Shortcuts to a Cleaner, Less Cluttered House: ADHD-Friendly Tips for an Organized Home

Life is too short to stress over endless housework. If you have ADHD, the burden of laundry, bathrooms, and kitchens can feel overwhelming. But with the right strategies, you can free yourself from the cycle of clutter and keep your home clean and organized every day.As Erma Bombeck famously quipped, household chores are "a treadmill from futility to oblivion, with stop-offs at tedium and counter-productivity." For those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), this sentiment often rings all too true. The combination of executive dysfunction, difficulty with task initiation, and sensory sensitivities can make basic cleaning and organizing tasks feel like an insurmountable challenge.However, there are practical, ADHD-friendly solutions that can transform your relationship with housework. As a professional organizer with 16 years of experience helping adults with ADHD, I've seen firsthand the strategies that can make a real difference. By implementing the following tips, you can create a cleaner, less cluttered home without the stress and burnout.Decluttering and OrganizingMany people with ADHD prefer to keep their belongings in plain sight, as this helps them remember what they have and where it's located. Unfortunately, visible clutter can also be highly distracting and overwhelming. The key is to find a balance between accessibility and visual calm.‍

Start with a Systematic Approach To tackle clutter in a manageable way, begin by working room-by-room in a clockwise direction around your home. As you move from one space to the next, carry a plastic bag for discarding items. Toss out old magazines, junk mail, and other obvious trash, but don't get bogged down going through loose papers - simply create a neat pile to revisit later. When clearing surfaces like desks and tables, shift items to the left, dust, then shift to the right and dust again. Pay special attention to chairs and sofas, ensuring they only contain the items you actually use. If you come across something that belongs in another room, toss it toward the door and pick it up on your way out to return it to the proper space. This keeps you moving forward without getting sidetracked.

‍Contain and Conceal To keep frequently used items accessible but out of sight, utilize labeled, transparent containers, bins, and baskets. Once a container is full, that's your cue to go through it and discard anything unnecessary. This "out of sight, not out of mind" approach helps reduce visual clutter while still allowing you to easily find what you need. Experiment with different organizational systems until you land on one that feels intuitive and sustainable for your ADHD brain.

‍Declutter Regularly Set a recurring calendar reminder to declutter your home, such as twice a year. Maintaining an ongoing decluttering routine will prevent clutter from accumulating and overwhelming you.

Laundry Hacks

Laundry is a common pain point for individuals with ADHD, but a few simple strategies can make it much more manageable.

‍Communal Baskets Ditch the individual hampers and instead use two large, communal baskets - one for darks and one for lights. Encourage family members to deposit their dirty clothes directly into these shared bins.

‍Timer Tricks When the baskets are full, set two timers - one on top of the washing machine and one that you carry with you. This ensures you'll remember to switch the loads from washer to dryer. As the laundry cycles, use the timer reminders to tackle additional chores like making beds, matching socks, folding linens, and ironing. Keeping yourself occupied with related tasks will help prevent you from getting distracted and forgetting about the laundry.

‍Batch Laundry Aim to do all your household laundry in one or two dedicated sessions per week. This batch approach is more efficient than sporadic, ad-hoc loads. Plan for each laundry session to take at least 1-2 hours to complete.

Cleaning the Kitchen

The kitchen is a high-traffic area that can quickly become cluttered and messy. Implementing a few simple routines can help keep it clean and organized.

‍Dishwasher Discipline Use a "clean/dirty" sign to keep track of the dishwasher's status. After each meal, rinse the dishes, load the dishwasher, and turn it on. The next morning, unload the clean dishes before loading the breakfast dishes. Repeat this cycle daily.

‍Fridge Maintenance Make a habit of doing a quick fridge check every time you open the door. Toss any items that smell questionable. Once a month, give the fridge a thorough cleaning.

‍Paper Towel Power Opt for paper towels over sponges, which can quickly become breeding grounds for germs. Use dry paper towels for spills and wet ones for cleaning surfaces.

‍Countertop Cleaning When cleaning countertops, simply shift everything to one side, wipe down, then shift to the other side and repeat. If there's too much clutter to easily shift, it's time for another decluttering session.

‍Floor Maintenance Mop the floors and clean the countertops at least once a week, or anytime a mess is created. The key is to establish a consistent routine.

Bathroom Blitz

Bathrooms can feel like a never-ending source of grime, but a few strategic steps can make them easier to maintain.

‍Steam Clean Once a week, close the bathroom door and run the hottest water possible in the shower. The steam will help loosen dirt and grime, giving you a head start on cleaning.

‍Multitask with Music Put on a favorite playlist or podcast while you clean the bathroom. The auditory stimulation can help keep your ADHD brain engaged. You can even turn it into a game by using a pedometer to track your steps. ‍

Streamline Supplies Limit your bathroom cleaning supplies to the essentials - glass cleaner for mirrors, a non-glass cleaner for counters, and a mop for the floor. Avoid products with strong scents, which can be overstimulating for those with ADHD.

‍Manage Expectations Remember, your home doesn't need to be spotless to the point of satisfying your mother-in-law's standards. As long as it's clean enough to pass an imaginary visit from a casual guest, you're doing great.

Cultivate Consistency

The key to maintaining a clean, organized home with ADHD is consistency. Establish routines and habits that work for your unique needs and preferences. Some strategies that can help build consistency include:

• Designating specific days of the week for certain chores (e.g., laundry on Sundays, bathrooms on Wednesdays)
• Using visual cues and reminders, like a "clean/dirty" dishwasher sign
• Incorporating cleaning tasks into your daily routine, such as wiping down counters after meals
• Enlisting the help of family members to share the workload
• Celebrating small wins and being kind to yourself when things don't go as planned

Remember, your home doesn't need to be spotless to be a comfortable, functional space. Focus on creating systems and habits that work for you, not perfection. With patience and persistence, you can achieve a cleaner, less cluttered home that supports your ADHD needs.

Key Takeaways:

• Declutter systematically by working room-to-room and using labeled, transparent containers
• Streamline laundry with communal baskets and timer reminders
• Establish daily kitchen cleaning routines, like a dishwasher cycle and quick fridge checks
• Use steam, music, and minimalist supplies to make bathroom cleaning more manageable
• Cultivate consistency through routines, visual cues, and realistic expectations

By implementing these ADHD-friendly tips, you can free yourself from the burden of overwhelming housework and enjoy a cleaner, more organized home every day.