How Music Makes Cleaning Feel like a Breeze

By now most of you who read this blog regularly would pretty well know that I, let’s say, strongly dislike cleaning. (There’s the understatement of the year.) Yet cleaning is something that is always on the agenda of every household. That’s right, I also try to keep the house clean, or at least keep it tidy when guests come visit. And however strange it may sound, I somehow manage to get it done. Here’s how I get through the burden of cleaning.

The one and only thing that keeps me going when I start doing the tedious chores is music.

Music engages the brain, causing it to release a hormone, called dopamine. That hormone in turn gives us the extra boost we need to get the job at hand done. Fun fact, chocolate also releases dopamine, so good news, it appears sweet treats help cleaning as well. But let’s get back to music though.

According to a study in Psychology Today, playing faster music will give you more energy, increase your heart rate and push you to move quicker. That way you’ll not only finish the job, but you’ll do it a lot faster that usually.

So when the mess gets the better of you, get your headphones, pump up the music and you’ll be just fine.

The Ultimate Playslist

Sorry to disappoint you here, but what what works for me might not work for you. With that said, I’m still sharing the songs that I like listening to while cleaning in just a little bit. But before that, let’s find out what gets you moving. According to people I know who work in the house cleaning industry, there are two main criteria when making your cleaning playlist:

First, the song has to be rhythmic and fast. Not that I don’t like slow songs, on the contrary, but a 60-beats-per-minute track is more likely to get me to sleep than anything else.

Second, it would also help a lot if you can sing and dance to the songs on your list. The track has to be something that will get your mind off the tedious house cleaning.

My Playlist

I would imagine that the first song that comes to mind when one thinks of music and cleaning is Queen’s “I want to break free”. And quite naturally, it makes the top of my list. So without further ado, here’s what I listen to when I get down to the cleaning.

1. Queen – I want to break free
2. Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
3. Survivor – Eye of the Tiger
4. Foo Fighters – The Pretender
5. Eminem – Cleaning Out my Closet
6. Outcast – So Fresh, So Clean
7. Jessie J, B.O.B – Price Tag
8. Aha – Take on Me
9. Kanye West – Stronger
10. Queen – Don’t Stop me Now
11. LMFAO – I’m Sexy and I Know it
12. AC/DC – Play Ball