I've lost my cleaning mojo

My thoughts are that your body is telling you to rest!
You’re happy at work and with your family,then your priorities ar good, the housework will wait until your body has recovered some more.Good luck.

Give yourself a break,don’t worry about it ( just do the bits that show,)you sound like you do a lot without cleaning——- could you get the kids to help,if they are old enough it’s a family home they can learn to help,it sets them up for life knowing how to do jobs.Try to look after yourself you are just woren down once Spring comes you will feel better,good luck.

I’m with Joan Rivers re housework. You clean and six months later, it’s dirty again!
For now, just try to do the essentials, bit of a clean-up in bathroom, kitchen, laundry, etc.
When you’re feeling up to it, tackle one room once a week for bit more of a tidy up. No pressure if it doesn’t happen. And always reward yourself for completing a task, however small.

I have never had one either.
If I go to heaven I know what it will be like - robotic angels with long Dyson arms and disinfectant dusters on the ends of their wings ....sorted!!

Susie42

I never had one to start with.

Ditto! But I will add that what very little I had has almost completely gone after a life-threatening illness in 2021 ( not Covid) - I keep the kitchen cleanish, and hygienic, similarly with the bathroom, but where I can cut corners I will! I’m not completely energyless but what I have I’d rather use on other things I enjoy doing… my philosophy was always that what wasn’t spotless can stay that way and leaving it didn’t make it worse… I have a short clean and tidy up if I have visitors o/w as I live alone - so what! Maybe this is a ‘thing’ with peoples named Sue/Susie

I used to be a, do it for doings sake, rather than a, when needed cleaning fiend. With DHs health issues I didn't have time or energy to keep up to usual standard. Not long after his death I realised I had chased dust for many years all totally unnecessarily. Other than the basic chores now just do the bigger jobs when it takes my fancy. I don't plan these jobs, I just respond to my energy at the time. Stop thinking about and planning cleaning, only do some when the notion takes you. You'll survive.

I like my house clean and tidy, but don't like housework. When l was working full time l used to do a room thoroughly a day, rest kept tidy and cleaned with wipes. Apart from stacking/turning on the dishwasher, my weekends were virtually housework free. Working part time but still works for me

Try playing some favorite music, through cordless head phones, cd, or hi fi, personally I play through wireless headphones, music straight through to my ears.. give it a try

I do think when you dont feel up to doing much you can divide jobs into necessary and optional. So keeping yourself washed and hair clean, clothes washed and a clean food area are the priority areas. So long as those get sorted the other things can either wait or not get done at all , or until you feel up to doing it. At this time of year, if the weather is nice, do go out in the garden or for a little walk, rather than staying in to do a job which can wait - the weather wont.

Thank you all so much, I have gained a lot of perspective from this and I feel so much less alone.

It's helped me to, well just say I am struggling a bit to be honest.

I think I'm going to take more time to focus on my mental and physical health and just embrace being a slightly messier me

I think all of us have been through so much the last few years and life has changed for many of us. I guess it's up to us how we view that and what we take from it

Two things here
1. Your mental health seems a bit fragile so maybe get some counselling to address issues? Or take up a new hobby which involves fresh air , walk when you can?
2. Cleaning is a necessity but not a chore so set yourself daily small targets of 10minutes to do one thing! No house is going to collapse through lack of cleaning ! As long as sinks, baths, loos are clean then the rest just needs a quick dust ! Take care

I know just how you feel. I had an op on my eye then got a virus felt dreadful lasted over three weeks but given course of antibiotics. No energy and I’m usually full of it my GP doing tests as thinks it’s could be a Vitamin B12 deficiency along with folic acid. I have a good diet but going along with blood tests as Gp requested. However, feeling much better than I did drinking more water which I really believe does help. I do hope you feel better very soon. Give your body time to recover rest when ur tired n heh spring is just around the corner and after a long winter nice to
Look fwd too. Take care

I don't think I ever had a cleaning mojo, I clean because I have too and I don't like dirt or a mess. Drawers are a different matter, that's hidden.

Now here’s a subject that raises my hackles! I hate to clean, but love a clean house. Who doesn’t?

At my age I’m finding more interesting things to do with my spare time than vacuuming, scrubbing, dusting. I’m also somewhat limited in my physical output.

