Week 38 Challenge: Wash Your Feet Before Bed

Family bedtime routine washing feet before sleep — A simple bedtime foot wash can become a small family rhythm of cleanliness, calm, service, and care.

Week 38 Family Challenge

Wash Your Feet Before Bed

A simple, calming bedtime routine that helps the whole family slow down, care for their bodies, and settle into rest.

Why This Bedtime Habit Works

This week’s challenge might sound a little unexpected, but stick with us. We’re washing our feet before bed each night, and we think you may love it as much as we do.

We were inspired to make this a formal challenge because our kids are in martial arts several nights a week, so we already have a pretty strong foot hygiene routine built into our evenings. But the truth is, we adults found that we really love it too. There is something refreshing and calming about climbing into bed with clean, soothed feet.

So this week, even if we do not have martial arts, we are doing it anyway.

It is a simple, physical way to say: “I’m winding down. I’m caring for my body. I’m making space for rest.”

Even the youngest in your family can take part in this. No perfection required. Just a simple act of refreshing your feet before sleep. And do not be surprised if it becomes a new favorite part of your bedtime routine.

If your family has enjoyed other small habits that help everyone pause, this challenge pairs beautifully with the Family Deep Breathing Challenge or the “I Have 3 Minutes for You” Family Challenge. Small rhythms can shape the feeling of an entire evening.

How We’re Doing It at Home

There is no one right way to wash your feet, so we invite you to do what works in your home.

In our family, we most often keep it simple: just water. Sometimes warm, sometimes cool. It is refreshing, effective, and honestly, just feels good. We have even shared about this on Instagram recently. Water-only cleansing can be wonderfully effective, especially at the end of a long day.

But if your feet are especially dirty, or if you just love the added feel of soap, go for it. Here are some easy approaches:

Wipe feet with a warm damp rag, napkin, or wet wipe.
Step into a running shower for a moment, with soap optional.
Squirt a little soap into the bottom of the shower and walk around carefully before rinsing.
Sit on the closed toilet lid or tub edge to dry off.
On tired nights, help the kids with a quick wipe using a warm soapy cloth or gentle wipe.

A Simple Hygiene Note

For everyday foot hygiene, the CDC recommends washing feet daily and drying them completely. That is especially helpful to keep in mind when this becomes part of a family routine. Read the CDC’s foot hygiene guidance here.

While our current home, our beloved Little House on the Prairie, does not have room for a bathroom chair or even a bathtub, we have had a small wooden chair in past homes and plan to again in the future. It is a tiny luxury: a cozy place to pause, dry off, or catch your breath.

You can read more about that season of our family life here: Why We Moved to Our Little House on the Prairie.

For Families with Little Ones or Loved Ones Who Need Help

As you help your child, spouse, or someone else wash their feet, take a moment to reflect on the humility and gentleness in this task. Jesus washed the feet of others, and it is a beautiful reminder that small acts of service carry deep meaning.

You can read the passage in John 13, where Jesus washes the disciples’ feet and gives a picture of humble love and service.

A small act of care can become a quiet lesson in humility, service, and love.

This is also a gentle way to teach children that caring for the body is not separate from caring for the heart. In family life, the simplest routines often become the places where we practice patience, service, and tenderness.

From Our Family to Yours

We all do this a little differently depending on the night and who needs help. Some nights it is quick and simple. Some nights it feels more like a little ritual. Either way, we all sleep better with clean feet and a little peace.

These small rituals are part of the family culture we are trying to build. They remind me of the same steady values we wrote about in Nurturing a Family Culture of Love and Hard Work. Family culture is not only built in big conversations. It is built in small, repeated choices.

This Week’s Challenge

Wash your feet before bed each night this week.
Make it your own. No pressure, just intention. Try it. Talk about it. See how it feels.

You might be surprised how grounding it is and how good your feet, body, and heart feel afterward.

What would make this habit easy in your home?

Would your family prefer warm water or cool water?

Who might need a little help with this routine?

Could this become part of your bedtime rhythm?

If your family likes tiny weekly habits like this one, you may also enjoy the 3-Minute Daily Stretch Challenge. Both challenges are small enough to repeat and simple enough to become part of real life.

Share Your Story

Tell us in the comments: Will this become a lifelong habit for you too? How did you make it work in your home?

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Ashley @ Here They Grow

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions Families Often Ask About Washing Feet Before Bed

A bedtime foot wash does not need to be complicated. For our family, it is a small, peaceful habit that helps us clean up, slow down, and settle into rest.

Why wash feet before bed?

Washing feet before bed can help the whole family feel refreshed before sleep. It is also a simple way to create a calming transition from the activity of the day into rest.

Do we need to use soap every night?

Not necessarily. Some families may prefer water only on most nights and soap when feet are especially dirty. The goal is to keep the habit simple, gentle, and easy to repeat.

Can little kids do this bedtime routine?

Yes. Little kids can participate with help and supervision. Some children may simply need a warm cloth or quick rinse. The routine does not need to be perfect to be meaningful.

How can this become part of a bedtime rhythm?

Try placing it after brushing teeth, after pajamas, or before bedtime prayers. Connecting the habit to something your family already does makes it easier to remember.

What does foot washing teach children?

Foot washing can teach children about cleanliness, care for the body, humility, service, and helping one another. Small routines often become quiet lessons in family life.

What if we are too tired for a full routine?

Keep it very simple. A warm damp cloth, a quick rinse, or helping a child wipe their feet is enough. The goal is not to make bedtime harder. The goal is to create a peaceful habit that feels doable.