Also make sure you’re not approaching your sibling at a bad time. If they’re stressed, in a bad mood, trying to work, or having any other problem, wait until they’re more relaxed. That way they’ll be more receptive to what you have to say.

To be specific, say something like, “I’m wondering if you could clean up around the bathroom sink more. You’re leaving used strings of floss on the counter, and I’d really prefer it if you could just throw them out in the waste basket. ” If your sibling is particularly young, you can try drawing a picture for them of what you’d like them to do. This can help them understand what you’re asking and be motivated to help. [1] X Research source

To express your feelings calmly and productively, you could say something like, “I don’t mean to pick on you, but it really frustrates me when you throw your dirty clothes on the floor instead of in the hamper. I really like having a clean space, and it upsets me to have a mess in the room. ” Be sure to use “I” statements instead of “you” statements. For instance, you should say something like “I feel stressed out by unclean spaces” rather than “you’re so dirty and disrespectful. ”

You can ask for your parents or guardians help by saying something like, “I’ve tried to ask Alex to clean up his mess from the living room, but he just won’t listen to me. I don’t want to get him in trouble or anything, but could you please help make Alex clean-up a little more?”

You can approach your sibling about cleaning together by saying something like, “I know that cleaning isn’t what you like to do after school, but if you and I just took half an hour to pick-up the house tomorrow afternoon, it would really look so much better. Besides, aren’t things usually more fun when we work as a team?”

If your sibling is close to your age or older, it might be hard to get them to give up their phone while they clean. If you tell them exactly why you want them to avoid distractions and are very respectful about it, they may go along with your request. To ask an older sibling to avoid distractions while cleaning, you could say something like, “Hey, would you mind leaving your phone on the table while we clean? It will only be fifteen minutes, and I promise you we’ll get so much more done if we just focus. ”

If your sibling really likes Harry Potter, for instance, you can have them make-believe that they’re playing quidditch or fighting a dementor while cleaning. The more you play along with the make-believe, the more your sibling will get into it.

To draw out the prizes for young kids, you can make a sticker chart: Every time your sibling cleans up the room, you can add a sticker to their chart and say they’ll get a prize for every five stickers they earn. This will give them something to work towards. If your sibling is a teen or older, you could reward them by doing a favor for them in return for cleaning. You could also buy them something small that they’d enjoy, like a ticket to a movie they want to see.

If your sibling is closer to your own age, you can set up competitions. For instance, you could have a competition to see who can clean the most windows or pick up the most dirty clothes in 10 minutes.

For instance, you could schedule 30-minute cleaning sessions 3 times a week.

Offer constructive criticism by praising them for something they’ve done well and then pointing out an area they could improve on. Keep your tone upbeat and positive when providing constructive criticism.

You will especially want to praise your sibling if you ever see them cleaning up when they weren’t asked to!

If your sibling can never expect you to clean up for them, this might motivate them to become cleaner on their own. If you have been cleaning up for them in the past, they might not have even noticed the mess.

Instead of fixing their clean-up jobs, you can take the opportunity to offer constructive criticism. Show them specifically what they could do better, but remain positive about their cleaning.

You know your sibling well, so just try to express the benefits of cleaning in ways you know they’ll understand. You could try to get your sibling interested in cleaning by saying something like, “I know it’s not as fun as watching TV, but do you see how much easier it is to use the kitchen when you clean your dishes? Everyone else really notices and appreciates your help!”