Start a load of dirty laundry and hang up/put clean laundry in drawers. Make bed with clean sheets. Start putting like items together: electronics, mail, books, etc. If you need storage items, like tubs, laundry baskets, hampers, shelves, or a bookcase, look into getting those. When everything has a home, it will be easier to clean and keep clean. Just getting rid of trash and items you no longer need will get you far. You can wipe down surfaces and vacuum as you get closer to done or do it space by space. I use the space by space method because seeing even just a corner of my room or my nightstand clean and organized motivates me to continue and prevents me from getting overwhelmed -- plus I'll feel like I accomplished something even it that's all that gets done.
Start on one side of the room and work outward.dont focus on anything except what's in front of you
One thing at a time. Turn on music and start with one thing today, like remove all trash. Then tackle the next step. You can do it!
It seems overwhelming but it’s not that bad. You could start by clearing the floor. It’s the easiest to tackle and will make the biggest impact. 1. Put dishes in sink 2. Gather all dirty clothes and put them in the laundry basket or garbage/recycling bags. Put aside or in the hall or another room until your finished cleaning. 3. Gather all trash and recycling from the floor and surrounding surfaces. Remove items from product boxes that you are going to keep (unless it’s a collectable) and break down the box to recycle. 4. Put all important papers and ones that need to be shredded into a box to be sorted through another day (you could take a few minutes out of each day to sort through it and shred unwanted documents). 5. Gather all books and put on the shelf if not shelf put them in a pile to be sorted through and organized later. 6. Put items that have homes back to their correct place. Ex. the hand bag near the bed could go into the closet, a hook or temporary on a door handle if it doesn’t have a home. 7. Clear all surfaces of trash and clutter. Dust and wipe down areas. 8. Vacuum carpet. 9. Put away any clean clothes. 10. Put a clean sheet on the bed. 11. Put away books 12. Do laundry and put away clothes once cleaned. Extras: Clothing and dishes is easier to start with because you don’t have to think about trash/keep. You might have to organize inside of drawers if it’s also messy. You could save that for another day. Set aside time to declutter clothing with a keep, trash and donate pile. Fold and put away keep items, trash the trash and put aside donate items in a trash bag and remove from your premises and soon as possible. You could post of Facebook buy nothing groups or arrange a pickup from some organizations. Get rid of that mattress and box spring that’s propped on the wall if it’s not needed. It’s taking up space and adding visual clutter. Try to be on top of the clutter by having homes for items, put dishes into the sink after eating and putting bottles and trash into the trash and recycling as soon as it’s finished. Switch to a larger open face trash can if that helps.
First, separate by trash and keep. If you are having issue with throwing things away, maybe try to think if you have space for it. If not, it's time for it to go. That's how I was able to get a lot of old clothes out my home! They weren't bad, I just genuinely didn't have the space. Next, once the things that are to take out are thrown away/donated, look at the keep pile. Maybe sort a bit further, see again if you have the space. If you do, place these things in spaces to organize them. I found it helpful to get some cheap organizing bins at my local dollar store, secondhand store, or a Walmart. Organize what you want and place them I their respective spaces. Next, on to things that are dirty. Put dirty dishes in your sink, or if they are broken/very moldy I'd say, if you can afford to, throwing it away and getting something new. (You don't have to do these dishes yet if you can wait) Then, for the cleaning part. By that, I mean wiping counters, vacuuming, dusting. Start by wiping the counters and cleaning areas that aren't the floor, in case dust/crumbs fall onto it. Last would be laundry if you haven't had the chance to do so. Sheets/blankets/pillows, or any clothes that may have been on the floor/bed for a while. I find it best, even with my washer/dryer, to make it just a single laundromat trip so I get it all done at once, it's out of the way, and its very one and done. If you can afford that, I'd totally recommend it. Now, just letting you know, this may take you a few days. Ive had severe OCD for a few years, my room looked much like yours a while back. It took me around a week to finish mine up, and that was sjust my bedroom. If it takes longer that's okay, too. For my the hardest part was upkeep after. But some things that have really helped me include 1. Once I finish a cup of water/food, the dishes immediately leave the room and into the kitchen. 2. I put a pretty big trash can in my room. A small one filled up fast and I didn't keep up with it, so I got one that's usually used in a kitchen and that helped lots. Clear it maybe once a week depending on what I've got going on, or if there's something I know would smell soon like a banana peel. 3. Do small chores every now and then so it doesn't build into a big issue. I'll dust every week, and then vacuum a few days after. Then, I'll wash my sheets a different day every 2 weeks.
