If you’re trying to figure out how to tackle a messy house and feel so overwhelmed that you just can’t even get started, try using my playbook for how to clean a messy house step by step.
This guide is part cleaning inspiration, part house cleaning tips, and part cleaning routine, all brought together in a cleaning checklist. I hope you’ll find this helpful for where to start when your house is a mess.
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First, you may wonder how I know this method works for how to tackle cleaning a messy house. Once upon a time, I used to clean houses for extra money. Some of them were always quite tidy, and some of them… weren’t. I got pretty good at creating my own effective very-messy-house cleaning routine.
And, to be completely honest, I’ve definitely used this on my own house. There are times when the mess just seems to appear, and it’s out of control before we even realize what happened. But rather than sink into that feeling of overwhelm, let’s talk about what we can DO to take positive action and turn things around.
How to Start Cleaning a Messy House
Here’s the thing… this isn’t a ‘clean my house really fast’ type of routine, nor is it a deep cleaning checklist. If you’re dealing with a very messy home, it’s going to take some real time and real work to get it under control. It can be tough, but with just a little cleaning motivation and a plan, it’s absolutely possible.
*Note: If you have health issues that prevent you from doing physical work, then please consider getting someone to help you. A messy house may be embarrassing, but it’s also dangerous. Embarrassment is a feeling, and you can overcome that. A dangerously messy house can kill you.
How long does this cleaning take? Well, there are always variables… like how big the mess is, how large your house is, how many people live there, etc. But as a beginning estimate, plan to spend at least three 2-hour sessions of solid cleaning every week until you get to a point where you can begin shifting into maintenance mode with some fast and simple daily habits to keep a tidy home.
Don’t have that much time or energy? I get it! Just start and do what you can… it will still make a difference!
Before you start cleaning, do these 3 things:
- Remember that if you don’t live alone, then you are not responsible for all the spaces and messes. Set an age limit for when you will no longer clean your children’s rooms, do their laundry, etc.
- Decide whether you are going to tackle this project on your own or involve everyone in the house. If everyone is going to work on it, then divide up the tasks before beginning any work.
- Remind yourself that this is not the time for deep decluttering. Of course a messy house will have clutter, but you’re not going through bookshelves or kitchen gadgets or decluttering sentimental items. The object here is cleaner and less messy.
Let’s get started… (Oh, and I also made a printable messy house cleaning checklist you can download to help keep you on track.)
How to Clean a Messy House Step By Step
While this checklist won’t be perfect for every situation, it’s a great place to begin when you don’t know where to start. Here’s a walkthrough of how I tackle the messiest houses…
1. Start laundry
If you have a pile next to the washer, start with that. No shame if the pile is so big that you can’t even get to the washing machine. Move the pile to the side so you can get to the equipment and then start filling the washing machine.
If you don’t already have a giant pile, then spend a couple of minutes gathering enough for a load from the usual places around the house where laundry always collects – bathrooms, kitchen, your closet, etc. Set a timer so you don’t forget to switch the load.
2. Start dishes
If you have a dishwasher, unload the clean dishes, then reload with dishes from the sink and start a cycle. If you don’t have a dishwasher, but have clean dishes on a drying rack, put them away.
*Tip: If you have a decent dishwasher and good-enough water, in most cases you do NOT have to wash or rinse your dishes before loading them into the dishwasher! Most dishwashers are designed to work best by washing dirty dishes.
3. Empty the kitchen trash
It’s probably overflowing because nobody ‘has time’ to empty it. Put the bag near the door or take it to the outdoor bin immediately if it’s leaky. Replace the trash can liner immediately, because you’re going to start filling it up again.
4. Clear off some kitchen counterspace
Ideally, that would be ALL of the counterspace. But if your house is super-messy, then that may not be possible. It’s okay, you’ll get to it. For now, toss or move enough so that you have a bit of space to function. Put away anything that doesn’t belong on the counter, like clean crockpots or delivery boxes that you just haven’t gotten around to dealing with yet.
