Cleaning Habit: Cleaning the Kitchen Every Night

I am what one would call a neat/clean freak. Everything in my home has its place. I like to go through our belongings on a regular basis and purge what we don’t need. I cannot function unless my home is in clean, working order. Blame it on my OCD and/or anal retentiveness. Simply put, I need and thrive in a clean, organized home. Over the years, I have learned that waking up to a clean home helps me start my day off on the right foot. Knowing this, I introduced a habit into my daily routine to help ensure that my days start on a positive note. So, here’s my secret.

When it comes to bedtime, my last stop before heading upstairs to the bedroom is in my kitchen. Every night the sink is emptied, the dishes are put away, the counters are freed of clutter, and the surfaces are wiped clean. Walking downstairs every morning to arrive in a clean kitchen immediately puts me in a great mood.

At the end of the day, I’m exhausted and the last thing that I want to do is spend 5-10 minutes tidying up the kitchen. All that I can think about is crawling under the covers and falling fast asleep. But then it hits me. It’s either I tidy up the kitchen before bed or start the day with an untidy kitchen in the morning. To me, I will always prefer starting each day with a clean slate … and a clean kitchen.

Don’t you agree?

If so, my encouragement for you today is to stop in the kitchen before heading to bed tonight. Put away any pots and pans that are drying on the counter. Place dirty dishes in the dishwasher and run it. Or, empty the dishwasher by putting away the clean dishes. Wipe down the counters. Take out the trash (when applicable).

Go to bed with a clean kitchen. Your morning self will thank you.

Do you clean your kitchen every night?