Experts are hailing the viral ‘closing shift’ method that actually makes you want to tidy up at the end of each day

A new trend is taking social media by storm gathering millions of views and followers, and for good reason. It’s called the ‘closing shift’ and it promises to set you up for a successful start of the day. 

You’ll know the feeling well: you wake up in the morning and walk out of the bedroom, only to find the disorganized remnants of the night before - dishes in the sink, clutter on the surfaces, throw blankets and cushions in disarray. It's not the best sight to see first thing in the morning, but when evening tiredness kicks in the last thing you want to do is tidy up. Or is it?

Content creators on social media swear by this simple trick of giving your home a quick tidy-up before bed so you wake up to a pleasant environment each morning. They swear that this method - which goes by the name of the ‘closing shift’ - has made them look at tidying through a different lens. It becomes less of a tedious task and more of a quick and simple process that promotes well-being in any modern home. Here’s what the noise is all about. 

What is the 'closing shift' tidying method?  

(Image credit: And Studio)

You've most likely heard of the 'closing shift' in the context of work, such as staff cleaning a restaurant kitchen and setting the tables for the following day before they close up for the evening. The next day, they walk into a space that is already set for the day ahead - nothing tedious to clean or tidy. 

Influencers across social media have adopted this organizing method at home and whether they do a full house clean-up before bed, or a quick tidy-up, the idea is to make sure that the space is left looking put together so that you’re set up for the day when you wake up. 

Videos of the closing shift at home have gathered over 80 million views on TikTok and content creator Clara Peirce’s evening routine is one of the most popular. In her video, she says she’s closing down her apartment for the night whenever she tries to set herself up for success the next day. 

She then walked us through her routine of cleaning up the pet’s room and litter box, followed by a quick hoover and tidying up the kitchen surfaces, washing the dishes, fluffing the sofa cushions, getting her notebook and laptop out and ready for the day ahead, and she’s done. Following her strategy is a great way to start decluttering if you're stumped on where to begin. 

Influencer Kayla Gresh also demonstrates the 'closing shift' in her home - pulling down the blinds, setting the lights, cleaning the kitchen, and tidying up her kids’ toys. 

@clararpeirce

♬ original sound - Clara Peirce

What do the experts say?  

Organizing experts seem to be on board with this too. ‘We love the concept of the "closing shift" as a way to end and begin each day with everything as it should be,’ says home expert Cathy Dean. 

If this works to get us tidying up, she even suggests taking it one step further. ‘One way we help our clients achieve this is to build in clever storage which makes the "closing shift" easier and more satisfying,' she says. 'We love a breakfast nook where all your morning items are kept in one place to prevent mess. You can have a mini "closing shift" after breakfast so you are clear for the day ahead.' 

Cathy's idea makes great food for thought: in what other areas can you apply the ‘closing shift’ method to keep your home tidy, organized, and a joy to walk into each day? The decision is all yours.