There’s real science behind a clean and organized space contributing to a clean and organized mind. But there’s also reality, in which we are so busy that caring for our homes feels like a burden instead of cleaning therapy.
Clutter, displaced items, half done projects, and dirty toilets register to your brain as “something to do” and when your schedule is already packed, it compounds.
But come with me, if you will, on re-framing care for our homes, tidying, puttering, cleaning as very important downtime. Time for your mind to wander and decompress.
Here are some of my systems that make cleaning and tidying bite-size throughout the week.
Before I leave for work, before I go to bed, after getting ready - I implement the five minute pick-up. Everything’s that out of place gets returned, pillows are arranged, sinks are wiped. It’s mainly visual tidying but makes a huge difference in how clean your home feels, not to mention, makes it easier to get your deep clean done since you’re not tidying first.
When I worked service, my manager drilled into me that that you always needed full hands walking in to the kitchen (dirty plates) and full hands walking out (hot food). I use this practice in my house constantly to return items to their home, which makes the five minute pick up - and then the deep clean - easier.
Ideally I’d have a leisurely four hour stretch on a Friday afternoon to clean the house and enjoy it all weekend, but it’s just not realistic. The best sliver I get is from 4:30-6 when work is done, and before our family’s Movie Night tradition. I split the deep cleaning week by week. One week I deep clean our bedroom, bathroom, and the stairs/hallway. One week I deep clean the other bathroom, bedrooms, and living room. The kitchen gets done each week along with a light dust/vacuum in the living room.
Method’s Daily Shower Spray + a squeegee is how I keep my shower presentable between deep cleanings. I’d also like to introduce you to a clean-tok staple: the shower scrub. I have a dish brush, filled with a dilution of Dr. Bronner’s and water, and I can scrub the shower while I’m deep conditioning my hair. (I know, I need help).
I heard about this tip from Joanna Goddard, who in turn found it from Sam Kelly. Sam says that first step to getting chores done is actually noticing that it needs to be done - a task that often falls to the mom/woman of the house in a form of invisible labor.
Rather than being told what to do, kids are asked to notice what needs to be done, turning them from a passive participant to an active contributor of household chores. My daughter already has a Sunday reset routine. She makes her room as messy as she wants, spreading games out across days, but come Sunday, we’re resetting the house and everyone’s expected to contribute.
What the Noticing tip looks like in practice is me going in her room for “the check” and saying “can you find 5 things to put away?” rather pointing out what else needs to be done.
And I can tell you, it’s just as much of a re-programming for me as it is for her.
At the end of every cleaning session, I burn incense, lighting one in each room as I go, windows open. (My current rotation is below).
The living room candle is lit to signify is it “done”. In my living room, I’m just burning a seasonal pick OR whatever development sample I’ve been tasked with testing. My current rotation is an old Bergamot Shiso (retired from P.F.) and a Tomato Vines candle (sold out on our website but you can find some at independent P.F. stockists). It’s bringing the spring inside.
The weekly reed flip. As I pass a reed diffuser bottle with my duster, I flip the reeds. This is the only way I ever remember to flip my reeds.
Milky Santal from P.F.
Agarwood from Nippon Kodo
Nara by Astier de Villatte
Sandalwood by Ichiko Ichi
Feel free to drop your best cleaning tips - or incense recs - in the comments.
Over n out,
Kristen
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