A Simple Sunday Reset to Start The Week — Plus 4 Home Essentials You Absolutley Need.
Some Sundays I have the time and the energy to do my full weekly cleaning routine. And other Sundays? Absolutely not. 😂
Between work, family, errands, getting ready for Monday, and honestly just wanting to enjoy what's left of my weekend, there are weeks when spending hours cleaning my entire house is the last thing I want to do.
But I've also learned that completely skipping my Sunday reset usually doesn't do me any favors.
There's something about waking up Monday morning to yesterday's dishes, a messy living room, laundry everywhere, and a bathroom that needs attention that makes an already busy Monday feel even more chaotic.
So when I don't have much time, I don't try to clean everything.
I focus on the four areas that make the biggest difference in how my home feels.
Think of this as the condensed version of my full weekly cleaning routine—the quick Sunday reset for those weeks when you just need to get your house back together before Monday.
Grab your favorite playlist, give yourself about an hour, and let's reset.
1. Reset the Kitchen + Living Area
I always start here because these are the spaces I see and use the most.
And if my kitchen and living room are clean, somehow the whole house immediately feels more put together.
I'm not deep cleaning cabinets or pulling appliances away from the wall.
I'm simply resetting.
I load the dishwasher, wash whatever is left in the sink, clear and wipe the countertops, put away anything that doesn't belong, fluff the couch pillows, fold the blankets, straighten the coffee table and take out the trash.
That's it.
One of my longtime staples is Dawn Dish Soap. It's simple, it works, and it's one of those products I always seem to find another use for around the house.
Home Essential #1: A Good Woven Basket
Here's a little trick for making this reset even faster:
Keep a beautiful woven basket somewhere in your main living area.
When I'm doing a quick reset and find toys, blankets, random chargers or little things that don't have time to make it back to their proper home right that second, the basket gives me somewhere to temporarily contain them without leaving visual clutter everywhere.
Functional storage that also looks good will forever be one of my favorite home-design tricks.
[Shop My Favorite Woven Storage Baskets →]
2. Give the Bathrooms a Quick Refresh
The key word here is quick.
This is not the Sunday I'm scrubbing every inch of the shower.
I clear the counters, wipe down the sink and faucet, clean the mirror, empty the trash and give the toilet a quick clean.
One of my favorite shortcuts is the Clorox ToiletWand because I can grab it, clean the toilet, dispose of the cleaning head and move on with my life.
I'll usually follow everything with an antibacterial spray on the high-touch areas and I'm done.
Five or ten minutes can completely change the way the bathroom feels.
Home Essential #2: Clorox ToiletWand
This is one of those products I keep stocked because anything that makes cleaning a bathroom quicker and easier automatically earns a permanent place in my cleaning cabinet.
Especially on a Sunday when I'm trying to get in, get out, and get ready for the week.
[Shop the Clorox ToiletWand I Use →]
3. Vacuum + Mop the Floors
If I only have time to do one thing after straightening the house, I'm probably cleaning the floors.
I don't know what it is, but freshly vacuumed and mopped floors make everything feel cleaner—even if I didn't get around to dusting every surface or organizing every room.
I quickly vacuum the main living areas, kitchen, hallways and bedrooms, then mop the hard floors.
No moving furniture.
No scrubbing baseboards.
We're resetting, remember? 😂
Home Essential #3: My O-Cedar Mop
My O-Cedar mop is one of my favorite cleaning tools because it makes this part of the routine so easy.
It's especially helpful when I want that freshly-cleaned-floor feeling without turning it into an entire project.
Once the floors are done, I swear the house immediately feels 10x fresher.
4. Refresh the Bedding
The final thing I do is refresh the beds.
Because after getting the house together, there is nothing better than taking a shower Sunday night and getting into a freshly made bed.
I strip the sheets earlier in the reset so they can wash while I'm working through everything else.
I've used Gain laundry detergent and fabric softener for years. At this point, that smell genuinely just reminds me of a clean home.
I'll also add my Downy Unstopables No. 26 scent boosters when I want the bedding to smell extra fresh.
Then I remake the bed, straighten the pillows and call it a day.
Home Essential #4: Bedding You Actually Look Forward to Getting Into
Good bedding is one of those home purchases I think is worth being intentional about.
Your bedroom should feel like the place where you can finally turn everything off at the end of the day.
Soft sheets, comfortable pillows and bedding that makes your bedroom feel put together can completely change that experience.
[Shop My Favorite Bedding Essentials →]
And That's It.
Kitchen and living room, bathrooms, floors, fresh bedding. Could I find another 20 things around the house that need to be cleaned?
Absolutely. But that's not the point of this routine, the point is to walk into Monday feeling like my home is supporting me instead of immediately adding another list of things I need to do. I've learned that homemaking doesn't have to mean constantly cleaning, organizing or trying to make your home look perfect.
Sometimes it's simply asking:
What can I do today that will make tomorrow a little easier?
And on a busy Sunday, these four things are enough for me.
Have More Time This Week?
If you're in the mood for a more thorough reset, head over to my Simple Weekly Cleaning Routine to Boost Productivity & Reduce the Overwhelm, where I walk through my full routine—including laundry, bathrooms, dusting, floors, refrigerator and closet resets.
But if this is all you have time for today?
Put on your playlist, set a timer and knock out these four.
Monday-you will be glad you did.
Want to Make Your Home Feel Even Better?
Cleaning is only one part of creating a home that feels peaceful and functional.
If you're ready to tackle the design and organization side, I've put together my 22 Tips to Design & Organize Like A Pro e-book with simple ideas you can start implementing throughout your home.
You can purchase your copy on my website or browse my free home, design and real estate resources while you're there.
I've also linked my favorite products from today's reset throughout this post so you can easily find anything you'd like to incorporate into your own routine.
Because a beautiful home isn't about perfection. It's about creating simple systems that give you more time to enjoy the life happening inside it.
Looking for more ways to love where you live?
Whether you're trying to make your current home work better for you or you're ready for an entirely new space, I'm here to help with both.
I share simple homemaking, interior design and organization inspiration alongside practical real estate advice for buying, selling, building and investing throughout Greater Houston.
And if buying a home is part of your next chapter, my clients receive a complimentary design consultation to help make their new house feel like home.
Let's stay connected:
📲 Call/Text: 832-224-1182
📩 Schedule a consultation: https://calendar.app.google/nWzYLhqQW8MVMLPc8
Amani Penn-Gilbert
Licensed Realtor | Interior Stylist
“I specialize in helping busy professionals + families make strategic investments from their first home, next investment, or luxury upgrade in Houston, Tx.”