My Simple Cleaning Routine for a Stress-Free Home
Some days, the house just feels like too much. Maybe the kitchen counter is buried under school books and dirty dishes. Or maybe the laundry hampers are full again, and your dining room table has disappeared beneath art projects and snack wrappers. When everything around me feels chaotic, I’ve learned that a simple cleaning routine makes the biggest difference.
Over time, I’ve created a personal rhythm that helps me reset our home in a way that doesn’t take over the entire day. I’m not talking about scrubbing baseboards or pulling out the vacuum attachments. I’m talking about daily habits that help me get back to center, even in the middle of a busy season.
This post shares my best tips for resetting the whole house when I feel overwhelmed, including a free printable checklist you can use for your own home.
Why a Home Reset Helps My Mindset
A messy home doesn’t mean you’re failing. Life happens, especially when you have young children, a full-time job, and a house full of people. Still, when the visual noise builds up, it can affect my energy, mood, and ability to focus. That’s where a simple cleaning routine becomes more than a task list. It becomes a way to reclaim peace.
I used to believe I needed an entire day to make the house feel clean. But I’ve found that I don’t need much time, just a plan. A reset doesn’t require perfection. It just needs a start. We still clean our home regularly, mopping the floors, scrubbing the toilets, and removing the marker from the wall. What I’m talking about is a daily routine to help keep things tidy and help quiet my mind.
Step One: Tidy Up the High-Traffic Areas First
I always begin in the areas we use the most. That means I reset the living room, kitchen, and entryway. These spots carry a lot of the daily mess, and when they’re clean, the whole house feels lighter. Just by clearing counters, emptying the sinks, and putting toys and shoes away, the stress relief is felt immediately.
Here’s what I focus on:
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Fluff the couch pillows and fold the blankets
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Clear off the coffee table and toss any trash
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Wipe down the kitchen counters with my favorite non-toxic spray
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Load any dirty dishes into the dishwasher
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Sweep the kitchen floor or quickly vacuum if there are no sticky spots.
Even a small amount of effort makes a huge difference! Visual noise is so triggering for me, and I’ve noticed I have a much harder time stretching my patience when I’m overwhelmed by a mess.
Step Two: Address the Laundry Pile Before It Grows
Laundry is the one thing that can undo a clean home in no time. I like to toss in a load first thing during a reset. If it’s laundry day, I’ll sort everything and make a plan for multiple loads. But even one load of laundry is progress. When I push one load through the wash each day, it helps prevent the huge load that piles up in my room from ever happening!
If I notice stains or grease spots, my current go-to is a homemade laundry stain remover that’s completely non-toxic. It works just as well as conventional brands, without the concerning ingredients.
Here’s my personal laundry stain remover recipe:
Ingredients:
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1 cup hydrogen peroxide
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½ cup baking soda
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1 tablespoon Castile soap
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10 drops lemon or lavender essential oil
Mix all the ingredients in a small jar or squeeze bottle. Shake before use. Apply directly to stains and let sit for 15–30 minutes before washing.
This is a great companion to my homemade laundry detergent, which I also use for every load. You can check out the full recipe here.
Step Three: Simplify the Bathroom Reset
If I only have a little time, I focus on the guest bathroom. It’s the one room that everyone sees and uses. The kids tend to play with water or run in there to wash their hands after playing outside. The last thing I want is for a guest to see a messy bathroom.
Quick bathroom reset steps:
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Clear the counters and wipe with a non-toxic cleaner
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Use a quick wipe for the mirror and faucet
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Replace towels if needed
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Toss any trash
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Add a few drops of essential oil in the toilet or diffuser for a fresh scent
When I have extra time, I move to the other bathrooms using the same steps.
My favorite cleaners for this are Force of Nature’s all-in-one cleaner and Branch Basics concentrate. Both are safe for personal use and clean high-traffic areas thoroughly without harmful chemicals.
Step Four: Downsize As I Go
One of the best ways to make a reset last longer is to toss or donate anything that we don’t need. I’m not talking about a full decluttering session. However, when I notice a pile of unused toys, decor, or papers that have been stacked for months, I make quick decisions.
