YYou may already know about the four daily routines I follow to keep my home “clean enough,” but I have a small ritual that quietly changes cleaning from a chore into something almost enjoyable. Curious what it is?
My secret ritual
First, I make a flavorful, aromatic cup of coffee. Then I gather my favorite cleaning products, put on some music, switch on my diffuser, and begin puttering through the house tidying and wiping as I go.
Why does this ritual work for me?
I’ve long admired Alexandra Stoddard and how she emphasizes engaging the senses in daily rituals. In Living a Beautiful Life she wrote about stimulating the senses as a gentle way to encourage useful tasks. That idea stuck with me.
“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.”
I have to admit I trick myself into enjoying chores like cleaning or laundry. Music helps, but choosing products that smell wonderful and look appealing makes the process feel more pleasant, even satisfying.
Once my husband cleaned the counters with a new product he found. It was thoughtful, but the scent was terrible — it filled the kitchen with a strong, savory aroma that made the whole room smell oddly like Italian sausage. It was the last thing I expected my countertops to smell like. We discovered the label said “basil,” and while basil can be lovely in the right context, that cleanser was not for us. The takeaway: you want your home to be fresh, not awkwardly scented.
Sometimes I look forward to cleaning just so I can pull out pretty bottles and enjoy the aromas. A good scent really lifts my mood — I’ve joked that I’d like to strap a fragrant candle to my nose. Recently I had the diffuser on when my daughters came home from college; they immediately noticed how wonderful the house smelled. I’ve been enjoying lemon and geranium blends lately.
Quick faux-cleaning tip: spray a little counter cleaner on a door frame. Each time the door opens, a pleasant hint of scent greets you. It creates the impression of a freshly cleaned home with minimal effort.
My Favorite Natural Cleaning Product