I don’t know about you, but I am definitely not a morning person. Call me a night owl, call me lazy, but I don't know what it is- I’ve just never been any good at getting up in the mornings. So as a result I’m constantly trying to find ways to make my early mornings as painless as I can without spending my whole evening doing so - and all while still maximising every last minute of sleep I can.
I do this with every part of my daily routine. Laying out my clothes for the mornings, showering before bed, packing my bag, making my lunch. You name it, if it’s going to save me some time in the morning I will do it. Which is how I came across the concept of ‘putting your house to bed.’
A super simple way to look at home organisation that presents household nighttime habits in a manageable and keenly repeatable routine. A routine designed to eliminate hassle and stress for your mornings. Oh and did I mention it shouldn't take more than 15 minutes per night? Sounds like a dream - here’s what to do.
What does ‘putting your house to bed’ mean?
This approach essentially does what it says on the tin. The idea is to create and conduct a list of tasks that help your home prepare for a night of rest so that when you (and it) wake up in the morning, life is simply a lot easier to tackle. In a nutshell: it involves tidying up and returning things to their proper places before going to sleep. But most importantly this isn't a decluttering method or deep clean, these are quick manageable tasks that shouldn't take over your evening. Like I said, 15 minutes or less- tops!
When you think about it, having a bedtime routine for your physical house isn't as mad or as overkill as you might think. After all, think of your individual routine; brushing your teeth, washing your face, winding down with a book or TV show. All things you do to help you prepare for sleep and the inevitabilities of the morning. Well this ‘putting your house to bed' idea; is designed to act the exact same way. Ensuring you wake up with a space that’s already organised and ready to go.
There’s something deeply comforting about waking up to a calm, tidy home. No overflowing washing basket glaring at you before coffee. No mystery clutter on the kitchen counter. No frantic hunt for keys while you’re already running late. The idea is to avoid waking up to dirty dishes, crumpled blankets and the kind of everyday mess that can make mornings feel instantly more stressful. Rather than being a one-off tidy-up, it’s designed as a simple nightly habit that takes no time at all but which gradually changes the way you care for and reset your home.
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The household bedtime routine checklist
While there is no fixed checklist of tasks one needs to tick off to correctly ‘put your house to bed’(as every home and person will naturally have their own requirements) I’ve compiled a list of jobs you may want to add to yours. The most common tricks that will have the biggest impact come morning time, and the ones I do in my own home each night too.
The dishwasher
Top of the list is the humble dishwasher, you’ll be surprised how much having a good routine with this appliance can impact your day. Before going to bed be sure to fill the dishwasher and put it on overnight. That way you wake up to your favourite coffee mug glistening and waiting for you- instead of that gross musty smell of caked on muck. If you want the future-you to love you even more, see if you can work in enough time to re-home all the clean dishes too, that way you can start afresh with your dishwasher each day.
Stray items
Take five minutes to do a quick scan of the rooms you know you’ve used that day and identify the items inhabiting the wrong space. Returning things to their proper place can save valuable time the morning. No more hunting for wallets, chargers or headphones while trying to get out the door.
Surfaces
Give any heavy traffic surfaces a quick-wipe down. It takes literal seconds, but clean kitchen counters and dining tables can make the whole home feel fresher when you wake up. Even a quick wipe removes visual clutter that can subconsciously add to stress levels.
The sink
Personally I think the most key area to make sure to reset before bed is the kitchen, as so many of the tasks in there can have a huge impact on the way you start your day, many of which revolve around the sink.
Check for any dirty dishes around the whole home, but don’t just put them in or near the sink, actually wash them up this time. Then, go that one step further towards a calmer and cleaner home by ensuring the drying rack is empty before heading to bed too. Returning all the clean washing to their rightful homes, ready for the next day is quick- but highly effective. While you’re at it, make sure to give the sink a good rinse out too, soggy leftover crumbs and veg scraps is nobody's idea of a good start to the day.
Spruce up the sofa
Instead of simply shifting your bodyweight from sofa to bed- no judgement, I do it too- make sure you leave the space how you’d like to find it tomorrow. Refold blankets and plump up the pillows, removing anything that need not be there. While you may not immediately notice this in the morning, you certainly will after a long hard day.
Clothing
Both dirty and clean clothes should always be addressed before heading to bed. Personally I like to make sure my outfit is laid out for the next day, to help shave off a few of those precious minutes in the morning (more time in bed is always worth it in my books). But you should also be sure to check the washing machine and dryer and make sure any drying racks and or clean clothes are put away. So that should you need to find them in the morning- you actually can. And don’t forget to tidy away any dirty clothes or other linens into the laundry bin, no one wants to wake up to dirty pants on the floor.
Prep breakfast
This may be a personal preference, but ever since I started doing this, I've had a never-ending sense of smug maturity in the mornings. I premake my breakfasts ahead of time, sometimes at the start of the week, or sometimes just the night before. But knowing I have a tasty healthy bit of grub waiting for me in the fridge, requiring no work or effort whatsoever, is certainly helping get me out of bed.
Office
Nothing worse than starting your day with the chaos of the last one, this is especially true when it comes to work. If you work from home, make sure you do a quick desk reset before logging off for the day. It can be as simple as straightening up your laptop and notebook and returning the mug of the day to the kitchen. Sounds simple, but the impact on how you start your working day can be huge as visual noise is always distracting.
The quick walk-through
This is something I like to do as a final step for my household bedtime routine- or even when I’m in a pinch as the only part of the routine I make sure to do. Just doing a quick walk around your house, turning off any lights, collecting any rubbish or miscellaneous clutter can make a huge difference. You’ll inevitably find a task or two to tackle, and get a great sense of reassurance that everything is where it ought to be. For me, it just helps the home feel settled before sleep. And waking up to an organised environment often helps you to feel mentally more prepared for the day ahead.
