a Bug & a Bean
Tackle Overwhelming Cleaning Tasks with a Simple Daily Tidy Routine
ORGANIZATION ADHD CLEANING
I struggle with ADHD and one of the things I can't ever seem to get the hang of is having a clean home! I feel discouraged every time I walk into another parent's home and I feel like I'm walking into a model home. It was to the point where I wasn't inviting my daughter's friends to our house for play dates because of how embarrassed I felt about our home. Realizing how unfair that was to her, I started to research tips for cleaning and organizing with ADHD. Although it is still far from perfect, here is what I've been incorporating into my daily routine. I created a Daily Routine printable and 15 minute zone defense checklist. These checklists are available in my Etsy shop and feature a beautiful floral border. I printed mine on 8.5 by 11 inch (standard letter) paper and laminated them. I keep them on my refrigerator and use a dry erase marker to go through the checklists. I can easily wipe off with a damp paper towel and reuse the next day!
Get the Checklist & Zone Defense PDFs
Get both checklists together in standard letter and half letter sizes from our Etsy shop!
For at-home lamination, I use the following products.
Amazon Basics Thermal Laminator
Amazon Basics Thermal Laminating Pouches
Maxtek Colorful Magnetic Dry Erase Markers with Eraser- Clean Spills or Messes
- Put dirty dishes in sink or dishwasher
- Sort papers into keep, shred, or throw away
- Wipe down surfaces
- Clean pet areas such as food, water, litter
- Dust surfaces, furniture, and fans
- Find a permanent spot for keep items
- Throw away trash
- Clean toilets
- Put dirty laundry in the hamper
- Shred papers in the shred pile
- Broom, vacuum, or mop floors
- Sort clutter into donate, trash, and keep
- Fold and put away laundry
- Put away out of place items
- Throw away expired food from pantry and refrigerator
- Make the bed
- Quick wipe of bathroom counter & sink
- Unload the dishwasher / wash dishes
- Put dirty clothes in hamper
- 15 minutes of zone defense
- Walk through each room & throw away any trash
- Walk through each room & bring dirty dishes to the dishwasher / sink
- Start a load of laundry
- Move laundry to the dryer
- 15 minutes of zone defense
- 15 minutes fold & hang laundry
- Load dishwasher / wash dishes
- Wipe kitchen counters
- Empty the trash
- 15 minutes of zone defense
15 Minute Zone Defense
In order to break overwhelming cleaning tasks into smaller, manageable areas, try the 15 minute zone defense technique. This technique allows you to focus on one room and one area in small chunks where you can quickly see visible progress. To get started, choose 1 room. Set a timer for 15 minutes and complete as many of these zone defense tasks as you can in that time period. Often you will only be able to complete one and that is OK! Progress is progress.
Daily Routine
It is important to establish a daily routine where you can check off simple tasks each day. On average, it takes around 2 months to build a habit so make sure to stick with your routine daily until it becomes second nature. Here is my simple daily routine.