Less stuff means fewer daily tasks. It makes cleaning time shorter and gives me back mental space. Even something as small as tossing broken crayons or putting outgrown clothes in a bag can lighten the load. I’ve worked to remove attachment to stuff. If we don’t use it regularly, I don’t hold on to things. It’s been a very freeing experience.
Step Five: Use Habit Triggers to Stay on Track
After the reset, I return to my normal daily cleaning tasks. I anchor them to habits I already have. For example:
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After breakfast = wipe kitchen counters
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Before school starts = quick tidy of the living room
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During lunch break = swap laundry
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After dinner = load dishwasher and clean sink
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Before bed = 10-minute tidy up with kids
These little tasks help me maintain the reset without needing another full day.
Resetting the Entire House Without Losing a Day
The good news is, you don’t need to deep clean every week. I have a weekly cleaning schedule that rotates through different rooms, usually tied to the day of the week.
Here’s a general rhythm that works well in our house:
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Monday: Master bedroom and laundry
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Tuesday: Kitchen
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Wednesday: Bathrooms
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Thursday: Living and dining room
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Friday: Floors and catch-up
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Saturday morning: Declutter or special project
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Sunday: Rest
This way, the whole house gets regular attention, and I never spend the entire day on chores. I have loved implementing this schedule because it’s given me the opportunity to relax and be present with my family. The last thing I want to do is spend an entire day cleaning when my husband is only home two days a week.
Cleaning Supplies I Actually Trust
A simple cleaning routine is only as good as the supplies you use to clean your home. A few years ago, I did a complete overhaul of our cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, and personal care products, researching and choosing safer, non-toxic options we could afford. I’ve used many different brands over the years, but I keep coming back to a few favorites. These non-toxic options give me peace of mind and actually work:
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Papabear Naturals: Effective and gentle, especially around small children
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Truly Free: Great for laundry and safe for sensitive skin
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Force of Nature: Converts tap water and vinegar into a multipurpose disinfectant
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Branch Basics: One concentrate for almost every surface
I keep a spray bottle in each high-traffic area so I can do a quick wipe anytime without hunting down supplies.
My Home Reset Checklist
If you’re like me and work best with a visual list, you can grab my free printable checklist for a home reset. It includes:
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The exact reset steps I follow
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A daily cleaning routine you can stick to
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Room-by-room reminders
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Space to write your own tasks based on the season or day of the week
This checklist is perfect for busy moms, night owls, or anyone who needs a starting point. It’s easy to print and tape to the fridge, or save to your phone for a quick reference. I have a copy on my phone as well as a laminated copy on our fridge.
My Evening Closing Shift
One of the biggest changes I made in our daily cleaning routine was adding a simple evening “closing shift.” It’s nothing fancy. Just a short checklist that helps me reset the house for the next day.
I usually start it after the kids go to bed, but if we’ve had a really full day, I’ll get a head start while they wind down. I don’t aim to do everything. I focus on the small things that make a big difference the next morning. The kids also have chores they are responsible for at the end of the day, and it’s part of our evening routine to take some time tidying the main floor before brushing teeth and tucking kids in.
Here’s what my evening closing shift usually looks like:
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Wipe down the kitchen counters and stove
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Load and run the dishwasher
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Sweep the kitchen floor
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Fold a quick load of laundry or toss one into the dryer
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Fluff the pillows and tidy the living room
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Do a quick wipe in the guest bathroom
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Clear the dining table
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Mop as necessary
It takes 20–30 minutes most nights. Sometimes even less. And if I can’t do it all, I just pick two or three things.
This helps me start the next day with a clean sink, clear counters, and a little bit of calm. It’s a habit that supports my home life and mental well-being, especially when things have felt overwhelming.
Final Thoughts
No matter how overwhelmed you feel, it only takes a few small wins to shift the energy in your home. A clean house doesn’t require the entire day or a professional cleaning lady. With a little time, a simple cleaning routine, and some effective tools, you can reset your space and your mindset.
Next time you feel stuck, don’t try to do it all at once. Pick one room. One task. One load of laundry. Then build from there.
You’re not behind, you’re just one good day away from a fresh start!
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