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

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…
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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 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.
  • If you struggle with being overwhelmed and worried, 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.

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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?

 

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9 Comments

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  2. Not sure if anyone will even see this. I just realized this was written a while ago! I just wanted to say it felt like I was reading my own words (the article and the comments)…I am going to try some of these tips but it also just helps to know I’m not alone!! πŸ™‚

  3. Hi Dani, I have been disabled for 31 years but I was raised to keep a spotless house. I am now pretty much bed ridden and in substantial pain. My kids are grown and have recently moved out of the house. Now It is REALLY HARD because I have to accept subpar work from others and I can’t go back and fix it. My husband tries to help but we hire housekeepers to do the cleaning. I find there is so much they don’t do it amazes me. One cleaner only got one bathroom done in 3 hours ugh. My current person uses her vacuum to dust because she doesn’t want to break anything. My mom did white glove tests to make sure I cleaned it. I cleaned our entire house every Saturday. It is so frustrating. I do have one idea we were given and used much earlier that helped. They said to try to have chores separated by who would be best for that job. So, my husband would always sort & organize the kids toy bins because I was too detail oriented and it took me forever. Where I could do a great detailed cleaning on the bathrooms .

  4. This is so wonderful and well written! I was just talking about this in therapy today and decided to continue the work at home to dismantle the belief that my worth comes from what I do and how well I do it. Thank you for being so open about your struggles and what has helped you, I can’t wait to try out some of your tips!

    1. 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! πŸ™‚

  5. 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.

    1. 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. πŸ™‚

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