I do feel I have to host some luncheon or dinner party on occasion to get the full aesthetic done… or I might not get around to a full clean. That’s my motivator.

Everything “appears” really good - but I do have two closets that carry a burden - one is a catch-all “Dagwood” closet and the other is my Christmas closet. My weak links! They are in constant flux and never truly organized. It drives me crazy and my friends are tired of hearing about them! 😆
Cheers!
USA Gundy

Saggi

So you’ve lost your excitement for ‘ making a room spotless’….good…long May you remain that way!

Why do so many equate the word 'cleaning' with 'spotless' ? It's possible to keep a reasonably clean and tidy house without being OCD about it. And to have an interesting life while doing some cleaning some of the time.

There's absolutely nothing laudable about living in filth, nor is it healthy.

Just do what you feel like doing, don’t be hard on yourself, we spend years cleaning, tidying etc. it’s not the be all and end all just look after yourself x

I think what gets to me is the relentless repetition of housework
We used to be able to say it was like painting the Forth Road Bridge until they discovered a new, longlasting paint.

What we need are surfaces that clean themselves.

I think everyone has times when they can't be bothered with cleaning, either because they are busy with other things or tired or depressed with no energy. I just tell myself my DM will be visiting and that's enough to get me moving 😁

Do something small and reasonably quick each day, make a short list and tick them off as you do them - a shelf or drawer, clean a window, change a bed, clean the bath. These things all add up and make a difference until you feel like doing more.

I've also lost my cleaning mojo and my cooking mojo and anything else associated with housework and I'm retired so no work pressures. Luckily I have a wonderful husband who has taken up a lot of the slack. I do get very down about my lack of energy and dream about having the house completely cleaned and organised. Efforts to involve grandchildren as cleaning elves have failed. They would rather come and bake with granny, though they do clean up after. I think what gets to me is the relentless repetition of housework. At least when I was at work I was out of the house and not making a mess. I do wish I could get rid of the guilty feelings about not doing everything that I used to do.

So you’ve lost your excitement for ‘ making a room spotless’….good…long May you remain that way!

First: give yourself a break from cleaning until you are sure that you are fully recovered. This often takes longer than we either think it will, or want it to.

One day you will either feel like tackling some of the cleaning and be able to enjoy doing it again, or you will sit down and try to find the money in your monthly budget to pay for someone to come in and spring clean. After that you will doubtless be able to keep things the way you want them again.

I am currently catching up on all the sewing that has been waiting during the months where I could not see very well and enjoying being able to see to do it again.

I hope something similar happens to your urge to clean things.

I think those posters who have said a little at a time have it right. Set a timer even and just do as much as you can within the time. Chocolate has it exactly right - be kind to yourself.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202302/medium-855636-screenshot-20230217-013250-samsung-internet.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202302/medium-561435-screenshot-20230217-012944-samsung-internet.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202302/medium-227535-screenshot-20230217-012922-samsung-internet.jpg

I've been there too. My mojo for everything took a long sabbatical and is only just starting the return journey. At least my sense of humour is still here even if some consider it to be a little weird.

Callistemon21

^"The higher your level of education the more likely you are to ignore it because you can find more interesting things to do with your time."^

I sincerely hope you didn't say that to your cleaner, biglouis.
If you did, I'm shocked.
It is up to you, of course, if you don't want her to touch certain areas and I can understand an office and keyboard might be one.

However, everyone has their value and place in society and without her valuable experience and hard work, you might be living in a filthy, unhygienic tip because you consider cleaning is beneath you.
Disliking cleaning is one thing, being contemptuous of those who earn their living cleaning other people's dirt is wrong.
They are worthy of praise and admiration imo.

I was shocked too

"The higher your level of education the more likely you are to ignore it because you can find more interesting things to do with your time."

I sincerely hope you didn't say that to your cleaner, biglouis.
If you did, I'm shocked.
It is up to you, of course, if you don't want her to touch certain areas and I can understand an office and keyboard might be one.

However, everyone has their value and place in society and without her valuable experience and hard work, you might be living in a filthy, unhygienic tip because you consider cleaning is beneath you.
Disliking cleaning is one thing, being contemptuous of those who earn their living cleaning other people's dirt is wrong.
They are worthy of praise and admiration imo.