A 20-minute ‘closing shift’ gets you more than a clean kitchen

Rosie Currey, a cleaning influencer in Charlotte, hates waking up to a messy kitchen. So when it’s 8 p.m. and she’s facing a mess from a big cooking project or just a long day with her young children, she tackles the problem head-on.

She calls this kitchen reset the most important routine of her day in a TikTok video showing her decluttering and wiping down her counters, emptying and scrubbing the sink, loading the dishwasher and running the vacuum.

Currey is one of many people who have embraced these “closing shift” routines.

“We like to close the loop and it’s closing the loop,” says Becky Rapinchuk, the Chicago-area cleaning pro behind Clean Mama.

There’s something deeply satisfying about watching a kitchen go from messy to clean in less than 30 seconds on TikTok. But the closing shift’s ongoing popularity drives at something deeper. “Things become a meme because they are hitting at something emotionally that we aspire to or it resonates with us,” says Lauren Iannotti, editor-in-chief at Real Simple. “It does both.”

While it will take a bit longer in real life, establishing a closing shift routine can streamline your evenings and make your mornings run a little more smoothly, by helping you take control of one of the most used spaces of your home.

Here’s how to embrace the technique in your own kitchen.

Set the mood

Dimming the lights for your closing shift can signal to your family and your brain (hello there, melatonin) that the day is over and the kitchen is closed. And telling your internal clock that sleep is around the corner can make the nighttime cleanup a relaxing ritual rather than a fast-paced frenzy, Iannotti says.

You can also use light distractions to make your buzzkill of a to-do list more fun. Carissa Nunez, a cleaning influencer and mom of three in Indianapolis, treats herself to special podcasts to help her tune out while she’s cleaning. “I light a candle and romanticize my life a bit,” she says, “looking out the window and feeling like I’m in a movie or in the podcast I’m listening to, then I feel like I didn’t do the dishes.”

Start small

If you dive in with an elaborate 30-minute cleanup routine, you’ll probably burn out quickly.

“We really love a makeover story,” Currey says. “As people, we want to rehab our lives or declutter our entire house, and it gives us this serotonin boost that ‘I'm really doing it’ and ‘I'm really changed,’ and then three weeks later you fall off and you get really upset.”

To create a lasting habit, ease into it by just clearing off your counters each night. After a week, add other tasks. If you’re not sure where to start, consider your biggest pet peeve. “What’s the thing that is your pain point, the eyesore in the morning?” Iannotti says. “And just address that.”

Maybe you’ll start with emptying the trash in the evenings, throwing your germ-laden sponge in the dishwasher or queuing up the coffee maker.

“Do it for your tomorrow self,” Rapinchuk says. “Your today self might care less and go to bed, but your tomorrow self will really love it.”

And if you finish your routine but still have some gas in your tank — or you have an extra-big mess that day — lean into some extra chores.

It’s all about the sink

Waking up to a clean sink each day can be surprisingly transformative. That’s why Rapinchuk ends her nightly kitchen reset by scrubbing and drying her sink. “That is the gateway for everything else,” she says.

Start by spraying your sink with water. Then sprinkle one or two tablespoons of Rapinchuk’s homemade sink scrub — two cups of baking soda mixed with 15 to 30 drops of your favorite scented essential oil — in the sink, along with a few squirts of dish soap. “The baking soda freshens up the space, but gives you that scrubbing power,” Rapinchuk says. Scour the bottom and sides of the sink with a brush or sponge, then rinse thoroughly and dry it with a rag. Store the extra sink scrub in a Mason jar with a lid.

Time on your side

Depending on your routine, your kitchen and the day, your closing shift may take anywhere from five to 20 minutes. Using a timer can keep you focused and help you recognize how much time you’re spending on each task, Nunez says. “Doing the dishes sounds overwhelming, but when I actually time myself, that took me four minutes,” she says.

Being more aware of time will help you edit your to-do list to fit your evening, or show that you have plenty of time to get everything done.

Get everyone involved

“In our house, it’s all hands on deck,” says Rapinchuk, a mom of three. Everyone can pitch in to help with washing and loading dishes or cleaning floors.

Rapinchuk gives herself 20 minutes for her closing shift routine when she’s working alone, but it takes only about 10 minutes when everyone lends a hand. That leaves more time for fun family activities.

Find a rhythm

Over time, you will find your closing shift groove, and the ritual will become an organic part of your evening.

“It’s one of those things where if you have a specific method for doing it, it’s going to make it that much easier,” Rapinchuk says.

But be flexible. The routine — and the messes — may look different depending on the day. Finding your groove is all about figuring out what will help you start tomorrow with peace and joy. For instance, sometimes Currey’s routine is as quick and simple as clearing a spot on the counter so she can make breakfast and lunches the next morning.

“It should make you feel a nice brief moment of ‘Ahhh, now I’m in a good condition to start my day,’” Iannotti says.