The Ultimate Sunday Reset: How to Organise and Clean Your Home in One Afternoon
This post is in collaboration with Very
If your Sundays feel like a blur of half-finished jobs, overflowing laundry baskets and children asking where everything is… you’re not alone.
For a long time, I felt like I started every Monday already behind. The house felt messy, school bags weren’t ready, and I spent the first few days of the week playing catch-up. Then I started doing a simple Sunday reset – nothing intense, nothing unrealistic – just a focused few hours to get the house and life back in order before the week begins.
Now it’s one of the best routines I’ve built for our family and one that brings a little bit of calm to the chaos of a busy working week.
If you’re short on time but want a calmer, more organised start to the week, here’s exactly how I reset our home in one afternoon – using realistic routines and a few smart home essentials that make the whole process quicker and easier.
What Is a Sunday Reset (and what it isn’t)?
A Sunday reset isn’t a deep clean. It’s not about scrubbing skirting boards or reorganising every cupboard and restating the whole house.
It is about:
- Clearing the main clutter
- Doing a quick but effective clean
- Resetting key areas of the house
- Getting organised for the days ahead
Think of it as putting your home back to “neutral” so the week starts smoothly and you don’t have that overwhelming feeling at the beginning of the week.
For busy households, this makes such a difference. Less mess during the week, calmer mornings, and far fewer “where is my…?” moments.
My 3-Hour Sunday Reset Plan
I usually split the reset into three simple stages. Even if I am unable to complete them all, I make sure that I at least try to get as far through as I can; it just helps for the coming days.
Life is busy; if you miss a reset or something doesn’t get done, it doesn’t matter. It is all about doing what you can to set yourself up for the best week to come.
Hour 1: Reset the Mess (Declutter & Tidy)
This is the foundation. There’s no point in cleaning if everything is still lying everywhere; it won’t feel or look any different.
I focus on:
- Living room
- Kitchen surfaces
- Hallway
- Kids’ bedrooms
I tend to use the basket method – grab a laundry basket and walk around collecting anything that doesn’t belong. This then allows me to make sure all the clutter that needs to be put back is gathered in one place.
This is where proper kids’ storage becomes a game-changer.
Open toy storage units, cube shelves and labelled baskets make it much easier for children to help tidy up – and actually keep things tidy during the week. When everything has a place, tidying takes minutes instead of becoming a battle.
We’ve found that dedicated kids’ storage (like toy organisers and bedroom cubes) works far better than trying to squeeze toys into random cupboards. It also helps children feel more independent, which is always a bonus. As the kids have got older, they have just continued with the habits they have always known, and it makes life so much easier when there are more hands helping out.
Very has a great range of practical storage options that are designed for real family life – sturdy, functional and not an eyesore in your living room. A kids storage unit does not need to be an eyesore in your house anymore with so many stylish designs to pick from.
Hour 2: Clean Smarter, Not Harder (Steam Clean)
Once everything is put away, it’s time to clean – but quickly.
This is where I save the most time by using a steam cleaner. This has been a new game-changer for us, and I am now wondering why it took us so long to make the change.
Instead of multiple sprays and cloths, I can tackle:
- Kitchen floors
- Bathroom tiles
- High-traffic areas
- Sticky fingerprints
- Muddy footprints
- Even the odd, mysterious mark on the wall
It pretty much covers all areas of the home with minimal effort or fuss, with many steam cleaners coming with various attachments to make sure that one machine can cover all the areas.
Steam cleaning has become increasingly popular in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. It offers a fast, effective way to tackle everyday dirt and bacteria using nothing more than heated water vapour, making it ideal for busy households that want great results without relying on strong chemicals.
From sealed floors and tiles to kitchen surfaces and bathroom areas, a good steam cleaner can handle multiple jobs in one go, saving both time and storage space. With more families focused on healthier homes, quicker routines and smarter cleaning solutions, steam cleaners have become a go-to essential for keeping on top of mess with minimal effort.
It genuinely turns cleaning into a 30–45 minute task instead of a whole afternoon.
Very stocks powerful steam cleaners that are perfect for busy households – easy to use, compact to store, and strong enough to deal with everyday family mess.
Hour 3: Reset for the Week Ahead
This part isn’t about cleaning – it’s about making weekday life easier.
I usually do:
- One load of laundry – You know, after the school run on Monday, your basket is going to be filling up, so take a little time to clear it before you get there.
- Empty bins – My kids can’t be the only ones who try to cram as much in the bin as they can, rather than empty it right?!
- Check school bags
- Pack lunches where possible
- Quick fridge check – Clear out those bits that have gone off, move things that need using first to the front. Just little bits to make your mornings a little easier.
- Write a rough meal plan
- Lay out Monday’s clothes
Sometimes I’ll also:
- Change bedding – We start the week with fresh bedding in this house.
- Open windows for fresh air – Get rid of the musty smells and get a little fresh air through the house.
- Light a candle or tidy the hallway
Small things, but they make Monday mornings far calmer.
Storage That Actually Works for Families
Let’s be honest – most clutter in family homes comes from kids’ stuff. From toys to art stuff to stuffed animals and everything in between, you suddenly find your space getting smaller and smaller.
If this sounds like a familiar situation to yours, don’t panic, you don’t need to have a cull of their favourite things, but you can look at a few things that help to keep the clutter at bay.
What’s helped us most is switching to:
- Kid-height storage
- Open shelves
- Clearly separated sections
- Storage that’s easy to access
Toy boxes, cube units and low shelving mean children know exactly where things go, and tidying becomes part of the routine rather than an argument. A simple sweep through of their room before bed to pop their bits away will make the whole space feel so much more organised.
Good storage doesn’t just make your home look nicer – it makes your Sunday reset quicker every single week.
My Top Sunday Reset Tips
If you are feeling a little overwhelmed, here are some of my favourite tips to help get it done and finished.
- Set a timer so it doesn’t drag on
- Put music or a podcast on
- Get the kids involved
- Don’t aim for perfection
- Focus on the main areas only
- Keep cleaning supplies together
- Use multi-purpose tools (like a steam cleaner)
- Do it weekly – consistency is key
The Before & After Feeling
Before our Sunday reset routine:
- Monday mornings were stressful
- We were always rushing
- The house felt cluttered
- I started the week already tired
Now:
- The house feels calm
- Everything is where it should be
- Mornings are smoother
- The week feels manageable
It’s not about having a perfect home – it’s about creating a space that supports your family, not stresses you out.
Final Thoughts
If you’re overwhelmed by mess, routines or the constant reset that family life requires, start small.
One afternoon. A simple plan. The right tools.
Having practical home essentials – like a reliable steam cleaner and proper kids’ storage – makes the whole process realistic instead of exhausting. Very’s home range is full of solutions designed for busy households, helping turn the Sunday reset from a chore into a habit that actually sticks.
Your future Monday-morning self will thank you.
