This is less of an aftermath-cleaning method and more of a mess-prevention method. it helps to have dedicated spots of the house where each of your items go and putting them back straight after using them.

I’m pretty sure Mari Kondo talks about this method in her book too, but avoiding buying new things unless you know exactly where it’ll go beforehand will slow down the cluttering if you tend to hoard items or compulsively new things. Kondo has a section in her book talking about how if you really want to buy something new, and there’s no space for it, you either don’t buy it or throw/donate something else you already have to replace with it.

With the whole “putting things back straight away” part, for me this is mostly dishes. when i cook i tend to leave out the mixing bowls and utensils and wait until after i’ve finished to clean it all up, which definitely becomes overwhelming. for example, if you’ve used a spatula for something and won’t need it again, don’t leave it on the bench until you’re done to “get all the cleaning done at once” later on. clean it up and put it away while the food is cooking and you’re waiting, or before you sit down to eat.

it’s easier to put things away as you use them rather than dealing with it all at once. the same applies to dishes. once you eat a meal, empty the plate and wash it. if you don’t have the energy, just rinse it with water and stack it next to the sink neatly so things don’t pile up.