Tired of cleaning the same mess over and over? These mom-tested fixes will save your sanity (and your floors). Don’t forget to save this pin for later!
If You’re Drowning in Toy Chaos, You’re Not Alone
Can we talk about that moment when you spend an hour cleaning the playroom?
You step back, proud of your work.
Then you come back ten minutes later and it looks like a tornado hit.
Blocks everywhere. Doll clothes scattered. Random toy pieces you can’t even identify.
And tomorrow? You’ll do it all over again.
If you’re an ADHD mom like me, you know this cycle intimately. Small messes feel overwhelming. Motivation comes in waves. And staying consistent feels impossible when you’re already stretched thin.
Here’s what I learned: It’s not your fault.
Your brain processes clutter differently. Traditional organization methods weren’t designed for how we think and function.
So I stopped trying to do it the “right” way. Instead, I focused on what actually works. What sticks. What doesn’t require superhuman willpower or daily deep cleans.
These 8 fixes changed everything for me. They’re ADHD-friendly, low-effort once you set them up, and they work whether your kid has ADHD or not.
1. Rotate Toys Instead of Managing Everything at Once
Does your living room look like Toys”R”Us exploded?
Here’s the truth: Most kids play with maybe 20% of their toys. The rest just creates visual noise and cleanup stress.
Try this instead:
Box up half the toys right now.
Stash them in a closet or under a bed.
Rotate them back in every few months.
It’s like having a toy library at home. Your brain has less to manage. Your kid gets excited about “new” toys. Your floors stay clearer longer.
Plus, it buys you precious time between those overwhelming deep cleans.
2. Make Cleanup a Team Effort (Even When It’s Messy)
I used to think cleaning up myself was faster.
It probably was. But then I’d burn out, get resentful, and stop doing it altogether.
Now cleanup is a team sport:
“Let’s each grab 5 things and put them away.”
Set a 2-minute timer and race it together.
Sometimes I only pick up what my kid picks up. One thing each.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about not carrying the entire mental load alone.
Your nervous system will thank you.
3. Skip Text Labels and Use Pictures Instead
Words on bins sound great in theory.
But when you’re overstimulated, tired, and speed-cleaning before dinner? You don’t stop to read “Vehicles.” You just shove stuff anywhere.
Pictures work better.
I printed simple icons from the internet. A Lego brick. A truck. A teddy bear. Then taped them to our bins.
Now I can match toys to bins without thinking.
My kid knows where things go even though he can’t read yet.
My partner has no excuse for mystery piles.
Pro tip: Use removable labels. ADHD brains change systems frequently. Make it easy to adjust without starting over.
4. Create Toy Drop Zones in Every Room You Actually Use
I used to believe toys should only live in the playroom.
But toys migrate. Fast.
Fighting this reality was exhausting. So I stopped.
Now I have designated toy zones:
A small bin in the living room.
A soft basket in the bedroom.
A low shelf near the kitchen.
Each space has a home for the toys that naturally drift there. Daily pickups became less rage-inducing because there’s always a nearby home.
5. Do a Weekly “Toy Debris Dump”
This one is weirdly satisfying.
Every Sunday, I grab a small bag and walk around tossing:
Broken pieces
Happy meal toys
Random bits we haven’t matched in months
No decisions. No organizing. Just toss.
It gives instant visual relief and stops the buildup of what I call “clutter static.” You know, that mental drain you feel every time you glance at the mess.
6. Make Toy Storage Stupid Simple
If putting a toy away requires more than two steps, it’s not happening. Not for me, definitely not for my kid.
So I keep it simple:
Open-top bins (no lids if possible)
Clear containers you can see through
Everything stored low where little hands can reach
Think “drop it in” instead of “carefully slide into place.”
This makes cleanup doable even on meltdown days. Which, let’s be honest, happen more than we’d like.
7. Use a “Pause Basket” for Overwhelmed Moments
Sometimes my executive function just… taps out.
I’ll stare at a mess thinking, “I should deal with this,” but I literally can’t make myself move.
Enter: The pause basket.
It’s just a medium bin where I toss random floor toys when I don’t have the energy to sort. That’s it.
No guilt. No decisions. Just containment.
It lets me reclaim visual calm without needing to finish the task perfectly.
Bonus: Some days I forget about the basket entirely. And that’s okay. It’s still better than stepping on a plastic dinosaur at midnight.
8. Attach Tiny Cleanups to Things You Already Do
Motivation is unreliable. But routine? That’s your secret weapon.
I’ve started linking mini resets to things I already do:
After brushing my teeth → 2-minute toy pickup in the living room
When the dishwasher runs → toss a few things in toy bins
While waiting for pasta to boil → scoop up scattered blocks
These micro-cleanups don’t change your day. But over time? They seriously change your space.
Here’s the Real Talk
If your brain doesn’t do routine the “normal” way, you’ve probably tried systems that looked amazing on Pinterest but fell apart by Thursday.
Same.
These aren’t tips from a parenting manual. They’re survival systems. Created by someone who’s lived through the chaos, the burnout, and those 3-day toy piles that make you want to cry.
Whether your kid has ADHD or not, these fixes will help. They simplify your environment. They reduce the noise in your head. They give your nervous system one less battle to fight.
You don’t need a perfect playroom. You just need one that doesn’t make you want to scream.
Start Small, Start Today
Take what works. Leave what doesn’t.
Pick just one of these fixes today. Whichever one feels easiest.
And if you forget tomorrow? No big deal. Come back to this list when you’re ready.
We’re not doing perfect here. We’re doing ease over chaos.
You’ve got this. ♡