Something that has changed my life is spending 30 minutes cleaning up EACH NIGHT. That’s right, each and every night!
It might sound silly but having a clean kitchen and living space makes me so refreshed and happy. So here’s how I get it done after the toddler is in bed…
First, set a timer and turn on a podcast! Thanks to my favorite AirPods I can listen to a podcast while I clean. Some of my favorites are Bachelor Party, Potomac Watch, Axios Re:Cap, and This American Life. Basically I have tons of favorites and I pick whatever I’m feeling that day.
Second, I put all dishes into the dishwasher and put all extra food away. Really nothing crazy to say here…just put what you can in the dishwasher 🙂
Third, wash all the dishes that can’t go into the dishwasher. I used to put off washing dishes but now I power through them right away. Letting your dishes get out of control only takes longer to clean up!
Four, wipe down all surfaces and then spray with a surface cleaner. I usually use my dish rag to wipe the counters and table of all crumbs. Then I grab some surface spray (Mrs Meyers currently!) and clean the surfaces off. With both steps my counters and table both sparkle and I *love* it.
Fifth step is to put all toys and random items back in their proper “place.” I’ll do a quick sweep around the main floor to put toys back in their bins and random jackets, etc, away. I work hard to have my daughter pick up her toys but sometimes things get missed! Plus jackets, mittens, and hats just seem to accumulate in my front hall all day.
Lastly, quick vacuum with my Dyson cordless! I am obsessed with my Dyson vacuum. I use it after every meal to clean up because I hate crumbs on the ground. After I’ve done all cleaning and picking up I do a final pass with my vacuum. Then it’s truly clean!
Powering through all of the above can be done in 30 minutes and it is SO worth the effort. After this I feel like I can truly relax for the night and then my house is in order for the next day. Sometimes if I’m feeling ambitious I will even put away all the dishes once they have dried 🙂 (Usually that happens when my husband is at work and I’m alone for the evening!)
So I encourage you to do what you need to do around the house to feel at peace. Dedicating this time each night has helped me unwind so much! Sounds silly but it’s true – and what I need in my life everyday.
