Guys, need advice on how to clean my nasty room

[RedHarlequin]

This is embarrassing, but my room is more embarrassing..

There are documents, empty food packages, forks, dishes, clothing on the floor. You name it, it is there.
I have seen some posts on reddit, but most of them are like just to it bro or this 20 min a day method. I like the idea of that method, but problem is, it will be trashed by next day already.

I go on a vacation soon, and if I come back and it looks like this... fuck..

Any advice?

I hope every single one of you has a day where at 10 ten minutes don't feel like hell!

 

[19andOverdue]

This is embarrassing, but my room is more embarrassing..

There are documents, empty food packages, forks, dishes, clothing on the floor. You name it, it is there.
I have seen some posts on reddit, but most of them are like just to it bro or this 20 min a day method. I like the idea of that method, but problem is, it will be trashed by next day already.

I go on a vacation soon, and if I come back and it looks like this... fuck..

Any advice?

I hope every single one of you has a day where at 10 ten minutes don't feel like hell!

Wow you sound just as neurotic as me lol. Here's what I think, you obviously view your room as an extension of your being, or else you wouldn't be so bothered by the chaos of it. I mean this empathetically, you seem to have some trouble with taking responsibility for your own well-being. Here's my idea, get a trash bag and just throw shit in there. It'll give you seratonin and make you want to clean up even more. Psychologists agree that the first step is the hardest, and the rest is coasting and fulfilling

 

[RedHarlequin]

Wow you sound just as neurotic as me lol. Here's what I think, you obviously view your room as an extension of your being, or else you wouldn't be so bothered by the chaos of it. I mean this empathetically, you seem to have some trouble with taking responsibility for your own well-being. Here's my idea, get a trash bag and just throw shit in there. It'll give you seratonin and make you want to clean up even more. Psychologists agree that the first step is the hardest, and the rest is coasting and fulfilling

You are right about all of these things! I do need to take responsibility of my well-being.

I guess I just feel the effect the room has on me and how much better I feel in hotels, or visiting friends who's places are clean, so I know tidy room will feel good for me.

 

[right:sun]

To keep a place tidy and clean you will need some sort of routine to keep it that way. This is a boring fact of human life.
I understand where you are, I lived for a very long time in a very filthy environment. I think it takes some trial andd error until you find a way that works for you. I almost started having cleaning as an interest, as in I will watch videos, read articles/reviews of products, follow social media accounts about cleaning etc. It makes me excited to have a clean space myself.

When my apartment was in its filthiest state, I would hang trash bags on every door handle, so that they would be close and within sight, I also used a lot of like room spray to make it smell a bit better, I used those kind of cleaning wet-wipes, they are not super effective but makes for a lot less work.

I think there is some correlation between how we feel and how the space around us looks like. Personally at least I feel much more calm in a clean space.

 

[Anxieyote]

Cleaning room can be fun if you put on some music or a podcast. My OCD guarantees a clean house, but it does prevent me from leaving too often because I get obsessive about making sure everything is meticulously organized. I spend a good portion of my day on it. If I was there, I would help clean your room, I am really good at it.

 

[RedHarlequin]

To keep a place tidy and clean you will need some sort of routine to keep it that way. This is a boring fact of human life.
I understand where you are, I lived for a very long time in a very filthy environment. I think it takes some trial andd error until you find a way that works for you. I almost started having cleaning as an interest, as in I will watch videos, read articles/reviews of products, follow social media accounts about cleaning etc. It makes me excited to have a clean space myself.

When my apartment was in its filthiest state, I would hang trash bags on every door handle, so that they would be close and within sight, I also used a lot of like room spray to make it smell a bit better, I used those kind of cleaning wet-wipes, they are not super effective but makes for a lot less work.

I think there is some correlation between how we feel and how the space around us looks like. Personally at least I feel much more calm in a clean space.

2.nd Paragraph- I do all of this, luckily it doesn't smell that bad here, so just not that one thing. But other than that, a big yes

 

[Suicidebydeath]

Get some black bin bags and just start throwing trash in. Grab all the cutlery and put it in a washing up bowl in the sink, run the hot water tap and put some washing up liquid in there and just leave it there to soak in. I think it actually feels nice to do the dishes so you might enjoy it when you do it too.

If you're too tired then it's not your fault your body needs rest just sleep on it and do it when you feel like it.

 

[DerTod]

I make sure to clean the apartment once a week very very well. When it's done i always feel better. Give it a try! Decide for yourself a day from week when you will clean the room and stick to that.

 

[RedHarlequin]

Get some black bin bags and just start throwing trash in. Grab all the cutlery and put it in a washing up bowl in the sink, run the hot water tap and put some washing up liquid in there and just leave it there to soak in. I think it actually feels nice to do the dishes so you might enjoy it when you do it too.

