The Great Deep Clean Debate

Are We Scrubbing to Soothe Something Deeper?

From Crumbs to Control: What Are We Really Cleaning?

This week, I’ve had more conversations about cleaning than content. Client chats, social scrolls, random asides. It’s all been about the need to clean before getting anything done. Not just a surface wipe. A full-blown, gloves-on, steam-the-sink kind of situation.

I think it’s fascinating. We've normalised this idea that unless the house is gleaming, we can’t function. But it does beg the question:

• Are we cleaning the room… or calming the chaos?

• Is this a prep step… or a delay tactic?

• Do we need the house clean, or do we need to feel clean?

There’s no judgement here. But it’s worth a look. Because if cleaning has become a form of self-regulation, then we might want to look at what we’re really trying to regulate.

The Myth of the ‘OCD Cleaner’

Everywhere I turn, I hear people saying “I’m so OCD” often proudly, sometimes jokingly, but almost always inaccurately.

OCD (real OCD) is not about liking a clean kitchen. It’s a mental health condition with intrusive thoughts, compulsions, and a whole lot of distress. Liking things neat? That’s called having standards. Let’s not confuse the two.

This isn’t about policing language. It’s about what’s underneath it.

Because when we flippantly use terms like “OCD” to describe our need for control, what we’re often really saying is:

• “I feel anxious unless I’ve done this.”

• “I don’t feel safe until things are in order.”

• “I can’t rest until I’ve handled the chaos.”

If that’s you, fair enough. Just be honest with yourself about why.

The Seasonal Scrub vs. The Weekly Ritual

I’ve always noticed a natural urge to deep clean with the seasons. For me, it’s quarterly. It’s subtle, instinctive, no big announcement. It’s just: the air shifts, and suddenly I want to rearrange the cupboards.

But what I’m seeing now is less seasonal rhythm and more weekly routine. Saturday’s no longer for lounging - it’s for scrubbing the baseboards like your in-laws are coming.

• Is this a throwback to pandemic hygiene culture?

• A societal hangover from all that sanitiser?

• Or just another way to feel in control when everything else feels uncertain?

There’s no right answer. But there is something to notice.

Working From Home: Blessing or Bleach Trigger?

The shift to working from home has quietly changed the way we relate to our space. When your office is your kitchen table and your living room is your Zoom background, the mess isn’t just visual - it’s mental.

I’ve had clients tell me:

• “I can’t start work unless the place is spotless.”

• “I procrastinate by hoovering.”

• “I can’t concentrate if there’s even one plate in the sink.”

It’s valid. And it’s human. But if your workday can’t begin until your home looks like a show flat, you might not have a productivity issue - you might have a pressure issue.

Clean House, Clear Mind... Right?

I get it. A tidy space can create mental clarity. That’s not woo - it’s observable. It’s why hotels feel peaceful. No clutter. No chaos. Just one glass, one towel, and a bed that’s been tucked like a military secret.

But let’s not confuse clarity with control.

There’s a line where the soothing ritual becomes a stress response. Where the mop becomes a mechanism. And that’s where things get interesting.

• Are you using the clean to feel calm?

• Or are you using it to avoid feeling altogether?

That’s the reflection.

A Final Nudge

You don’t have to stop cleaning. You don’t have to analyse your mop. But next time you feel that urge to disinfect everything before you “deserve” to rest, ask yourself:

What am I really trying to tidy up right now?
The kitchen?
My thoughts?
The uncomfortable thing I don’t want to sit with?

Only you’ll know the answer. But it’s worth asking.

What’s your cleaning story?
Does it soothe you, stress you - or both?
Let me know in the comments.