After the holidays, our homes can feel well-loved…in all the wrong ways: Half-consumed coffee cups everywhere, pillows scattered, and let’s not get into how quickly those dust bunnies multiply like…well, rabbits! 

But instead of diving into an overwhelming, whole-house overhaul each year, I turn to the same simple home reset that actually works for me: a Micro Home Reset.

The idea is simple: I move through the house and target a few small areas that need extra care. No marathon cleaning sessions, no massive checklists, no guilt about ignoring half the house. Just two or three bite-sized actions to make our home feel lighter.

So today, that’s exactly what I’ll be sharing: What I tackled, why I chose it, and how you can use micro-tasks to refresh your own home — with photos and tips to get you motivated!

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MY MICRO HOME RESET: BITE-SIZE WINS

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What Are Micro Tasks?

Micro-tasks are tiny, achievable chores that make an immediate difference. For example:

• Vacuum under a bed — just that one spot
• Declutter a drawer or a small closet
• Dust the pantry shelves

The wins are instant, and each small victory nudges you to keep going.

I go about resetting our home with this ‘micro task’ approach in mind. I do it because tackling everything at once is a guarantee to overwhelm.

If that speaks to you, then this post is DEFINITELY for you. You can use this approach anywhere: bedroom, kitchen, craft room – wherever chaos lurks.

While this post focuses on the post-holiday clean and tidy, the following tips apply any time of year.

 

How I Approach A Micro Home Reset (After the Holidays)

• Break Things Down into 3 Main Task Types

 I usually break things down as follows: Decluttering, Cleaning, Tidying Up.

And each task type is selectively applied because – let’s be real – I’m not scrubbing every square inch of our house!

But I also try to be efficient, making room for unexpected ‘to-do’s along the way – not too many, because that defeats the purpose of a micro home reset.

• No Checklist Needed (Unless You Want One)

I didn’t follow a rigid list. I relied on a short list of items that were fluid. You can do the same: pick the spots that bother you the most and give them a quick reset OR deep clean a couple of spots.

If you work better with a checklist — as I sometimes do — go for it. There’s nothing quite like crossing items off a list.

 

HERE’S WHAT I DID THIS YEAR:

1. Declutter (as I ‘Undecorate’) 

Each year, I try and make the most of ‘undecorating’ after the holidays. As I put holiday decor away, it’s the perfect time to set aside old Christmas decorations I no longer want or need, adding them to our donation ‘pile.’

This, my friends, is called Task-Stacking.

I wrote about this during last year’s home reset, but simply put: it’s when you combine similar tasks together. This helps you keep your momentum and makes the process more efficient.

Tip: Decide fast, keep moving. Progress beats perfection every time.

 

2. Clean (Target the Hidden Spots)

When it comes to my post-holiday cleaning, I tend to focus on just a few spots. Depending on time and motivation, I either target:

a) Lots of Smaller Areas (the easy wins) – like bathroom drawers, a closet shelf, removing expired pantry items, etc.

b) A Couple of Targeted Spots – focused deep cleaning

This year, I chose the latter, targeting two key areas: our bedroom and our oven. One was a total win while the other…a work in progress.

First, I started with vacuuming our primary bedroom – including neglected areas. To get to those hidden spots, my husband and I piled everything onto our bed and moved smaller furniture out from each corner.

Here’s what I tackled:

• Under the bed: Just one quick vacuum, and it made a huge difference. 

• Behind each bedside chest of drawers: Oh, the dust! (And cat fur…)

• Behind the corner chair: Micro-task = instant satisfaction.

• Top of the wardrobe & cabinet door fronts: I NEVER go up there…I encountered a thick layer of dust. Poof! It’s now gone.

This was a total win. The space feels fresh and clean.

Next, I focused on cleaning in and around our oven. This was more challenging than I anticipated. Here’s what I tackled:

• Under the oven: I vacuumed the back and wiped up food drips on the tile and oven sides.

• Oven racks: To remove the baked on food, I soaked the racks in a tub overnight in hot water with baking soda and laundry detergent (dish detergent works, too), making sure to place them on old towels to protect the tub from scratches. In the morning, I scrubbed them with non-abrasive tools (old toothbrush, non-scratch scrub sponge, etc). 5-10 minutes per rack. Very effective.

 

• Oven bottom & interior glass: I spread a layer of a baking soda + water paste, left it overnight, then wiped it clean with a damp cloth in the morning. The interior glass required a bit more elbow grease. But once that was done, I sprayed a vinegar/water mixture on both the oven bottom and glass to dissolve any remaining baking soda and wiped off with a paper towel.

Clearly, a neglected area, and one that took more time than I anticipated (and I’m usually good at over-estimating). Needless to say, I’ll be tackling other parts that need a deeper cleaning – interior sides and parts of our stovetop – for another time 😉

Tip: Pick your battles – maybe it’s just one spot of one appliance or one area of a room – maybe it’s the only thing you do, and that’s okay. The visual payoff is motivating.

***These house cleaning professionals on YouTube are my go-to for when I need guidance. Check out their oven cleaning videos here:  

• Easy oven cleaning for non self-cleaning ovens
• How to clean oven racks
• The best way to clean your oven like a pro

 

3. Tidy Up

I finished by doing a quick vacuum and tidy all around the house.

I then pulled out some decor I had put away during Christmas and reset key surfaces in our great room area.  Ahhh, that’s better 🙂

Tip: Add back a couple of favourite pieces – a vase here, a faux floral there – to breath life back into your home

 

 

Final Thoughts – How This Can Work for You

I always find a micro home reset to be SO satisfying. I think it’s because it shows that:

• Tiny tasks = visible wins
  
• Task-stacking makes small wins easier
  
• Even small actions in neglected spaces feel huge

My suggestion? Pick one micro-task today, one tomorrow, and so on. Don’t try and do it all in one go (unless you are really motivated). Whatever you decide, before you know it, your home will feel truly refreshed and reset. 

Happy New Year (and happy home resetting) 🙂

 

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HERE ARE OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES TO KICKSTART YOUR YEAR

•  17 Simple Ways To Reduce Clutter

•  10 Peaceful Home Tips To Create Your Perfect Nesting Space

•  3 Simple Steps To A Less Cluttered Home (+FREE Checklist)

•  How To Organize A Linen Closet & Maximize Space

•  Junk Drawer Organization & Decluttering Tips

•  5 Quick Tips for A New Year Home Reset

•  3 Quick Tips for  New Year Home Reset