Have you ever gotten the urge to stress clean? Or, you’ve been so frustrated (or your house is so out of control with toys, Amazon boxes, and random socks everywhere) that you’re ready to lose your mind??? One of the best ways to relieve stress is deep cleaning your home.
When you’re emotional or feeling stressed or angry, deep cleaning your home is a great way to relieve stress, get productive, and feel more in-control, even when you feel totally out of sync with the world around you.
Deep cleaning also has long lasting benefits because you’ll feel more relaxed and calm in a clean, organized home.
If you have the urge to deep clean or “stress clean,” these are my favorite ways to tackle those random projects while getting the most “bang” for your energy.
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Vacuum
The noise of the vacuum, the power and energy that it takes to push (especially if you set it to a lower setting, although that’s terrible for your carpet, so don’t make a regular habit of that), and the perfectly straight lines make stress vacuuming the perfect way to process and deal with your emotions.
This is also a great time to vacuum forgotten places, like under beds and behind furniture, if you have someone to help you lift!
Pop in your earbuds and listen to an uplifting podcast, a juicy story, or some motivating music to boost your mood even more.
Rearrange the furniture
After (or while) vacuuming, rearrange the furniture. Try to play with the look of your room, or add (or declutter) objects to make your space more inviting.
Wash all bedding, including blankets and pillows
Ripping the sheets and blankets off the bed and then stuffing pillows back into a case is a great way to relive stress. You’ll also earn bonus points because you’ll sleep better in freshly washed sheets and blankets. 😉
Clean the bathrooms
This is the time to do weird projects, like scrubbing around your faucets with a toothbrush or even the caulk along your bathtub or shower, to get your bathrooms sparkling.
When you’re done, rinse everything really well and take a relaxing bath to enjoy your hard work.
Scrub the shower
I use my homemade shower spray to remove most of the soap scum, but a little scrubbing can help relieve stress.
To really sanitize and clean the bottom of your shower, sprinkle some Bar Keeper’s Friend on the wet shower floor. Let it set for 30 minutes. Then, wear gloves and scrub it off with a damp cloth or scrub brush.
Organize your makeup drawer
Start by emptying one drawer at a time. Discard everything that’s expired or that you don’t use regularly. Then, wipe the drawer with Murphy’s Oil Soap or vinegar and water.
After the drawer is dried and you’ve decluttered your makeup, put everything away in an organized way.
While you can buy plastic makeup trays that keep your makeup and facial products organized, I prefer to keep my “everyday” makeup in a bag so I can grab it quickly (for those days when I have to finish my makeup in the car 😉) and then I keep my “special occassion” makeup in the back of my makeup drawer so it’s easily accessible but doesn’t collect dust or clutter my counters.
Clean under the sinks
Scrub the floor
Instead of mopping or letting the Roomba literally do your dirty work, get down on your hands and knees with a bucket of vinegar water and take your frustrations out on the floor.
If you want your floor to smell a little less like salad dressing, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (these are my favorite essential oils for cleaning) to the water.
Wash windows
Cleaning kids’ fingerprints, drawings (especially if your kids love window markers as much as mine!), and drool marks off windows can be quite therapeutic.
For dirty jobs or to clean markers off the windows, use Windex, but for quick cleaning, use water and e-cloths (they’re reusable and do an awesome (streak-free) job of cleaning with just water).
Wash the baseboards
If you’re super stressed, wash the baseboards with a damp rag and a bucket of Murphy’s Oil Soap mixed with water. However, if you’re in a hurry, just run around with a Swiffer to quickly dust the edges.
Dust ceiling fans
Cleaning ceiling fans can be fun, especially if you haven’t done it in awhile or if you have white fans and can see the dust!
I use a swiffer and make sure to vacuum the floor afterward, but you can also use an old pillowcase, which will catch the dust so it doesn’t fall on your floor.
Deep clean the oven
Deep cleaning the oven usually takes some elbow grease, so it’s the perfect activity to relieve stress. 😉
I like using Easy Off Professional Fume Free Max Oven Cleaner, which can be used on a hot or cold oven so you don’t have to wait overnight to start scrubbing.
Clean the grout
Take your floor scrubbing a step further and clean the grout if you have ceramic or porcelain tile.
Use an old toothbrush or small scrub brush on tough stains.
Organize your closet
Depending on your mood and state of your closet, this may stress you out more than help, but it can sometimes be the perfect time to organize and declutter your clothing when you’re in a no-nonsense mood.
Declutter your junk drawer
Depending on your mood, decluttering the junk drawer may be more than you can handle, but the results will be worth it in the end!
Break down boxes
If you use Amazon Subscribe & Save to save money every month, you know how the boxes and bulk shipments can accumulate. Use a box cutter (this one is my favorite – bonus points if you get it IN your monthly Subscribe & Save shipment) to save your hands as you tear apart the boxes.
Wash the walls
Whether you race around your house brandishing a Swiffer, vacuum, or soapy water, wiping down the walls is time consuming and gives you lots of time to think while keeping busy.
Cleaning your home can be so therapeutic. Not only do these tasks help relieve stress as you do them, but they’ll also help you relax and feel better about your home even after they’re done!