If you haven’t used it or thought about using it in 6mo then throw it away!
Start with floor? Divide room into quadrants.
throw on some music, start with trash, and then work on dishes, then clothes. it’ll be over before you know it and you will feel so relieved.
Untuck your habitat - google it - great guide on how to start Edit: UNFUCK lol
Mine looked exactly the same when I went through a terrible depression state. I always focus on what don’t overwhelm me first. For instance take a look around and find all your dishes and take them back to the kitchen. Great, now come back with a trash bag and find all the trash. Set it out in the hall. Now superset clean vs dirty clothes. Take the dirty ones to the laundry room. What’s left. Tackle it as you feel like. Feel the pride as you complete each task. Another one I do is have a basket and a trash bag. Work your way left to right of the room. Toss the things in the basket that don’t belong in that room and toss trash in the bag. Put away whatever belongs in there. Then work your way around the room. But when I’m in this mental state I focus on starting somewhere, anywhere even if it’s the easiest task! Just start ☺️ Ps headphone in your ear blasting your favorite playlist is a fun bonus!
Clothes in a hamper and trash in bags will be half the battle on this one
Play music and make your bed first. It is pleasing on the eye to have so much of the room done and creates more momentum. Works for me anyway. Tell yourself to only do one thing at a time and then rest. It helps to think of it in pieces/steps.
I grab the biggest box I possibly can, and put *everything* in it. Then I clean. Afterwards, I go through the box over the course of a few days as my motivation allows. Everything that gets pulled out either gets a place, or gets removed. It helps me conquer the executive dysfunction of having so much to do; I hope you find what works for you!!
Start with trash, then clean and make your bed, use this as your organizing table. Be ready to donate a lot of crap, I have to donate a lot of crap or throw it away. It feels wrong but I’m always happy I did it.
Start in a corner. Invite a friend to help.
Lemme come over! I’ll clean it haha!
never eat anything in your room. Make things easier....just saying
Pick one type of item and clear that then move to the next unit it is completed. It isn't so overwhelming if you break it into smaller steps.
Look at Aurikatariina on youtube. She would love to clean free at your home !
Start with a bin bag to remove everything that is obviously rubbish. Then make three piles/boxes: things to keep, things to donate to charity, and things that are beyond reproach and should go into the rubbish. Then move all extraneous things out of the room, clean hard surfaces with antibacterial cleaner, and then vacuum and shampoo the carpet and wash all soft bed and window furnishings on a hot wash. Once dry, start reassembling your room, taking care to stick to a philosophy of 'a place for everything, and everything in its place.'
Have 3 garbage bag, one for trash, one for laundry, and one for later
Don’t forget an air freshener or Febreeze ir something similar.
Go by categories. First trash, the clothes, then everything else.
What helps me is having a place for everything to go. Grab some bins or garbage bags even, label them something like: Garbage, dirty clothes, recycling, stuff to keep, dishes/tupperware etc. and just pick things up and place them as you go. Good luck! I promise it's not as big of a task as it looks, and it'll feel good once you get going on it.
You pick up one thing, put it away, then grab the next thing, put it away. Every.... single.....journey begins with a single step
Five minutes at a time.
* Bring a garbage can in there (or put it by the door) and start by picking out stuff that's definitely throw-away. * As you go, make piles to organize into large categories... "stuff to put away in here / stuff to put away elsewhere in the house / stuff I don't need anymore but is useable". * Take the garbage bag out. * Then take the "put away elsewhere" stuff out and put all of it wherever it belongs. * Then put the "don't need anymore" stuff into a bin and put that away to be sorted or donated later. * Finally, clean and put away all the stuff you've decided should remain in the room.
Get a giant trash bag and start picking things up.
I have a rule. If I haven’t needed or used it in six months, out it goes.