5. Start filling the sink with hot soapy water
If your dishwasher is running and the sink is empty, then start filling the sink with hot soapy water. No dishwasher? Full sink? Empty the sink before adding hot soapy water. Even if you end up with a mountain of dirty dishes covering the counters that you just cleared off, you’re not actually making it any worse.
Now, wash enough dishes to fill your drying rack – not precariously-stacked full, just enough to get a good start. Place silverware in the bottom of the sink, and then begin with washing glassware and lightly-dirty plates or bowls that don’t need to be soaked. Let the dishes drip dry for a bit while the next set of dishes soaks in the hot water and you do the next task.
The idea here is to make progress on those dirty dishes. Even if you have a dishwasher, you might not be able to catch up since it often takes three hours or longer to run a full cycle, and you could have 2 or 3 loads’ worth of dishes piled up. This way, you’re getting a little bit ahead.
6. Clear out old food from the fridge
Dispose of the food and add the empty dishes to the pile on the counter. If there are nasty messes in the fridge, take a few minutes to clean them up – use a your dishcloth or a clean rag and some of that hot soapy water from the sink. You’re not doing a deep cleaning here, but simply beginning to get a handle on things.
7. Get back to the dishes
Put away the dishes from the drying rack, then wash another sinkful and let them drip-dry. Be sure to wash all of the silverware that’s been soaking in the bottom of the sink. Now, it may be time to switch out your water. You’re probably getting to the dirtier, crustier dishes that need a little more work. Time for a fresh sink of hot soapy water and start soaking the next pieces.
If you have a dishwasher, you may be able to skip some of this dishwashing. My dishwasher takes about 3 hours to run a complete cycle of very dirty dishes, so I know it’s possible to run a couple of loads in a day… but you have to remember to actually come back and DO IT.
8. Check your progress
Is it time to switch the laundry? If so, go do that now. Are there clean clothes in the dryer? If you have a hanging bar nearby, hang shirts and other clothing as you empty the dryer. It only takes about two minutes and the folding pile will seem less overwhelming that way. Then, toss the wet clothes in the dryer. (Don’t forget to empty the dryer vent filter!) Start another load of wash and set the timer.
At this point, you’ve probably been working for about an hour. If you’ve committed to a 2-hour worksession, then you’ll need to keep moving.
If you’re doing dishes by hand, zip back into the kitchen. Put dishes away, wash the sinkful that’s been soaking, and then begin to soak another load. Your counter should be starting to clear up a bit.
9. Fold laundry
I’m going to take a wild guess that you’ve likely got a mountain of clean laundry somewhere that you’ve been avoiding. It may be piled in baskets or on the couch or a bed, and it may seem like you’ll NEVER get it folded, but now is the time to conquer that mountain. Set a timer for 10 minutes and fold as much as possible before the timer goes off.
10. Continue alternating dishes and laundry sessions
If you’re still dealing with dishes and the clean laundry pile, you’ll want to alternate washing a sinkful of dishes with 10 minutes of folding laundry for 2-3 sessions of each. If the dishes are under control, then just keep folding laundry until that pile is DONE.
While you’re doing this, you may be looking around your house and thinking, ‘This place is still SO MESSY. It feels like I haven’t even made a dent.’ That may feel true, but the reality is that you ARE making progress. This mess didn’t happen overnight (I hope), and you’re not going to fix it in an hour.
If you’ve been following along and doing.the.things, you’re already well on your way to regaining some control over the chaos. But we’re not done yet! Here are the next steps to keep the momentum going:
11. Spray and wipe down stovetop and counters
At this point, you’ve probably done as many dishes as you can stand. Take a minute to grab an appropriate cleaner and a cloth. Give the stovetop a quick spray and wipe, and then move on to all visible countertops. Also, do the front of your fridge if you happen to have the right cleaner handy. This simple step makes your kitchen look cleaner, and it helps you feel like things are heading in the right direction.
12. Speed-clean bathrooms
Next up, tackle the bathrooms with a quick clean. Focus on the essentials: disinfect the sink and counter, clean the mirror, and give the toilet a swift scrub. You don’t have to do a deep clean here – just a fast refresh to make the space more pleasant and hygienic.
