10 of My Favorite Ways to Create a ‘Good Enough’ Chronic Illness Cleaning Routine

This is a guest post written by Randi Pullar, a fellow spoonie and writer behind Chronically Cozy Life. Today, she’s sharing her practical, spoonie-friendly approach to building a “good enough” cleaning routine that actually works with your energy—not against it.

To clean or not to clean? 

A question I have to ask myself most days. While I really like having a clean and organized space, I don’t always have the energy to keep it that way. When you’re low on spoons you really have to prioritize where you put your energy, and often cleaning gets moved low on the list. 

While some may not understand, for me, a clean space is directly connected to how good I feel about life. If my space is cluttered and messy, I will feel less settled and more stressed, so ignoring the mess doesn’t really feel like an option. 

I am also the main cleaner in my home. My husband works a full-time job outside the house, and I am a freelance writer with the freedom to stay home. I am more than happy to take on the responsibility, and he helps me whenever he can and when I need it… 

But most of it is up to me! 

So, for my sanity, I have had to develop a “good enough” cleaning routine with chronic illness that works for my limited energy levels. It’s all about the mindset you go into it with, listening to your body, and, I am sorry to say it, pacing yourself. 

After almost 2 decades of living with a chronic illness, it can get a bit redundant being told to “pace yourself” time and again, but it is important and can make a big difference. In this blog, I will give you some tips to create a good enough routine and make managing your home a little easier.

P.S. If you’re short on time or energy, there’s a TL;DR section near the end of this post with a quick summary and helpful links to key sections.

10 Tips to Create a “Good Enough”

Cleaning Routine with Chronic Illness

1. Start with Symptom Management

Before you even start, you want to make sure you have done all you can to manage your symptoms and feel your best. Make sure you are hydrated and have enough salt. Take all your meds and put on your necessary braces. Give yourself the best chance at not inciting a flare!

2. Create a Rhythm, Not a Schedule

Chronic illness hates a well-thought-out schedule. It never fails: as soon as you think you have it all planned out – whoops, you’re flaring, and the whole plan is thrown off. I have created a list and a rhythm to work within. The laundry might not get done every Tuesday, but it will get done at some point this week, and that is enough.

3. Do a Ten-Minute Tidy

Our queen, Loonette the clown, really knew what she was doing with her daily 10-minute tidy. It’s a small effort that can make a big difference. I try to do this at the beginning of the day, collecting cups from around the house, emptying and refilling the dishwasher, and wiping counters. 

This often doubles as my daily movement, so it’s doubly beneficial.

4. Prioritize Your Tasks

When you write out your list, give each task a priority rating so that you know where your focus needs to go. If you are also trying to figure out what needs to be done as you go along, you are doubling down on the mental load and adding to the exhaustion.

Bonus brain fog tip: Keep a “When Did I Last…” list with everything around the house that only gets done once in a while, like changing the air filter. Check this list monthly and make a note of anything that needs to be done soon.

5. Pace Yourself and Do One Thing a Day

Break up the big tasks, and try not to do too many things on one day. If you can do a 10-minute tidy and one bigger task a day, like changing the sheets, this should keep you well on top of things with space to spare.

6. Cut Back on Clutter

Start decluttering if you want to make a big change to make the routine easier. The more stuff you have, the more mess you have. Clean out your closets and toss or donate anything that no longer brings you joy (or diminishes your spoons). 

DO NOT pull everything out of the closet. I know it is tempting, but you know you will regret it when you run out of energy halfway through. Tackle just one thing at a time to give yourself a solid foundation for a cleaning routine with chronic illness.

7. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

We are obviously not going for Marth Stewart standards here. As long as there are no large accumulations of junk, you’re not growing new life forms, and there are no funky smells, we are winning. It is okay if your house looks like it has been lived in. Clean does not have to mean perfect.

8. Make Your Chronic Illness Cleaning Routine Fun

I’m going to assume that you are not super excited to clean, but there are ways to make it more bearable. Maybe you are excited to listen to that audiobook you just started or that new true crime podcast. Whatever it is, focus more on that than the task at hand. Let it take your mind away while your body wipes the counters

9. Use the Right Tools to Save Energy

One of the best things I did for my routine was buy adaptable tools. The stand-up dust pan was a game changer! And the extendable scrubber—where have you been all my life? 

I also set up an easy-to-carry bucket with all the supplies I need so that I don’t have to go back and forth or look for things, and I buy doubles of stuff I know I will need in different rooms. I have a pretty small place, but I have seen a lot of people using carts to carry everything and that looks so smart!

10. Start a Garden

This is a summer-only hack for those of us here in Canada, but I have found that I care a lot less about how clean my house is when I have a garden to attend to. The fresh air and sunshine really improve my mood, and getting your hands dirty is good for the immune system. It takes your mind off the mountain of laundry, and that’s good too.

Tying It All Together

Okay, maybe the last one is a bit of a stretch, but the message I am really trying to impart is that it is not so serious as all that. If your house is a little messy, but you and your family are taken care of and you are getting the rest you need, it is not the end of the world. 

Do a little bit at a time and try not to sweat the small stuff. Accommodate your needs, listen to your body and make it fun when you can. Keep your cleaning routine with chronic illness flexible and get into a rhythm. Remember, this is not something you will ever be “done doing,” so don’t stress!