THE TRUTH ABOUT: Cleaning pics - The Untold Story

Sometimes a messy room is not always a sign of laziness or business. Diogenes syndrome, or messy house syndrome, is linked to mental disorders like depression, dementia, and addiction. It is known to cause hoarding, dirty homes, and poor personal hygiene. People suffering from this syndrome usually live alone, are unaware of such conditions, or have restricted mobility. 

Cluttered and dirty spaces have earned themselves the name “depression rooms” on social media. Extreme cases of such spaces consist of overwhelming amounts of garbage, clothes, dust, dishes, and other questionable things covering all surfaces. People become so mentally and physically exhausted that they don’t feel like they have the energy to take care of themselves or their environment.

Statistics show that about 75% of people who suffer from OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) have common cleaning urges such as organizing, rearranging, disinfecting, hand washing, or complex personal hygiene. While these activities are considered normal for most people, they often become time-consuming for someone with OCD. Repetitive behaviors are used to cope with unwanted thoughts that these people have. They might even think “If I don’t line up my toiletries exactly this far apart, someone is going to harm me today, or if I clean my sink five times this morning, my brother won’t get sick today.”

However, a cluttered or spotless room doesn’t define every mental disorder, so it’s best to approach this topic sensitively.

For some of us, tidying our space can be quite therapeutic. It helps to gain a sense of control and engage the brain in a repetitive activity that calms the mind. As cleaning is quite self-explanatory, it weirdly provides comfort to the human brain. Additionally, completing such tasks brings feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction. After a challenging day, even scrubbing your shower can make you feel like you succeeded at something. 

It can also work as a mini-workout at home and provide similar benefits as exercising. Vacuuming, scrubbing, and sweeping floors, moving around the house, and running up and down flights of stairs can provide an outlet for energy and a release of brain chemicals that make us feel better. So if you’re stuck in a stress cage, it might be a good time to start cleaning.

Extreme cleaning videos on social platforms are attracting billions of viewers with their captivating hacks and organizational tips. Currently, a trend on TikTok called “CleanTok” has attracted over 99.1 billion views, which inspires people to start tidying up and get their lives in order. It’s a way for people to discover new tools and cleaning techniques to make their lives more convenient. Additionally, the abundance of “clean with me” videos on YouTube prove the appeal these videos have. People play them in the background for a sense of motivation and company in their tidying endeavors.

Cleaning content online has the tendency to captivate our attention and not let go. It’s satisfying and soothing to see things being transformed with only a cleaning product and a sponge. Interestingly enough, watching a quick transformation from mess to tidiness can help you to unwind. It can even induce ASMR (tingling sensations) in some viewers, as long as the sounds and motions are gentle. Besides, people relate to authenticity and instead of showing a clean kitchen or a perfectly made bed, these videos show that not everything is always picture-perfect. Oh, and let’s be honest, it often makes us feel less guilty about our own mess.

While we enjoy cleaning inspiration online, healthcare experts are noticing some risks that participants in this trend might face. In videos, people are seen filming themselves filling up a toilet, bath, or sink with large amounts of various cleaning products. The concept is known as "product overload," and doctors have commented on this, saying that mixing this many chemicals can result in severe reactions. Just because someone mixes chemicals in a video doesn’t mean that it is safe for viewers at home. But it’s not the only risk; flushing excessive amounts of mixed cleaners can affect the integrity of plumbing and impact the community’s wastewater. It’s important to remember that cleaning products are best used as directed on the label, and incorrect usage of chemicals might result in bodily reactions or damage to your home.