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Perfectionists, Here’s How to Clean Your Home (Without Going Crazy!)

October 18 // 4 Comments // 4 Minute Read

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If you struggle with perfectionism, cleaning your home can be utterly overwhelming! But it doesn’t have to be this way! Here’s how to clean your home as a perfectionist…
 This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.
Honestly? Sometimes I feel like a failure at the end of the day because of my perfectionism. Cleaning the house is a lifeless activity. I scrubbed the bathroom, swept the floor, and did the dishes BUT the laundry (although clean and folded) isn't put away. But this simple mindset shift changes everything. Now I can breathe again! And #3 is a game-changer! #perfectionismcleaning #perfectionist #cleanhouse #housecleaning

Laundry, dishes, picking up clutter…it’s a daily (sometimes hourly!) merry go-round ride that never ends, whether you live in a house, apartment, or in my case, an RV.

And because I also struggle with perfectionism, cleaning creates a formula for either (or both) of these two things:

  1. Procrastination perfectionism—where you put everything off until you have time to deal with it perfectly (which almost never happens).
  2. High-stress perfectionism—where you try to do ALL THE THINGS perfectly ALL THE TIME and wind up in the fetal position on the couch because you can’t keep up.

C’mon, I know I’m not alone!

The root of the perfectionism-cleaning issue

Deep down, fellow perfectionist, you harbor this subconscious thought: how well you do a job defines who you are.

A perfectly pristine sink and dishes put away in their proper places means we must be perfectly put-together ourselves.

clean kitchen

But a dish drainer full of clean dishes and an empty sink with one minuscule crumb stuck to the drain? We might as well be falling apart.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

After 11 (almost 12!) years of managing a home, I’ve discovered a few ways to tame my perfectionism-cleaning issue in a way that still allows me to take pride in my work, but also get things done … most of the time (and not cry when I don’t!).

If you identify as a perfectionist yourself, allow me to help you prioritize what is important to you so housework isn’t a constant nagging, frustrating chore. Here’s how to clean your home … as a perfectionist!

1. Rely on Habits and Routines (rather than perfectionism)

Perfectionists often take an all-or-nothing approach—something I’m very guilty of! But when you rely on mini habits and routines to help streamline your work, you can tackle your to-do list in small bits rather than all at once.

You’ll avoid some serious overwhelm too!

woman making her bed

Here are some examples:

  • Instead of devoting a weekend to KonMari the entire house, choose one decluttering “hot spot” a week to stay on top of the most clutter-prone areas.

  • Instead of spending an hour putting items back where they belong, adopt a daily 10 minute pickup routine. Even better, get the whole family involved.

  • Instead of waiting until the laundry piles up and tackling it all at once, do one small load a day—lights, darks, towels, sheets, etc.—to keep it manageable. 

Pretty quickly, you’ll get to the place where you don’t have to overthink your routines because you’ve done them before. You’ve trained yourself to know what to do, which provides a sense of familiarity AND as an added bonus, reduces decision fatigue.

2. Use a housekeeping schedule that fits your personality

I’ve tried SO many different cleaning schedules over the years and here’s what I’ve found:

There’s no one perfect housekeeping schedule, except the schedule that fits your current season of life and your specific personality.

cleaner, rag, and scrub brush on a kitchen counter

For instance,

  • If you don’t want to think about housework for an entire week, go ahead and tackle it all in one day.
  • If you find joy in the sense of accomplishment and routine, then a set schedule might work for you, like this one from Clean Mama.
  • If you struggle with overwhelm and worry you’ll never keep up with a “strict” cleaning routine, this flexible option leaves more room for grace.

Here’s how to motivate yourself to clean: Set a timer (I love the Pomodoro method!) and push yourself to do the best you can before you hear it ding. Then force yourself to move on to the next task.

This will empower you to be efficient (and perhaps not so picky as you try to beat the clock!). You can always make a list of extra projects you see need attention (like scrubbing the baseboards or grout) to tackle at a later time.

Cleaning…Your Way

This flexible cleaning method won’t make you feel like a failure.

3. Teamwork makes the dream work!

When you have a mindset geared toward perfectionism, cleaning can seem like something only we can do well. This means we have to do everything ourselves, because no one can live up to our very specific expectations.

It’s not always easy to let others help—I’ve had to be okay with a few crumbs left in the sink after my husband washed the dishes and I’ve been known to unsuccessfully suppress a grimace when I see that the bathroom mirror still has spots.

