Letâs talk about cleaning when your brain has other plans. You know, those days when you start cleaning the bathroom, find an old notebook, and suddenly youâre reorganizing your entire desk? (Been there, currently doing that! đ )
The ADHD-Friendly Cleaning Method
Forget everything you know about âproperâ cleaning routines. Weâre creating our own rules! I call this the âButterfly Methodâ â because like our attention spans, weâre going to flutter around, but with PURPOSE.
The Butterfly Method Basics:
- The Landing Pad Setup
- Put a basket in each room
- When you flutter to a new room (because you will!), drop items for that room in its basket
- Later, you can do a âbasket tourâ and put everything away
- The 10/10 Rule
- Clean for 10 minutes
- Take a 10-minute break
- No, seriously â USE THE TIMER! Time blindness is real, friends!
- The âGood Enoughâ Zone
- Perfect is the enemy of done
- Aim for âbetter than beforeâ
- Celebrate ANY progress (dance parties encouraged!)
Emergency Clean-Up Protocol (aka âSomeoneâs Coming Over!â)
When task paralysis hits because companyâs coming, hereâs your SOS routine:
- Clear surfaces (shove it in a doom box if you must â no judgment here!)
- Wipe visible surfaces
- Quick bathroom refresh
- Floor sweep/vacuum in visible areas
- Light a candle (instant âI have my life togetherâ vibes!)
The âToo Many Tabs Openâ Toolkit
Keep these in every room (yes, multiples are okay!):
- Cleaning wipes
- Small trash bags
- A designated âthings to put awayâ basket
- Fun cleaning playlist ready to go
Remember: Cleaning with ADHD isnât about following a perfect system â itâs about finding what works for YOUR brain. Sometimes that means dancing while you dust, or listening to true crime podcasts while you organize. Whatever gets that dopamine flowing!
Share your weird-but-works cleaning strategies in the comments! Weâre all about that judgment-free life here. đ
Your Cleaning Cheerleader,
AprilâŚ.the Distracted Diva