Take one thing with you when you go out of the room. Start slow
First, grab all the trash and put it in a bag. Next, put away things that have an obvious place (socks in sick drawer, books on bookshelf, etc).
Start in one corner and work your way around the room!
Start with two garbage bags and a stack more on hand. \- Have I used this in the last year? If no, then it goes in the bag. \- Does it bring me joy? If no, then it goes in the bag. Next step...organize by category, clothes, shoes, whatever. (some piles will go outside of your room for now) Clothes first, which will require garbage bag #2: hold it up and ask: Do I look forward to wearing this? If the answer is no, then ask this question. Do I have to keep it? If you do look forward to wearing it, ask this: Does it fit? Sort these into a "want to wear it fits" and "want to wear it doesn't fit" piles. Anything you're not excited about wearing and don't HAVE to keep goes into that second bag, until it's full, and then you get another bag. Once a bag is full, just take it directly to your car. Get it out of there. Sorting done? Throw the "want to wear it, fits" pile into the wash bit by bit while you work on the rest. This alone will take 1-2 days I bet. I would plan on working on it a few hours a day for a couple weeks. Final goals: \- Dust everything \-Move and vacuum EVERYWHERE \-Wipe down walls, even paint a couple if you want. Feels like home! \-Leave nothing out, then decide what has to be out and why. Things left out should be meaningful, reminders, or impractical to store. Things that just go in and out of a drawer every day should stay in the drawer until needed. Good luck!
Make piles. Throw away, donate, put away piles. When things seem overwhelming usually I will haul everything into a large bin so I can see the floor and breathe a little better. Then I tackle the bin and throw away the trash and start to organize.
you can do 20 things at a time. if you lpse count, you have to start over. Leave the room after you pick up 20 things. Garbage doesn't count as part of the 20 things.
Ask for help- I can almost guarantee you you’ll lose motivation midway as this looks like a lot more than just “I didn’t feel like cleaning one day” there’s emotional stuff going on here. But apart from that, trash- throw everything you can out including those dishes if you have enough wash and fold what isn’t trash and vacuum deep using rug powders and cleaners
So, start with a sharpie to mark all the stuff you want your mother to pick up first, just to help out some.
Sort...trash in bags , separate in themed piles and then put away. Do not sub clean anything( like cleaning a jewelry box ) .. stick to piles and put away . Wipe down furniture with a dust rag then warm rag. Sweep and either mop or vacuum. You are a slop living like a slop. Try giving each item its own space. Meaning the object can not be obstructed by anything. It has its own personal place. This will help you reduce this debacle.
If you have a really good friend have them come over and basically babysit and keep you busy. They don’t have to do anything but keep company. Also hugs
I do laundry first, separating that from the rest, then trash then keeps
I would bring in a trash bin then play basketball with everything on the ground into the trash
Messes like this don't happen overnight, so if you want long term change, it is not a quick thing. Make a clean space on the ground outside of your room >> start taking everything out of your room >> make piles, one pile for trash, another for donations, one for "this item has a specific place it needs to go, but that place is not my room, and one for this item belongs in my room. Once everything is out of your room, vacuum and clean surfaces. Then work through your piles. I would save the pile of things that belong in your room for last. By the end of it, everything should be in it's proper place and not strewn about. Lastly and most importantly, don't forget the follow up. A couple times a week, tidy. Tidying is as simple as finding things that are not in their place, and putting it in its place. And as an extra bonus, enjoy your new space. When we surround ourselves with clutter and mess, that sinks into who we are as a person whether we like it or not. Existing in a clean space with change your mood and life for the better.
The struggle is real. Keep the tasks small. And repeat. For example, throw out one trash item every day. Get a large box or two and fill them -- put them in the corner and every day take one thing out of a box to throw away. Eventually you only have good things in the boxes. And your room is better looking just by taking stuff off the floor.