But when that happens, I ask myself a few questions:

Would I rather drive myself crazy trying to do it all myself? Or lower my expectations a bit and be thankful for the help?

Because here’s the reality: DONE is so much better than perfect when it comes to housework. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather spend time doing other things I love (like reading!) rather than re-doing what’s 95% done. 

how to clean your home ... as a team

Pro Tip for how to clean your home with help: Don’t just expect people to volunteer. Ask your husband or children whether they want to do “this” or “that.” Give them a choice to complete one of two tasks (and resist the urge to fix it later!).

Perfectionism-Cleaning vs Excellence

Though you might miss it at first glance, there’s a big difference between pursuing perfectionism and pursuing excellence.

Perfection is about your best never being good enough. You can never attain perfection. But excellence is allowing your best to be enough. Excellence keeps you focused on the things that matter.

Remember: how well you do a job does not define who you are. Simply put, how well you clean your home does not reflect on your identity.

So the next time you’re tempted to obsess over what you could have done better, take a step back and acknowledge the perfectionism for what it is, then switch gears toward pursuing excellence. Keep moving forward toward the end result and give yourself permission to celebrate the effort it took to get there.

Because that, my friend, is what I call a cleaning success.

As someone who struggles with perfectionism, what do you struggle with most about how to clean your home?

 

Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.

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Comments

  1. Robyn says

    February 27 at 12:00 pm

    I love reading your blog!! I am a procrastination perfectionist and just the other day I told my son to put the dishes in the dishwasher and after he was done, I went and moved things around where I wanted them in the dishwasher. Ugh, I need to stop this! My husband also leaves crumbs in the sink after he washes dishes and that drives me nuts so I cringe when he says he’ll wash them instead of appreciating the help! I don’t let anyone do laundry in my house but me because I need that control. And forget folding laundry, I refold everything my family folds. Thank you for this post, it’s a nice reminder that I need to change.

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      March 13 at 11:56 am

      Hi Robyn,

      It can be so difficult to change – but I believe it is possible. While I don’t think either of us will become something other than a perfectionist (let me know if you manage to do that!) I do think we can get better at appreciating the efforts of those around us. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Amy says

    January 6 at 6:54 pm

    this is my first time reading about this… this really describes me and your tips are helpful. thanks!!

    Reply
    • Kalyn Brooke says

      January 13 at 4:09 pm

      I’m glad you found it, Amy! I think most perfectionists are surprised when they find out that there are other people who think like they do! 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Kalyn—a recovering perfectionist who nerds out about organizing systems, personal productivity, and helping you prioritize what matters over the pressure to do it all. I have a feeling we’re about to become the best of friends! Learn more >>

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👩‍💻 | I help value-driven women lead manageable + meaningful lives.
💬 | INFJ / Enneagram 1
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Kalyn Brooke | Virtual BFF


What’s one thing you budget for that other peopl
What’s one thing you budget for that other people might not? I always find those interesting. 😃⁣ ⁣ You might have a mortgage. I budget for campgrounds. You might want a separate clothing budget, while I’m fine combining it under “Beauty and Style.” Recently, we also added a new line item for our motorcycle—something I NEVER thought would appear in our budget. ⁣ ⁣ See, we’re all different! ⁣ ⁣ Recently, I rearranged my budget categories and created this “cheat sheet.” Sometimes I forget where things go, like picking up new wall art for the living room. Does this item belong in the categories of Household Items or Home Maintenance? 🤔⁣ ⁣ Now I know! And I save time processing receipts each Friday. 🧾⁣ ⁣ What budgeting categories do you use? Share one of your random budget line items with me in the comments below! 😃

