My Afternoon Routine: Small Steps Toward A Tidy Home

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of routines. What you might not know is that I’m naturally a very lazy person. Routines really help me stay on top of things in my home and keep me from wasting my time!

During the week I usually have an hour or so between the time I get home from work and when I need to start supper. My afternoon routine helps me to make the most of that time slot in my day, where I’d likely end up scrolling Instagram and snacking instead of getting things done!

When I get home I begin by putting away everything I brought in the door with me. Then I usually do have a little snack and put on comfy clothes, but I get right to work on household chores.

My afternoon routine varies depending on the day, so I keep track of my daily chores in my planner. Here are the things I typically do in that hour before supper!

1 – Put away everything I brought home with me – my lunch and beverage containers from work, paperwork, mail or items from the store.

2 – Empty the dish drainer or dishwasher. It’s much easier to tackle supper cleanup when they are empty.

3 – Complete one chore:

Monday: Dust
Tuesday: Fold laundry + vacuum
Wednesday: Clean bathrooms
Thursday: Fold laundry

Sometimes I can get all those things done in the first 30 minutes that I’m home. I know I’ll have time to rest after supper, so I try to remind myself that this is still part of my work day and stay on task until I’m finished.

If I have extra time left in my afternoon, some days I sit down to rest (especially if it’s been a busy day at the office). Other days I work on easy things like addressing a birthday card, packing my lunch for the next day or starting a grocery order for the week.

You might not have this much time in your pre-supper schedule. Is there another 15-30 minute window in your day where you could accomplish a chore? You might be amazed how much you can get done in just a few minutes. Using little windows of time well goes a long way toward a tidy and efficient home.

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. Proverbs 24:3