How to Prepare Your Home for Back-to-School:
New Routines for a Cleaner, Calmer Year
Key Points:
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Start morning, after-school, and evening routines now so they feel natural by the time school starts.
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A cleaner, more organized home reduces stress, clutter distractions, and germ spread.
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Use weekends to reset your home and set a positive tone for the week ahead.
August always feels like the calm before the storm — especially if you have school-aged kids. The days are still warm and summer’s not quite over, but you can already feel the back-to-school season creeping closer.
In our experience, now is the perfect time to get your home and routines in shape. It takes a few weeks for new habits to stick, so starting before the first day of school means your routines will feel natural and easy by the time schedules get busy.
Remember – a cleaner, more organized home doesn’t just look nice — it’s better for everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing. Fewer germs mean fewer sick days. Less clutter means fewer distractions. And knowing where things are means less stress for you and your family.
We think a lot about how to keep our spaces clean and organized, plus many of us on the Keepsake team have school-aged kids ourselves. These are our tried and true tips on how to start building strong routines now to keep your home running smoothly once school starts.
Morning Routine: Set the Tone for the Day
Your mornings set the tone for the whole day. Getting out the door without feeling in a rush will help everyone have a calmer day.
Prep the night before.
Lay out clothes, pack lunches, and make sure backpacks are ready to go. Involve your kids so they have a sense of ownership over their things. Making sure everything is ready to go for the next day can prevent morning chaos.
Create a “launch zone” for everyday school gear.
Designate a spot by the door for backpacks, shoes, jackets, and sports gear so nothing gets misplaced. Knowing that everything is in a predictable place makes getting ready in the morning much easier.
Tidy up after breakfast.
Wipe counters, dispose of food waste, load the dishwasher, and give the sink a quick rinse. Whatever you can get done in just a few minutes of cleanup will make a big difference when you walk back in later.
Here’s an example of our “launch zone” where our kids place their backbacks, shoes, sports gear, and more.
After-School Routine: Contain the Chaos
The after-school rush is real, with backpacks, homework, snacks, and sports gear flying in all at once. A simple system helps keep the mess under control.
Drop zone check-in.
Have your kids unpack their lunchboxes, put away papers, and return items to their “launch zone” right away. Once their things are put away they can move on to free time.
Snack + reset.
It’s not uncommon for our kids to come home from school a little bit “hangry.” After-school is when they can finally let out their pent up feelings after a long day of mental focus. Give them a quick but hearty snack to help them decompress and recover some energy. While the kids eat, take five minutes to clear counters and put away stray items from the day.
Make a homework-ready space.
Keep a clutter-free spot with pencils, chargers, and supplies ready so kids can start homework without searching for things or getting distracted.
After-school snacks are crucial. We pre-pack snacks in containers like these to make the after-school transition smoother.
Evening Routine: Reset for Tomorrow
Evenings are your chance to hit the reset button so you start fresh the next day. Parents need their own personal recharge time, so don’t overstretch yourself and try to tackle everything. This isn’t a deep clean, just a simple reset to make tomorrow easier.
10-minute tidy.
Set a timer and make it a family activity. Pick up items, put away toys, and straighten common areas. Knock this out before your kids get their evening free-time.
Kitchen close-down.
Wipe counters, clear the sink, and run the dishwasher if possible. The goal is to be greeted by a clean space in the morning.
Prep for morning.
Lastly, have your kids put out their clothes for the next day and make sure the “launch zone” is ready to go. If you’ve got some extra energy, you can make lunches and snacks for the next day.
We keep simple reminder signs posted to make sure everyone knows their jobs.
Weekend Routine: Start the Week on the Right Foot
Hopefully your weekday habits help keep the buildup of clutter to a minimum. Here are some simple weekend routines that won’t eat up all of your recharge time, while setting yourself up for a smooth week ahead.
Family laundry day.
Wash, fold, and put away clothes so everyone has what they need for the week. Encourage your kids to be responsible for their own things in an age-appropriate way.
Restock essentials.
Stock up on snacks, lunch supplies, school supplies, and cleaning products so you’re not scrambling midweek. We keep a list of things that run out during the week to make grocery shopping easier.
Quick deep clean.
Focus on high-traffic areas like bathrooms, kitchen, and entryway to keep germs at bay. In our experience, the most impactful tasks are clearing away the clutter by putting things back on a shelf or in a container, wiping down surfaces, and vacuuming or sweeping.
Some Final Advice from Keepsake
Back-to-school season can feel overwhelming, but the right routines can make your home feel more manageable, even when things get busy. That said, there will be times when some things don’t quite get done. That’s okay! It’s important to aim to stay on top of things, but not to let it weigh on you when the pace of life outstrips what you can get done.
We’ve learned these habits not just from years of helping families keep their homes in shape, but from living them ourselves as parents. And to be honest, we’re still working on some of them. We’re human too after all!
For more tips and ideas, follow us on Instagram and Facebook — we’re always sharing ways to make life at home a little easier.
And if you ever need an extra hand to get ahead, Keepsake is here to help you start fresh with a deep clean.
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