If you're too tired then it's not your fault your body needs rest just sleep on it and do it when you feel like it.

I think I might use a bath for the dishes..it sounds kinda weird, but there I can sit down, I will just clean the bath real good before I do this.

A problem I kinda have with the damn trash is that I live in Germany where we are all about recycling and separating trash. Which in itself is great, but it makes the depressed life so much more difficult :D But I might just (this time, because Im actually quite conscious on this, that's one of the reasons its so difficult to clean everything), might just trash everything out in the black bin.

 

[DerTod]

Dirty surroundings will make you feel even worse.Say to yourself "it sucks but i'll do it" then you raise from the pc . I believe in you!

 

[RedHarlequin]

Dirty surroundings will make you feel even worse.Say to yourself "it sucks but i'll do it" then you raise from the pc . I believe in you!

Fuck, I love you. Thanks, Im going :D

 

[RedHarlequin]

Ok, so a small update: I managed to take the trash and clothes out of the room, however, still have like 90 pens (don't ask :D) lying around, and just generally still stuff on the floor.

I will post picks of room once Im done!

 

[GentleJerk]

I have a hard time cleaning, my brain isn't wired properly to do it. But over the years I developed a 3 step system for cleaning that actually works.

1. Put all rubbish in the bin, this includes stuff that isn't exactly rubbish but can still be thrown out, useless things. etc. Throw away everything you can.

2. Put all dirty things in the wash / dishes in the sink.

3. Usually all that's left after 1 and 2, is random stuff not in it's right place. Put random stuff back where it belongs. If it doesn't have a home, buy a container or set of drawers or something and give it one. This step usually takes the longest and might need to be chiseled away at bit by bit for a few days depending on how much random shit you've got. Once you've completed the first two steps, you'll find that most of the mess is already gone.

And this is going to sound stupid, but I swear it works. Once the room is clean, first burn some white sage in there and smoke the room out, then after a few hours burn something else that is sweet and inviting, I suggest sandalwood or rose incense.

 

[RedHarlequin]

I have a hard time cleaning, my brain isn't wired properly to do it. But over the years I developed a 3 step system for cleaning that actually works.

1. Put all rubbish in the bin, this includes stuff that isn't exactly rubbish but can still be thrown out, useless things. etc. Throw away everything you can.

2. Put all dirty things in the wash / dishes in the sink.

3. Usually all that's left after 1 and 2, is random stuff not in it's right place. Put random stuff back where it belongs. If it doesn't have a home, buy a container or set of drawers or something and give it one. This step usually takes the longest and might need to be chiseled away at bit by bit for a few days depending on how much random shit you've got. Once you've completed the first two steps, you'll find that most of the mess is already gone.

And this is going to sound stupid, but I swear it works. Once the room is clean, first burn some white sage in there and smoke the room out, then after a few hours burn something else that is sweet and inviting, I suggest sandalwood or rose incense.

Do you have some ADHS tendencies too? I think this is also kind of the case for me, I always forget where I put things, always forget my keys and wallet, have to check all the time if I haven't lost them, bc I lose stuff constantly.. when I start cleaning, I usually forget I was cleaning in the first place :D but this time I feel like Im being held accountable, and I mean this in a really good way!

 

[GentleJerk]

Do you have some ADHS tendencies too? I think this is also kind of the case for me, I always forget where I put things, always forget my keys and wallet, have to check all the time if I haven't lost them, bc I lose stuff constantly.. when I start cleaning, I usually forget I was cleaning in the first place :D but this time I feel like Im being held accountable, and I mean this in a really good way!

Funny you should ask. I used to be a bit like that. No actually I sort of have OCD tendencies, from living in dangerous and chaotic places, and also being around thieves.

I never lose stuff, and I quickly stop being able to cope with common stressors when other people cause mess and chaos, and my things aren't in their right places.

One of the quickest ways for me to spiral into anger and frustration is when I go to grab something and it's not where/how I left it. Ffs now I can't bloody do what I was about to do and I've gotta search the whole bloody house first for this one bloody stupid little thing which should be right bloody here where I always bloody leave it, where it usually bloody is because I made a special spot for it, and I always remember to put it there cause I can't stand wasting my bloody time looking for this stupid bloody thing every time I need it, and now some bloody idiot decided to waste my bloody time by bloody moving it again and undo all my efforts in an instant... Then when I'm looking around for it, every time I check a spot and it's not there either, I just get even more frustrated. It's like, dude, I had my shit in order. Then you fucked it all up. And now I'm on a wild goose chase. Of course you can't remember where you put it. Thanks a fucking lot.

