YYou may already know the four daily routines I use to keep my home clean enough, but I have a small ritual that turns cleaning from a chore into something I almost enjoy. Curious what it is?
My secret ritual
First, I brew a fragrant cup of coffee. Then I gather my favorite cleaning products, start some music, switch on my diffuser, and begin puttering around the house. That sequence — a pleasant scent, comforting music, and tools that look and smell nice — makes the tasks feel smaller and more satisfying.
Why this ritual works
I’m inspired by Alexandra Stoddard and her emphasis on engaging the senses in everyday rituals. She writes about the importance of stimulating the senses to make daily life more joyful. I take the same approach: when my senses are engaged, mundane chores become more tolerable, even enjoyable.
“Being happy and peaceful, especially at home…is the goal: stimulating the senses is one way to start. I’ve learned to tease myself into doing necessary and useful tasks by stimulating my senses as I go along.”
In practice that means choosing music that lifts my mood and cleaning products that smell pleasant. If the products look appealing as well, I’m more likely to keep going. It’s a gentle trick to make routine tasks feel less like obligations and more like a small personal ritual.
Once my husband brought home a countertop cleaner and cleaned the counters for me. It was thoughtful, but the scent was overwhelming — the whole kitchen smelled like spicy Italian sausage. I discovered the product was labeled “basil.” That experience taught me how important scent is: you want your home to smell fresh and clean, not like dinner you didn’t make.
Often I look forward to cleaning just to take out my pretty bottles and enjoy the fragrances. A lovely scent can change the whole feeling of a room — I’ve even joked about wanting to carry a candle under my nose all day. Recently I ran the diffuser when my daughters came home from college; they immediately noticed how wonderful the house smelled. Lately I’ve been drawn to lemon and geranium blends.
Quick faux-cleaning tip: spray a light mist of your counter spray on a door frame. Each time the door opens or closes, a subtle clean scent greets you. It creates the impression of a freshly cleaned home with very little effort.
My Favorite Natural Cleaning Product