The People Who Love to Watch Other People Clean
August 8, 2019 3:35 AM Subscribe
The world is a mess. “Cleanfluencers” are here to help. [The Atlantic]
Meet the 'cleanfluencers', the online gurus who like things nice and tidy. [The Guardian]
On Instagram:
Mrs Hinch
MissHendyHome
Mancleany
Cleaning my anxiety away
Queen of Clean
The Organised Mum
Clean Mama
On YouTube:
Love Meg
Clean My Space
On Instagram:
Mrs Hinch
MissHendyHome
Mancleany
Cleaning my anxiety away
Queen of Clean
The Organised Mum
Clean Mama
On YouTube:
Love Meg
Clean My Space
I discovered Mrs Hinch from the Guardian earlier this year, and find watching her so relaxing and destressing. I bought her book and have enjoyed cleaning a lot more!
posted by ellieBOA at 4:46 AM on August 8, 2019
posted by ellieBOA at 4:46 AM on August 8, 2019
I love cleaning and clean things and well-organized spaces. I had no idea this corner of the internet existed, though I should have guessed. Thank you for the post, I look forward to looking through the links.
posted by frobozz at 5:19 AM on August 8, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by frobozz at 5:19 AM on August 8, 2019 [2 favorites]
So, Getting Things Done with Dolores was just ahead if its time?
posted by Mogur at 5:38 AM on August 8, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by Mogur at 5:38 AM on August 8, 2019 [4 favorites]
Interesting! There was a woman I watched who was disabled and had a son who was just entering adulthood who lived with her who had to clean up her hoarding-level house out in a rural area's rental property that was fascinating, because she really had to approach everything in stages.
The cleaners you linked on YouTube seem to have...very clean houses to begin with? A lot of the "before" shots seem like clutter on top of spotless surfaces, which is probably what a lot of households have from day-to-day, but to get to that cleaning itch, I'd probably want to watch something more transformative. Plus, their homes look super-expensive, as well.
posted by xingcat at 5:52 AM on August 8, 2019 [2 favorites]
The cleaners you linked on YouTube seem to have...very clean houses to begin with? A lot of the "before" shots seem like clutter on top of spotless surfaces, which is probably what a lot of households have from day-to-day, but to get to that cleaning itch, I'd probably want to watch something more transformative. Plus, their homes look super-expensive, as well.
posted by xingcat at 5:52 AM on August 8, 2019 [2 favorites]
These are definitely more focused on 'maintenance' cleaning than dealing with hoarding situations.
posted by ellieBOA at 5:55 AM on August 8, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by ellieBOA at 5:55 AM on August 8, 2019 [1 favorite]
Can any of these help with my anxiety about sending waste to the landfill? Because seeing those 10 Things To Toss Today videos is having the opposite effect on me than intended.
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:58 AM on August 8, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by soren_lorensen at 5:58 AM on August 8, 2019 [4 favorites]
Interesting! There was a woman I watched who was disabled and had a son who was just entering adulthood who lived with her who had to clean up her hoarding-level house out in a rural area's rental property that was fascinating, because she really had to approach everything in stages.
Curious, who was that?
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:17 AM on August 8, 2019 [1 favorite]
Curious, who was that?
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:17 AM on August 8, 2019 [1 favorite]
Halloween Jack, her channel is called "My New Me."
I know she was eventually kicked out of her home (I think for rent, but I can't remember the whole circumstances) and then she moved into a motel for a while. It seems she lives in an RV now.
posted by xingcat at 6:41 AM on August 8, 2019 [1 favorite]
I know she was eventually kicked out of her home (I think for rent, but I can't remember the whole circumstances) and then she moved into a motel for a while. It seems she lives in an RV now.
posted by xingcat at 6:41 AM on August 8, 2019 [1 favorite]
I love this kind of YouTube, and it reminds me of the auto detailing videos niche, which also seems very popular. There are lots of examples on YouTube, but two stand out: Ammo NYC and Stauffer Garage. Ammo NYC features a professional detailer; it's my favorite because Larry is SO PASSIONATE about detailing and his passion is infectious. Stauffer is a hobbyist that enjoys taking on the dirtiest projects, and so watching the cleaning process is very satisfying.
posted by odin53 at 8:23 AM on August 8, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by odin53 at 8:23 AM on August 8, 2019 [1 favorite]
I never thought of cleaning videos! My de-stresser has been the series about Getting Dressed in [Time Period], like this one about getting dressed in the 14th century. It's so soothing.
posted by emjaybee at 8:32 AM on August 8, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by emjaybee at 8:32 AM on August 8, 2019 [6 favorites]
Can any of these help with my anxiety about sending waste to the landfill? Because seeing those 10 Things To Toss Today videos is having the opposite effect on me than intended.
Once pretty much any object is created, it's ultimately destined for a landfill (or, like, the ocean). Even if you store it in your home until you die, and even if whoever cleans out your home afterward decides to keep it, eventually it will be discarded. You can and should be thoughtful about what you buy, especially if you're considering buying something new, and you can look for ways to recycle things that your municipal recycling collectors won't take - but once an object exists in the world, there it is. You don't have an obligation to turn your home into a pre-landfill holding station.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:04 AM on August 8, 2019 [25 favorites]
Once pretty much any object is created, it's ultimately destined for a landfill (or, like, the ocean). Even if you store it in your home until you die, and even if whoever cleans out your home afterward decides to keep it, eventually it will be discarded. You can and should be thoughtful about what you buy, especially if you're considering buying something new, and you can look for ways to recycle things that your municipal recycling collectors won't take - but once an object exists in the world, there it is. You don't have an obligation to turn your home into a pre-landfill holding station.