My problem is that I operate in a very organised way, so I tend not to make mess to begin with. Part of the reason why I'm like that is because I find it very difficult to clean, so I do a lot to avoid making mess... Like stock up on compostable recycled sugarpulp plates and bamboo forks so I don't make dishes, but looking after a child, an alcoholic best friend, and also an extremely messy and crazy mother means I had to learn.

 

[onlyanimalsaregood]

Cleaning room can be fun if you put on some music or a podcast. My OCD guarantees a clean house, but it does prevent me from leaving too often because I get obsessive about making sure everything is meticulously organized. I spend a good portion of my day on it. If I was there, I would help clean your room, I am really good at it.

Same

 

[chloramine]

To add on to some of the general comments you can get a big bin for the general "not garbage but I don't have a place for it" stuff. That way it's out of the way and you can work on finding places for the things more gradually. It comes with the danger of just leaving it in the bin but it might still work better than nothing? I struggle with cleaning a lot too because it gets really overwhelming. I've found doing a voice call with someone I can bounce ideas off of (like where to put objects abc) really helps when it's possible

 

[chocolatebar]

If it's so hard for you, try to focus on the hygiene. Make sure to take all the trash away, mop the floor and wash your clothes. Being messy isn't really a problem if it's clean.

 

[Off The Air]

I just got around to cleaning my room yesterday because it was making me feel bad lol. For me, the state of my room or my car or whatever feels like a reflection of what my mind is like so cleaning everything helps me feel less scattered and happier. The motivation to do it is another thing. Just start doing it and throwing things away and you should feel better. Put on some music to clean and maybe rearrange your furnishings and it'll feel like a new and better space. Maybe

 

[RedHarlequin]

To add on to some of the general comments you can get a big bin for the general "not garbage but I don't have a place for it" stuff. That way it's out of the way and you can work on finding places for the things more gradually. It comes with the danger of just leaving it in the bin but it might still work better than nothing? I struggle with cleaning a lot too because it gets really overwhelming. I've found doing a voice call with someone I can bounce ideas off of (like where to put objects abc) really helps when it's possible

This is good advice, a lot of stuff that doesn't belong in the room, but its so much work to put it all back one by one. Maybe it would also be idea, if this is possible to arrange several boxes, like `closet, bookcases, table supplies, electronics, bathroom`, so you don't have to go to the bathroom with one perfume and one deodorant :)

 

[Cosmic dust]

Have you heard of Marie Kondo? She supports that doing a little each day (like you said, 20min everyday) its a bad way to organize stuff, because the person ends up dropping that after some time and gets used to the mess, while if a person makes a more radical change at once, she will be shocked by the more organized enviroment, will have an easier time maintaining that and will be less likely to go back to the same mess as before.

She has some interesting ideas, if you can look it up.

 

[RedHarlequin]

Have you heard of Marie Kondo? She supports that doing a little each day (like you said, 20min everyday) its a bad way to organize stuff, because the person ends up dropping that after some time and gets used to the mess, while if a person makes a more radical change at once, she will be shocked by the more organized enviroment, will have an easier time maintaining that and will be less likely to go back to the same mess as before.

She has some interesting ideas, if you can look it up.

I agree I can keep up with this for 3 days or so. Maybe if I arrange a nice award of for myself afterwards, something like

-ok, if I do this you can sob in the corner uncontrollably for 20 mins and think about all possible suicide methods on loop
or, 10 mins guilt-free thinking how big of idiots my family have to be for not understanding depression.

 

[thankyouforthis]

It sounds like you got plenty of advice already and are probably already done; still, in case others are interested at any point, here's how I go about cleaning my home:

1. Garbage/Recycling-- throw away all garbage as well as useless/broken items. Anything I don't need goes!
2. Putting things away-- Everything in its right place. If it doesn't have one, I make one! (TBH this is the fastest step for me because I try to just always put things back where they belong after I use them. So I rarely have more than 3 items to put away when I do this. Developing the habit of putting things back where you got them helps you to never have to do too much cleaning at once!)
3. Wipe down every surface-- tables, countertops, desks, etc. Even the TV; things get dusty!
4. Last but not least, clean the floor. Don't bother doing that earlier because when you take the other steps, things will inevitably fall to the floor (including dust). So floors should always be last, in my opinion.
_______
5. This is a more "bougie" step that is not really necessary; but if you can do it, it helps! Make your place smell good. You can burn something like white sage, as others have mentioned; you can light an incense stick or a candle; if you have a diffuser, you can burn some essential oil; or you can spray a cheap air freshener, like Febreze. Open the windows and let the good smell and fresh air circulate.

(I find some essential oils to be great for my mood; but not the ones they tell you. For instance, lavender is supposed to relieve stress; but I HATE the smell of lavender! Rather than following pop culture advice about this, just go for a scent that you personally enjoy. It won't cure you of wanting to ctb, but it will make life slightly more bearable for about 10-15 minutes.)