Cleaning your home can often feel like an endless cycle, where as soon as you finish tidying up, someone makes a mess again. Brandon Pleshek, a janitor and “cleanfluencer,” knows this feeling well. After spending long hours cleaning other people’s homes, the last thing he wants to do is clean his own. However, he’s developed several strategies to stay motivated.
Pleshek’s first tip is to start with an “easy win.” He suggests cleaning a small, manageable space, like the living room. Since there’s usually not much deep cleaning required, it’s an easy area to tidy up. Getting this space clean provides an immediate sense of accomplishment, and it creates a fresh environment to relax in afterward.
Next, he recommends setting a timer for 10-15 minutes. This simple step tricks the brain into starting the task. Whether he finishes cleaning within the timer or continues beyond it, it’s an effective way to get started and often leads to extended cleaning.
Another tip is to write a to-do list. Pleshek believes that writing down cleaning tasks makes it easier to stay on track and more likely to complete them. As he crosses items off, he feels a sense of progress, which fuels motivation.
To make the process more enjoyable, Pleshek turns to entertainment. Listening to comedy podcasts or music while cleaning helps him stay entertained and even turn the task into a “cleaning dance party.”
Finally, Pleshek stresses the importance of celebrating accomplishments, no matter how small. For him, cleaning isn’t about mastering skills but building good habits. By making cleaning a regular, enjoyable part of life, he creates a consistently welcoming and tidy home. These habits, not the pressure to perfect every task, make all the difference.
