Tất cả chúng ta đều cảm thấy tốt hơn khi sống trong không gian sạch sẽ và ngăn nắp, và Brogan Ingram, hay còn gọi là @nottheworstcleaner trên TikTok, biết rõ hơn ai hết rằng một ngôi nhà sạch sẽ có thể cải thiện sức khỏe tinh thần của bạn đến mức nào.
Vừa là một sinh viên dọn dẹp chuyên nghiệp vừa là sinh viên tâm lý, Ingram bắt đầu tài khoản TikTok của mình hơn hai năm trước và đã đạt được 4.1 triệu người theo dõi ấn tượng. Ban đầu, cô ấy chỉ đưa ra các mẹo và thủ thuật dọn dẹp nhà cửa của bạn, trước khi bắt đầu dọn dẹp nhà cửa miễn phí cho những người trong tình huống không thể sống được, mà cô ấy ghi lại trong video của mình.
Dưới đây là một ví dụ về các loại dự án mà cô ấy đảm nhận:
She often starts by clearing out larger clutter and anything that feels “salvageable or special.”
Obviously gotta keep the Pokemon cards!
@notheworstcleaner / Via tiktok.com
Then she sweeps up all of the leftover debris into a large pile before dispersing them into trash bags (sometimes up to 30+ bags) before giving everything a good scrub down.
So satisfying!
@notheworstcleaner / Via tiktok.com
Some jobs are more intense than others, like one home where she had to remove over 1,000 pounds of used kitty litter, or another where a family of mice was living in the home’s stovetop.
This job is not for the faint of heart.
@notheworstcleaner / Via tiktok.com, @nottheworstcleaner / Via tiktok.com
Approaching every project with “kindness and respect,” she salvages unlivable situations and otherwise toxic environments and turns them back into homes fit for families.
These transformations are honestly jaw-dropping.
@nottheworstcleaner / Via tiktok.com, @nottheworstcleaner / Via tiktok.com
And she doesn’t just stop at cleaning. She often brings the families meals or groceries, cleaning supplies, and even toys for the kids.
This woman is literally an angel!
@nottheworstcleaner / Via tiktok.com
Brogan told BuzzFeed that although she’s “cleaned an entire house in one weekend,” the longest project she’s ever had took “Seven full nine-hour days!” And she has over 100 people on her waiting list. Now that’s commitment!
A lot of the people she donates her time to are single moms, people with disabilities, and folks “clearly struggling with mental and/or physical health.”
She added, “I have to remind followers regularly that absolutely no one wants to live the way these folks do, and it’s not an active decision they are consciously making,” and that, “the last thing they need is an immense amount of judgment from someone else. Their worth as human beings isn’t dependent on the cleanliness of their homes.”
@nottheworstcleaner / Via tiktok.com
The mental health aspect of cleaning is something that Brogan is very outspoken about, and more than equipped to handle. She told BuzzFeed, “During the last eight years studying psychology in University, I quickly became aware of the huge correlation between mental health and cleaning. I genuinely think it’s understudied, under-discussed, and has a huge lack of awareness.”
She continued, “Clutter and mess subconsciously affect our brains in ways that we don’t realize. Our brains take in all of our surrounding stimuli, and if we are living in a messy, cluttered environment, it can actually trigger a low-grade fight or flight mode.”
The effects of living in a messy home are much more serious than the vibes being off. “[These environments] raise cortisol levels, which is the stress hormone. … This can make easy tasks seem impossible, it can take away motivation, and it leads to procrastination.”
“Unfortunately this affects our mental health in negative ways and directly impacts anxiety, depression, sleep patterns and can raise the chances of developing heart disease.”
@nottheworstcleaner / Via tiktok.com
With shows like Hoarders that sensationalize living conditions like this, it’s easy to forget that this sort of thing doesn’t just happen on TV. It isn’t all that uncommon, and Brogan has found that there are people in need right next door.
“I had no idea how much need there was, especially in my community,” she said. “And once I did my first house and saw the extreme amount of relief and new lease on life that this sweet woman had, I knew I had to continue on with this work.”
@nottheworstcleaner / Via tiktok.com
And her focus isn’t on making quick fixes; she does her best to set her clients up for success. “I leave clients with enough supplies to get them started with general upkeep once I leave. Depending on the situation, I will leave them cleaning charts and schedules, chore charts for kids, and resources for mental health.”
Overall, Ingram says the response she’s gotten has been “overwhelming,” and she’s hearing from people all over the world who say “they thought they were alone in their situations” and others who tell her the videos have helped them change their “entire mindsets and made them less judgmental.”
If you’re not sure where to start on your cleaning journey, this absolute saint of a woman has two main tips for you:
1. Don’t overthink it: “A good Scrub Daddy and dish soap are essential and will get you a long way if you’re just starting out! You can build your supply as you go, but start with the basics.”
2. Don’t try to do everything all at once: “Instead of waiting two weeks and spending an entire day cleaning the house top to bottom, break it down into room sections and do 30 minutes a day.”
“It’s life-changing and will help you to avoid that negative mindset and resentment toward cleaning in general.”
@nottheworstcleaner / Via tiktok.com
Whether you’re looking to take care of your own home and mental health, or are looking to get out there to help your community, @nottheworstcleaner is an endless source of inspiration and practical advice.