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:04 AM on August 8, 2019 [25 favorites]
Can any of these help with my anxiety about sending waste to the landfill?
My experience is that getting rid of stuff actually leads to less waste - once you've decluttered you're a lot more mindful about what you're going to allow into your space. You don't shop to destress. And you know what you have so you don't do things like buy a 4th potato peeler because you can't find the first 3.
posted by selfmedicating at 9:17 AM on August 8, 2019 [8 favorites]
My experience is that getting rid of stuff actually leads to less waste - once you've decluttered you're a lot more mindful about what you're going to allow into your space. You don't shop to destress. And you know what you have so you don't do things like buy a 4th potato peeler because you can't find the first 3.
posted by selfmedicating at 9:17 AM on August 8, 2019 [8 favorites]
Can any of these help with my anxiety about sending waste to the landfill? Because seeing those 10 Things To Toss Today videos is having the opposite effect on me than intended.
For cheerful videos about people with a passion to minimize what goes to the landfill, you might enjoy StevenSteph’s dumpster-diving adventures:
StevenSteph Resale Killers
What they don’t sell, they sort and donate to teachers, animal shelters, homeless charities, thrift shops, etc.
posted by elphaba at 9:35 AM on August 8, 2019
For cheerful videos about people with a passion to minimize what goes to the landfill, you might enjoy StevenSteph’s dumpster-diving adventures:
StevenSteph Resale Killers
What they don’t sell, they sort and donate to teachers, animal shelters, homeless charities, thrift shops, etc.
posted by elphaba at 9:35 AM on August 8, 2019
I can't help but feel like these cleanfluencers are helping to create more anxiety about the subject. Clean up pet messes immediately. Make sure dirty dishes at least get back to the kitchen. Deal with vermin immediately (really more of an old house thing). Clean the bathroom from time to time, but often enough that it doesn't become a howling nightmare. Beyond that, I don't care, and I wish I could communicate the amount that I don't care to everyone who has ever felt the need to apologize for their perfectly acceptable amount of mess.
I am sorry for making you feel anxious. It really isn't a problem. I actually like a bit of clutter. It suggests busyness, productivity, a pleasantly disordered mind.
Clutter is intimacy. When someone lets me see how they really live, I feel like our friendship has leveled up. A mess lets me relax. It says "I am not a perfect robot. You also don't have to be perfect."
(But seriously, clean up pet messes. Now, please.)
posted by surlyben at 9:35 AM on August 8, 2019 [7 favorites]
I am sorry for making you feel anxious. It really isn't a problem. I actually like a bit of clutter. It suggests busyness, productivity, a pleasantly disordered mind.
Clutter is intimacy. When someone lets me see how they really live, I feel like our friendship has leveled up. A mess lets me relax. It says "I am not a perfect robot. You also don't have to be perfect."
(But seriously, clean up pet messes. Now, please.)
posted by surlyben at 9:35 AM on August 8, 2019 [7 favorites]
In the middle of the Atlantic article - which I read back-to-back with the article on ICE raids - I finally had to investigate something I'd wondered about for a long time. Is the phrase "spick and span" related to the derogatory word used in the US to signify Latinos?
The origin of the phrase "spick and span".
english.stackexchange.com
tl;dr: No. The phrase "spick and span" originated in Europe in the 15th Century or earlier to eventually mean "new and clean."
posted by bendy at 7:33 PM on August 8, 2019
The origin of the phrase "spick and span".
english.stackexchange.com
tl;dr: No. The phrase "spick and span" originated in Europe in the 15th Century or earlier to eventually mean "new and clean."
posted by bendy at 7:33 PM on August 8, 2019
Ugh.
"cleanfluencers" *vomit*.
The Atlantic could use one though to get rid of its white supremacy problem.
posted by MartinWisse at 12:33 AM on August 9, 2019
"cleanfluencers" *vomit*.
The Atlantic could use one though to get rid of its white supremacy problem.
posted by MartinWisse at 12:33 AM on August 9, 2019
posted by surlyben: Clutter is intimacy. When someone lets me see how they really live, I feel like our friendship has leveled up. A mess lets me relax. It says "I am not a perfect robot. You also don't have to be perfect."
You, my friend, are always welcome at my house, where chaos rules the day.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 7:01 PM on August 9, 2019
xingcat, there are a number of hoarding-specific cleaning support sites out there. Flylady is a support service with a system that specializes in helping people dig out of squalor, or anything that they feel approaches squalor.
posted by jrochest at 2:06 AM on August 10, 2019
posted by jrochest at 2:06 AM on August 10, 2019
And I'm too late for the edit window, but another useful site is Messies; both this one and Flylady are quite conspicuously evangelical in tone, which may or may not suit you. There are numerous Hoarder and Children of Hoarders support groups and services: Children of Hoarders is still active, with a useful links page, and Understanding Hoarding. Many of these are written for and by family and friends of people in appalling circumstances, but some of the links will take you to older support blogs that may well be helpful.
posted by jrochest at 3:06 AM on August 10, 2019
posted by jrochest at 3:06 AM on August 10, 2019
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I've realized that it's common for people to treat their anxieties with therapeutic videos. It's like free and instant relief for super stressful moments.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 4:19 AM on August 8, 2019 [6 favorites]