I call 2020 the Year of Abandoned Books. ⁣
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I call 2020 the Year of Abandoned Books. ⁣ ⁣ I’m never afraid to stop reading a book if it doesn’t live up to the hype. Why invest more time in a book I’m not all that excited about when I could be exploring new authors and storylines where I can’t wait to turn the page? 🤷⁣ ⁣ But in 2020, I let more books go than I normally do. I suppose my patience dwindled when I thought the world was ending. Not that I thought the world was actually ending…but you know what I mean. 😉⁣ ⁣ As an Enneagram 1, I hate giving up on a book. I’m prone to the all-or-nothing mentality, even in my reading habits. My eyes could glaze over boring prose and I’d still repeat to myself: “You MUST finish this book!” 😫⁣ ⁣ Why? ⁣ ⁣ No one is adding a plastic star to your Book-It pin, (Remember those?) This isn’t assigned reading from your high school English class. This is YOUR reading life. ⁣ ⁣ And YOU should choose what books deserve your attention. 📚⁣ ⁣ There are too many good ones out there anyway. Like one of my favorite reads from 2020. 😍⁣ ⁣ This week’s newest blog post rounds up everything I read last year (43 books total!) including 5-star psychological thrillers, a delightful royal series, a couple self-help books, and of course, historical fiction.⁣ ⁣ Click the link in my bio to read it! ☝⁣ ⁣ What were your favorite books in 2020? Our literary styles might be a match made in heaven! ✨

My planner/journal lineup for 2021. 👆 ⁣
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T

My planner/journal lineup for 2021. 👆 ⁣ ⁣ These small but mighty sidekicks will be my saving grace this year. 📚⁣ ⁣ 1️⃣ Bullet Journal (Blue) - for everyday planning and goal setting⁣ 2️⃣ Regular Journal (Yellow) - to track gratitude (5 things a day!) and to process ALL the feelings⁣ 3️⃣ Growth Journal (Sand) - a space for me to brain dump everything I learn from books, podcasts, sermons, etc ⁣ ⁣ That last one is new to me as of this year and I can't wait to flip back through all my notes come December! 📆⁣ ⁣ What planners/journals are you using for 2021?

Self-care is just as important as making your famo
Self-care is just as important as making your famous sugar cookies this holiday season. 🍪⁣ ⁣ Because let’s be real. ⁣ ⁣ That Hallmark-esque Christmas magic disappears the moment disagreeable family members annoy you. Or when you feel irritable over too many late nights and little-to-no sleep. Or when expectations over meals and traditions and social activities fall short and leave you feeling disappointed. 😬⁣ ⁣ But instead of dwelling on these stressful moments and using them as an excuse to completely disconnect from reality (as I’m often tempted to do!), view them as an opportunity for you to respond with poise. 💞⁣ ⁣ ➕ Journal your feelings. ⁣ ➕ Go for a walk. ⁣ ➕ Prioritize what’s essential. ⁣ ➕ Remember to breathe.⁣ ➕ And try not to eat your feelings…okay?⁣ ⁣ Here’s your permission slip if you need one: You don’t need to do or participate in everything! Take a time out when you need it. 🙌⁣ ⁣ That’s the best way you can protect your emotional well-being over the next few days.⁣ ⁣ Merry Christmas, friends! 🎄


I know you’re ready for this year to be over. 🙋‍♀️ The last twelve months brought so many hard things into our lives—relationships were lost, our country became more broken and divided than ever, and oh yeah, we walked through a pandemic too. 🦠 🤯 No biggie, right? Ha! 😅 And while it’s easy to look back and wish we could skip 2020 altogether (or at least insist on a do-over), I don’t want this year to be the one where the hard overcame the good. 💕 Just as hard days don’t mean ruined days, hard years don’t mean ruined years. 2020 can still be good. 💪 For me, I want to remember the fun and exciting things we did. The adventures we had. The new shows we watched, and the books we read. The new life hacks and things I discovered that made my life easier or just brought me joy. 💞 You’ll find it all in my latest blog post (link in profile). If you still need to buy a gift for a loved one (or for yourself!), you’ll find plenty of fun and affordable ideas to fill up the rest of your gifting list. 📦 Otherwise, enjoy a stroll down the good side of 2020’s memory lane and leave your favorite things in the comments so I can try them. 👋


Pro minimalism tip: Use double-duty appliances. 🤯⁣ ⁣ With limited kitchen space, I have to be super careful about what appliances we invite into the RV. We already had an Instant Pot, Ninja Blender, and a Food Processor. But I really wanted an air-fryer! ⁣ ⁣ With no place to put it, I discovered that Instant Pot made a dual instant pot/air-fryer product. So I gave my instant pot away, and my mom bought me this one for an early Christmas present. I’ve only played with it a couple of times but I’m already in love! 💕⁣ ⁣ Kale chips...sweet potato fries...broccoli. I’m basically an air-frying queen now. And I can easily switch back to the instant pot whenever I want. Yay for two appliances in one! 🥳⁣ ⁣ Q: What is your favorite appliance to use? Is it double duty? 🤔


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