I Tried the Viral “Weekly Reset” Cleaning Routine and It Took an Unexpected Turn

There’s something strangely satisfying about watching the “weekly reset” posts that have been popping up on my Instagram and TikTok feeds lately. If you’re unfamiliar, they involve watching someone spend a day, usually a Sunday, cleaning the entirety of their home. This person will wash and put away loads of laundry, fill and empty a dishwasher, and remake entire beds — among any other common chores — and then reveal these spaces in their most pristine forms. 

Watching is like participating in a two-fold experience: One, you’re a Zillowistic observer, cataloging mostly modern and neutral spaces as they morph ever closer to a model home. And secondly, you’re noting familiar tasks — ones you may need to complete yourself — as they’re blissfully checked off someone else’s list in a neat, sweat-free package. I’ve seen a number of these weekly resets — from influencers, professionals, and common folk alike — as I’ve sat holding a cereal bowl that needs to be washed on a couch that could probably use a vacuum. I’ve been a willing audience member, I admit. The only problem? When I aspired to do the weekly reset myself, I hated it. 

One week, I decided to try doing a weekly reset myself — aka, I held off on doing necessary chores until Sunday. I let the laundry pile up. I filled almost every open spot in my dishwasher with dirty cups and plates. I didn’t Swiffer the floors. I let the dusting wait until later. (I did, however, water my plants, because I’m not an animal.)

By the time Sunday rolled around, the anticipation for getting stuff done had mounted significantly. I couldn’t wait to do it, and not just because the chores very much had to be addressed — I was running out of bowls. I was excited by the premise of tasks that had clear beginnings and ends, and a premise of being industrial with a tangible reward when the jobs were through. If the “Sunday scaries” has become ingrained internet speak for capitalist dread, then the “weekly reset” seemed like its existential anecdote. 

When it came time to do the actual reset, I put on a playlist after a cup of coffee, otherwise known as an unstoppable duo of productivity boosters, and got to work. I scrubbed. I Swiffered. I washed and arranged. It was so thrilling, this flurry of activity. The yuck and ew was replaced with shiny, squeaky, aesthetically pleasing vignettes. I felt the buzz that comes with being someone deemed “on top of it,” deserving of a gold star for having books and pillows and throws perfectly in place.

But also … it was a lot of work. Before I knew it, a post-breakfast energy high was depleted down into a must-eat-lunch-now slump. And as the sun was slowly retreating into the horizon, it was finally time for my dried sheets to make it onto my bed. Sure, I had a clean home by the start of the evening, but the historic day of rest was far from it. As I went to sleep, I felt resentful: I liked how my home looked and felt, but I wished it hadn’t come at the expense of half my weekend. 

There’s nothing inherently wrong with a “weekly reset,” given that maintaining a clean home is just part of adulthood. A weekly reset could be the best choice for people who have busy weeks and only one free day to get things tidy. Many of the videos I saw showed just how successful doing a weekly reset can be for others. One commenter on this Reel even said, “This is what I did today as well!” But I prefer accomplishing chores in bits and pieces throughout the week, rather than in one big event. This feels more reasonable, as far as my energy and time go, and also makes the chores somehow feel shorter. 

Maybe I’ll start the dishwasher as soon as breakfast is over on a Tuesday, and unload it after dinner. Perhaps I’ll fire up the laundry machine before a shower one Thursday evening so that the clothes will be nearly ready for the dryer by the time I’m all set for bed. It only takes a couple of minutes to wipe down my kitchen after dinner, and it’s nice to wake up to that clean space in the morning. As for the other stuff — the Swiffering, the bed making, the tub scrubbing — well, that can all be done in moments when I need a break from screens. 

When I spread out my chores throughout the week, in bursts of one-hour-or-less sprints, I feel like I can use my Sundays to actually reset with fun plans or none at all. This seems like it gives me more control.