Today I’m going to share my Ultimate Evening Reset guide – five simple tasks I do every night (as part of my evening cleaning routine) to ensure I wake up to a clean house.
Hey girl, does it feel like you’re waking up each morning to a house that’s in constant chaos and disarray? I’ve soooo been there! And I know we’re not the only homemakers feeling the same way – starting each day in a house that’s more like a war zone than a peaceful haven. The kitchen counter is cluttered, the living room looks like a tornado passed through, and the dishes from last night’s dinner are still in the sink. It’s exhausting and disheartening, and it steals the joy of creating a loving, peaceful space for the ones we love!
But guess what? I’ve got the solution! Today I’m going to share my Ultimate Evening Reset guide – five simple tasks I do every night (as part of my evening cleaning routine) to ensure I wake up to a clean house. This routine has transformed my mornings, allowed me to reclaim the joy in homemaking, and turned my house back into the welcoming haven I want for my family. I know it can help you too! So let’s dive right in đź’–
P.S. If you’re looking for my post about my morning cleaning routine, you can find that here! It only takes me 30 minutes and it’s a game changer for my day!
And now for the evening reset guide!
1. Clear the Clutter
The first thing that I do is clear the clutter. I do a 10-minute speed clean where I grab a basket and rush around grabbing everything that I see that’s out of place. I just throw it in the basket so that as I move from room to room, I can put things right where they belong without having to do it one thing at a time, which just takes so much longer. I also try to clean as I go while cooking dinner. This way, cleaning the kitchen isn’t something that I have to do extensively in the evenings. There might just be a few things still out that need to be put away.
2. Laundry
I make sure to put away the laundry every night. If you’re a longtime follower, you’ll know that I do one load of laundry every morning. Making sure that I do a load of laundry every day from start to finish has really helped transform my home. It’s probably been one of the biggest game-changers. Now, how you want to put away the laundry is totally up to you. Some homemakers prefer not to fold their children’s clothes and instead sort them directly into drawers. I also have a clothing steamer for important items so that I don’t have to stress about wrinkly clothes! You can either steam in the evenings, or just keep it on hand and steam before wearing!
3. Dishes (one of the most important parts of my evening reset!)
I fill the sink with warm soapy water before every meal I cook or serve. That way, the dishes go straight from cooking to the warm soapy water and then to the dishwasher. It makes things easy because after serving dinner, the family knows to scrape their plate then put them into the soapy water. So this part of my evening cleaning routine goes SO FAST because all I have to do is add in whatever dishes might be in the sink, and run the dishwasher before bed.
4. Floors
I don’t go through and deep clean all my floors every night. Instead, as part of my morning audio cleaning routines I follow, I clean the floors extensively once a week. (You can check out my post on what weekly tasks I do as part of my morning routine right here!) Because of this, in the evenings I only spot sweep or mop high traffic areas. This takes about five minutes. Usually, these high traffic areas are under the kitchen table, entrance, cooking areas, and maybe the mudroom. (I’m not fancy enough to have one of these, but if I did I’m pretty sure it’d be on the list! haha)
5. Self-Care
As part of my evening reset, I do a little self-care. I put on my PJs and do just a little skincare. I know that may sound silly, but for some reason it really helps me come back to myself after a long day. You can even use cryo globes or a gua sha tool or a jade roller after applying your moisturizer. Or get a red light for some red light therapy. This helps me feel a little extra pampered and pretty before I go to bed and helps me recharge. You can take this time to listen to a podcast or music, OR it’s even built into my 1950s Radio Show Evening Cleaning Routines! I’ll tell you what the heck that is right now.
My Audio Evening Cleaning Routine
I use follow the entire routine above and use it as a time to mentally reset while listening to my Domestic Dreams Evening Cleaning Routine, which features the 1950s radio show Suspense!. This awesome audio-guided cleaning routine will transport you back to the fabulous 50s, and in just 30 minutes every night, you’ll be guided through all of the cleaning tasks I just mentioned above, while listening to a vintage radio story.
New episodes drop six nights a week, so you’ll never miss a task and your home will always be spotless. Now, I’m giving away a few free episodes to anyone who wants them. You can get yours here. These have been such a game-changer for me because they’ve turned the evening reset in my home from a chore to something like a self-care moment!
And that’s my Evening Reset Guide!
I had so much fun going over this routine with you today and I hope it helps! See you next time, Domestic Darling!