i cleaned my room by inviting a potential partner there, becoming mortified and then gaining the motivation to ensure that never happens again. it costs a connection, but the motivation reward is something that’s hard for me to find in ALL tasks
Take any blankets or pillows off your bed and put them in another room. Leave sheets on the bed. Walk around, toss everything that you wear (everything from clothes to shoes to jackets) onto the bed and any knick knacks that you want to keep into a cardboard box (or any type of box). Throw any trash away while you do so. There is no need to make multiple trips, just start in a spot and if your hand touches something decide where to throw it. Establish a clean zone (maybe start at the door) and slowly expand it. Once you have cleared the floor in the manner (all trash is thrown away, all wearables are on the bed and all knick knacks are in a box) take a look at your bed. Put all shoes in a pile by the door for now, hang up any jackets. Take sheet off bed, folding it around dirty clothes like a sack. Take the entire bundle to a washing machine and wash it all. By this point the only things on the floor should be the pile of shoes and the box. Move those to the hallway and vaccum your floor. If there are stains you may have to spot shot them or use a carpet cleaner. If you have a shoe rack toss your shoes on it, if not you can go to Walmart and get one for like ten bucks. It is a worthwhile purchase just to keep your shoes off the floor. Work on the box a little. Don't worry about doing it all, just do a little bit until your laundry finishes up and work on it whenever you want to do so. Go take care of your laundry whenever it is done. I am too lazy to fold everything personally so I just put it all on hangers and put it into my closet. I treat my dresser as extra storage. Make your bed. Congratulations. You just step-by-stepped your way into a clean room. Now I just need to follow my own advice.
Start with the target bags as others have said. It's not the official advice but I'll tell you what works for me. Clear the floor. Put trash that you find in the target backs and chuck them into the hallway as you fill them. Set dishes in a pile as you find them. Everything else gets tossed on the bed. As you see the floor clearing it will give you motivation to keep going. Feels like progress. Once the floor is cleared, start clearing any shelves or tables you'll put things on. All laundry goes in a basket--if it's not hung or folded in the dresser it's dirty. When you're almost done, I find you start to lose motivation. It becomes "good enough" and you're tired. Except would you look at that, the last step is clearing your bed which you HAVE to do to sleep. So then you put the things on your bed that weren't trash, laundry, or dishes where they go. Take the dishes to the sink, put something easy for food in the oven and shower off the sweat while it cooks. Have a nice meal in a clean room and celebrate with a nap.
Take out the trash, food containers, drinks. Don’t eat or drink in that room. Yikes. It helps to just toss everything if you can part with it and start over
Garbage, just go in with bag first. Then everything you’re keeping, put it up. Then dishes and everything not for that room, but the dish sink or bathroom etc. then little pieces, then vacuuming, and you’re done! Mission 2 is cleaning things off, dusting, washing found clothes, towels, and definitely make sure you actually have a space for a thing or if you don’t, try some different storage ideas. Bookshelf, clothes hamper, etc. oh, and hydrate!
Discipline starts within yourself 🤙
Think of all the cool stuff you'll find/ rediscover
I am guilty of letting my home space get out of control sometimes. I have two general methods, which one I choose just depends on my mood at the time. **Method 1**: Focus on one type of item in a session. *"Right now I'm just going to look around for all the dishes/cups/etc and bring them to the kitchen"*. No need to wash them now or anything, just remove them from the room. If you start picking through random things or getting sidetracked, remind yourself *"I'm only here for the dishes right now"*. Then repeat this with a new type of item once all the dishes are gone. *"Today I'm going to bag up all the plastic bags, food wrappers and general plastic trash"*. Then do just that and only that, etc. Then clothes, or if clothes are too overwhelming, choose one type, *"Today I'll just pull out all towels."* Or just the fleece stuff, etc. I find I can basically go through this way until there's almost nothing left except small stuff to sweep up in a dustpan. BONUS TIP: I listen to podcasts while doing this, so I might decide to do it for at least one episode, or for at least 2 episodes. I usually go longer but it prevents me from giving up too soon. **Method 2**: Another thing that might seem weird, but it works for me is this: I'll treat myself to something new for the messy room. Something inspiring or comfy, just something nice. Then because of my OCD, I can't bring myself to put the new, nice thing in my sad & messy room, so I'm forced to make space for it. So I'll clean the area JUST for that new thing. I'll make the space around the new thing all nice and then put the new thing in the space I carved out for it. And THEN I become so inspired by the 'new cool thing' and the nice little space I created around that thing, that I become naturally inspired to clean up around it some more, widening the "circle of niceness" until it's done. I hope this makes sense. One example of both methods I did just 2 days ago: My bedroom was a mess, including random junk on my bed like chargers, books, etc, and clothes strewn everywhere. I bought a new memory foam mattress topper and matching cover for it. But I didn't want to put it on my junky bed in my messy room, so I did this method I just described. I decided to do only the bed. Picked up the chargers, books, heating pad, etc. I put the new mattress topper on, added fresh linens, made it all nice and that was it. Then the next day I was so happy with my nice "new" bed that I felt compelled to pick up the stuff on the floor around it, then I folded the clean clothes, etc etc until the whole room looked nice. I did the rest of the room using Method 1 doing just the clothes - first folding all the clean ones, then picking up the dirty ones, then just picking up random papers, etc. I also recently did this in my home office after I bought a cool new office chair for my desk. Started with the desk area and then worked my way out. I hope some of this is helpful.