When I cleaned for others, I would clean a little deeper, like disinfecting the floor, and also make sure to scrub the tub and shower. You may want to do that now, or you can wait a couple of days for your next cleaning session. In the meantime, try using a daily shower spray to keep things a little cleaner in between deep scrubs.
13. Take a ‘trash walk’ through the house
Now, take a trash bag (maybe that kitchen trash bag that you just started filling?) and go for a walk around your home. Toss out all visible trash and broken items, and empty any trash cans you come across. Once you’re done, take this bag and the one you set aside earlier out to the collection bin.
14. Finish up the laundry for the day
Take a moment to check on your laundry. Is it time to switch loads? If you’ve got a finished batch waiting in the dryer, fold it right then. Get that last load from the washing machine into the dryer and start the drying cycle. (You can deal with folding it tomorrow, but there will be no forgotten loads left in the washing machine today!)
Once you’ve done that, put away ALL of the laundry you’ve folded throughout the day. It might be tempting to leave it in baskets or in piles wherever you folded it, but putting it away in the closet or drawers will help things feel just a little less messy.
Tip: Grab my printable Essential Cleaning Planner to create your own cleaning plan. With room-by-room checklists, seasonal checklists, and more, it can help you stay on top of cleaning to keep your home comfortable and welcoming.
15. Do a laundry basket room-by-room reset
Don’t put that empty laundry basket away yet! Use it to quickly go through each room and collect items that don’t belong where they are. Then, take them back to their proper locations. This step is like a quick reset for each room, ensuring that stray items aren’t left lying around to undo all your hard work.
After this, your home should be looking far less messy!
The following tasks are also essential, but if you find that you’re short on time during your first cleaning session, don’t stress! You might have to save these for your second or third round:
16. Vacuum what you can
As the mess decreases, you’ll have a little more time for this… and be able to reach more areas.
17. Dust what you can
Mmmmkay… not my favorite job in my own home. I would always dust as thoroughly as possible when I cleaned someone else’s house, but it’s usually the first thing I skip in my own place.
18. Mop what you can
While you’re at it, pick up and wash any throw rugs. Having the rugs out of the way makes mopping much faster! If you don’t have pets or wear shoes in the house, you may not even need to do this job throughout the entire house all that often.
19. Wash bedding
I keep things simple. Strip the bed, wash the sheets and pillowcases, and put them right back on the bed when they’re dry. We use a top sheet, so the comforter and any blankets don’t need to be washed very often. If you don’t use a top sheet, then you’ll need to wash your duvet cover every.single.time you wash the fitted sheet.
Each session builds on the previous one, and before you know it, you’ll be moving into a maintenance mode that keeps your home comfortably tidy.
20. Shift into maintenance cleaning mode
This will look different for everyone! For some large, busy families, everyday cleaning tasks might include 3 loads of laundry, 2 loads through the dishwasher plus hand-washing, vacuuming or steam mopping kid and pet messes, and cleaning bathrooms. For my empty nest, I have to do plenty of tidying, but a lot less cleaning stuff.
Developing a solid morning and evening routine can really help with keeping things under control most of the time. I use a simple 2-in-1 daily and weekly cleaning schedule. You’ll get there… eventually. For now, take it one day and one 10-minute cleaning task at a time.
Get Your ‘Clean A Messy House’ Checklist
Download the checklist and keep it handy as you work through each task, checking off your progress along the way. This printable cleaning checklist is your secret weapon for breaking down the mess – and making your home feel more functional and inviting. Start now, and turn that messy house into a space you can relax in!
Click here to grab your FREE Clean a Messy House Checklist and start tackling the mess with clear, doable steps.
Remember, every little bit counts. Even if your home doesn’t look perfect after one day, you’re making steady progress – and that’s something to celebrate. You’ve got this!
More Cleaning and Decluttering Inspiration
7 Practical Ways To Get the Energy to Clean Your House
Declutter Tips for When You’re Overwhelmed With Too Much Stuff
My Favorite Cleaning Supplies on Amazon
6 Types of Clutter Making Your House Look Messy (And How to Fix It)
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