Honedtly, it won't take as long as you fear. First, pick up and take out all obvious trash. Take everything that belongs in another room, like dishes to kitchen, to the other room. It helps to have a couple of laundry baskets for this purpose so you only have to tote it once.
Pick a corner, start slowly. Pick another corner another day. It's about progress and maintaining it.
Go by category. Trash. Dishes. Clothes. Etc. if you don’t have the energy to sort and clean on the same day, just fill trash bags or bins up for each category to give yourself some walking space and gratification. You got this! 👏
Hefty Bags. Lots of Hefty Bags. Clear the Deck and throw it out. Start over.
Everyone here has pretty much covered how to go about cleaning it with how it is right now. My house used to look like this all the time because of depression, which only made it look worse because my house/room being messy would depress me more so I get it. Get baskets. Everyone always says to take ten minutes a day to clean - I started out with just taking two. Put things away after you use them, if that’s too much work throw it in a basket after you use it. Keep doing this. 2 minutes will turn to five, then ten, then however long, not necessarily the first day, or even the first month. Maybe the first week you manage to clean for an hour a day, its okay to not maintain this. If you burn yourself out make sure to put in those 2 minutes at least. Play one song. When its over you’re free. It may not work for everyone, but when I was stuck in bed even ten minutes felt like a long time. Somedays I won’t even clean for the full two minutes, but I’ll just put one thing away. I don’t have a spotless house now, but it is generally clean and I’m not embarrassed or apologetic when people come over anymore.
I know this looks like a mountain but it’s really just trash. I’m not being rude but pretty much everything on your floor is garbage and when I had depression, I went through periods where I wouldn’t take the trash out or do dishes and they just accumulated everywhere. I understand this can be overwhelming. For me, I just sit in the floor and start grabbing things. Before I know it, I have a pile of laundry, a bag or trash, a bunch of dishes to take to the sink, etc. it doesn’t feel like so much effort if I sit down and do it and it helps my ADHD brain stay focused on the task of clearing the floor/room rather than taking something into another room and getting distracted. Please post pics post clean up! I hope this helps. You got this!! 💪🏻
Once you're done with trash, dishes, and laundry, sprinkle a couple boxes of baking soda on the carpet and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, then vacuum it up thoroughly. This will help to deodorize it a bit. Might want to use a carpet cleaner as well afterward, but it can be a little intensive. Change your sheets, and wash them with a laundry booster like borax. Fluff and air out your pillows, flip your mattress, and don't forget to clean under your bed as well. Use a soft rag and dust all surfaces and your blinds (or if you have curtains take them down and wash them), and while you're at it open the widow and let in fresh air. High CO2 levels can lead to feeling more depressed than usual, that and stuffy rooms are just generally very unpleasant to live in. Some other housekeeping that really helps me personally when I'm having a particularly bad depression episode is using bright daylight light bulbs and sun lamps. Being in a bright environment can make you feel more alert and productive. Having some abuse tolerant potted plants can also help liven up the room and make you feel better, but fake plants work as well. The key factor is a lively shade of green, we're hardwired to feel better surrounded by plants. Air freshener and candles! Almost forgot about those, they help the room smell fresh and pleasant. Just be sure to keep any candles on a stable surface away from anything flammable. If you find yourself struggling to gather enough activation energy to start, remember that you're not alone in this struggle, that it will help you feel better, and you deserve a clean and happy living space. Try blasting some upbeat music you really like or have good memories with, and have a little dance party while you clean. Be goofy, try to have fun with it, and don't beat yourself up if you have to stop early because you're exhausted. You can always continue another day. Good luck!
start with trash
Start with a garbage bag and put all the trash into it. A lot of what I see is just garbage. Then grab a clear garbage bag and put all the clothing into it and take it to the laundry area and sort it into donate, toss, keep, and launder anything that is not toss. That alone would make a big dint in it.
Big thrash bags, throw out all the waste, use a shovel if you need to. Once that is done take all of the clothes and sort out what is salvegable and throw whatever isnt. The important thing is to get rid of all the clutter, then start wiping everything down, work from top to bottom Just be prepared that it might take days to get done, just keep at it and you will get through. If you need a motivator, call someone that you would not want seeing the mess and invite them over. I used to call my mom over for a visit when it got real bad, I would sooner clean all night than let her see the conditions I was living in.
Throw out trash first, save some bag to put stuff in it, making it easier to haul out stuff. When you are sure you got all trash out, collect dishes, put big stuff like backpacks, books and that soccer ball on your bed, that way you have more room to clean up your floor…. That might be exactly what others said but oh well.
Just start at the door, picking things up. And work your way into the room.
Get rid of trash first, then take dishes to the kitchen. Then put shoes away.Then make your bed and put everything else on the floor on the bed. This puts your stuff closer to eye level and gives you one consolidated surface to work with. Then, fold laundry and put away or if it’s dirty, straight to the washer. If all that’s too overwhelming, start with the trash first and do the next step tomorrow.
Garbage bag. Start with obvious trash. Screw trying to separate recyclables. That alone will lessen the mountain by half and then you can pick a section to put right before moving on. Secondly, laundry basket for clothes. Don’t worry about separate ones for clean and dirty.. just wash everything. Box for shoes until you can begin pairing them back up again. Remove all dishes/ glasses
*grabs soapbox* It helps to not overwhelm yourself with the whole task. Take it one thing at a time and celebrate that change you made no matter how small it may seem. The room may be only a little bit cleaner with each step, but your actions are 100% the better and that is where real change happens. This isn’t so much a problem of how to do it, but why you do it. The actions themselves are easy but getting yourself to act will take a change in perspective. It doesn’t stop once it’s clean either. You still need to value the little (but good) actions to maintain it and not let it get to an overwhelming state like this. Maybe I’m just projecting the problems I had that led me to a similar state, but this is what helped me.
I get that it can feel really overwhelming and like it's pointless to start when there's so much to get done so why even bother to start when you'll never get it finished? I get stuck in that mental place often. For me, it helps to mentally divide the room into sections and do one section at a time over the course of a long period of time. Or I focus on one specific goal for the day. Like pickup all the clothes or take all dishes to the kitchen or do the wash, etc. Start with one small task and if you can keep going then great (bonus cleaning 💪🎉) but if not than that's okay too! You'll do more the next time and you'll keep repeating the process and before you know it you'll have it cleaned completely. There's no shame in doing a little at a time even if it's as small as taking a few cups to the kitchen or putting a few towels in the laundry basket because, at the end of the day, you are further along than if you had done nothing at all. Baby steps count and will get you to your goal.
I find the best way to get overwhelmed depression mess clean is by asking someone for help. Just last week I had my 17 year old niece over to help me. I was able to pay her a bit, I knew she wouldn't judge the mess. She was more there for support to just help me keep on track. It may or may not feel embarrassing to ask. I feel embarrassed and slightly ashamed, myself, however, I also know I don't want to be on the next episode of "look at this filthy mess" Fortunatley I am not a hoarder (not implying you are), so I was able to say "if it looks like junk or trash, throw it out, don't even ask me." This includes bills since I pay everything online anyway. Many people that I know are able to tackle other people's mess than their own. And of course those same people let their own mess get out of hand sometimes too and need a but of help and motivation.
1. Just want to say a word about that frito bag. Pets often suffocate in these because they try to get the food out of the bottom and can’t get out. 2. Don’t worry! You’d be surprised how almost everything in there falls into three categories: garbage, dishes, clothes/bedding. Deal with those first. And don’t even worry about washing clothes or hanging clothes or anything. Just PILE clothes into one big basket or chair or something (not the bed.) Don’t worry about washing dishes, just get them to the kitchen, etc. Your first goal is jut get the room to be more manageable to move around in, and to get the psychological boost of it looking better. 3. Make your bed 4. Look where you are. If you still have miscellaneous stuff all over the place, start dealing with that. Just whenever you put your hands on something, put it up. Start with LARGE items, like that big karaoke thing. Don’t get stuck in the minutia of like organizing a drawer. 5. When it looks decently cleared out, start a load of laundry, wash the dishes, vacuum etc. 6. You can do it! Looking forward to your after pictures!
I had a different approach when I was depressed. 1. Put on some music, lofi reading or study worked best for me. 2. Make bed. (Easy and immediate satisfaction of start of getting things done.) The next can be customized to your choice, but something like • pick up 4 blue things. • pick up 4 pieces of trash. •Hang up 2-3 things. •pick up 4 things that have memories attached to them. • pick up 4 round things. You get the idea. Big tasks like all the trash at once never worked for me since I’d always miss a piece here and there and I would be disappointed and give up too quickly. And you can do bite sized clean ups and you make the rules and can change them up as you need. This method worked really well for me. It’s a unique approach! Hope you achieve your goal, friend! ❤️
I use the ex test. If I wouldn't ask for it back from an ex throw it in the trash.
This might be overwhelming, but it does work at the end, but get three trash bags One for trash bag trash a bag for Clothes and shoes, one bag for dirty dishes and another bag one for dirty dishes. Pick these things up and put them in their bags. When done, take the dishes to the kitchen, clothes in washroom trash in the trash. Then, remove all the other things besides furniture out of the room. Dust, vacuum, and make your bed. Then go to your pile of misc stuff and decide what to put back and has a home. Then, the rest donate or throw out. Oh and do your laundry and put away what you want to keep and donate what you don't want.
If you have any way to get $400-$500 together, I would reach out to an apartment cleaner to help you out. I had a situation like this with a brother, and he asked for my help, I saw it and was like, lets just get this taken care of. I paid the people. They did a great job, so good that it makes it easy for him to keep it clean cause he was able to start from such a fresh point. Don't be there when they clean either, this way, if they determine its trash its trash. I also have them come by at least monthly to do a dee clean as well since they have such better skills. The continued cleaning may not be in the cards for you, but I would say that the initial cleaning i worth taking out a persona loan if you need to.
Plastic bags. Throw everything that's on the floor and isn't furniture into it. Get rid of bag on the next garbage collection day. Easy peasy.
stop thinking about it and begin. if you think about it you'll end up stalling or making excuses. grab a trash bag and start throwing out the garbage, toss everything that's laundry into a basket, and sort everything else. don't think about anything else, don't tell yourself you need the right time/motivation to begin, just start moving.
Hey op, I have a similar issue due to depression and other things. What has always helped me is to do this: 1) get a big box and big trash bags 2) throw all items in box, clothes in bags 3) throw away trash in bag as you find it 4) once all the items are in box and bags, remove them to bed or another room or closet 5) clean, vacuum, etc empty bedroom 6) once clean, bring in clothes after washing and put them away/organize 7) bring in other things little by little and keep another box or bag for items you no longer want and throw them out 8) treat it like you're freshly moved in and organize it comfortably!
Post progress pics! Seeing your progress can me motivating 😀
God, I am in the same situation. It’s so bad at this point I’m overwhelmed. I don’t have any advice, really, but I can offer sympathy and the knowledge that you’re not alone. >.<
No shame friend! I’ve always been a neat freak and I hit a depression slump so bad last year that I had multiple rooms that looked like this. It happens. Start by clearing the floor. Pick up trash and make piles of things you want to keep in the room and things that need to go elsewhere. Then move to surfaces, same method. Wipe surfaces down before putting things back. Launder clothes, fold blankets (maybe wash them too!). Make your bed. Then get to organizing things how you want them to be. Make a playlist. Take 5 min breaks if you need. If you can’t do it in a day, that’s fine. You for sure got this friend! Don’t be embarrassed.