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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter.

Content warning: mentions of excrements, mold, bugs, etc. 

Have you ever watched videos on TikTok of people tidying their homes? Maybe it was an ASMR vibe of restocking the pantry or the bathroom. Maybe it was a “Sunday Reset.” Maybe it was a loving mother who cleaned her child’s room before they came home from school. Either way, we love watching people organize their homes with all the right items in place, and overall, just seeing a clean environment. It works as motivation for cleaning.

However, one day, I watched a video of a messy room. A woman in the video said, “It’s finally time to clean this poor old woman’s bathroom.” Initially I asked, “Why is she cleaning someone’s home?” But the room itself looked in  awful condition, something like I had never seen before. There were pads and toilet paper everywhere. I mean, literal mountains of them. The floor was contaminated with brown mush. There was even a litter box filled with debris and other objects. 

After watching that video, I jumped into a rabbit hole and watched similar content. I thought, “Could it get any worse?” Yes, actually, because other videos even had literal urine or cigarette butts on the ground. There was even a man’s stove with a full mouse nest inside. I didn’t know these things could even happen! Long story short, these people were hoarding too much stuff in their homes, which had to be removed immediately, as this was considered a safety hazard. I felt bad for everyone whose homes are like this, so I am glad this person is willing to step in. 

The woman I am referring to is Brogan, a woman who does emergency “free cleanings.” Yes, these are all free of charge, meaning no client pays a single thing! Brogan is based in Halifax, Canada, but sometimes cleans the homes of some lucky individuals internationally, like in France or the United States. On TikTok and Instagram, she is known as @nottheworstcleaner. Brogan explained that she understands the connection between cleaning and mental health, so she offers to lend a hand and clean homes where people are living in literal filth.

@nottheworstcleaner

Replying to @kybryyy Just wait until you see the finished product, So satisfying 🥺 #cleantok

♬ original sound – Not the Worst Cleaner

These videos redefined my view of cleaning. I previously thought cleaning was a chore, and if no one cleaned, they were lazy and got someone to do the job for them. I will admit, I don’t like cleaning and can get distracted easily. But it was never to the point where food, clothes, and objects were thrust together in heaps on the floor. There was no way on earth that I considered cleaning to be complicated due to mental health or physical limits. After all, many of these cleanings happened in the homes of older people. 

Brogan obviously wears a special cleaning suit, mask, and gloves. Usually, she’ll start the video with some background on the person she is cleaning for. In one video, an older man was in the hospital and needed to return to a clean home. In another, a single mom of three was struggling with accumulating waste in her fridge. Only Brogan could turn a home 180 degrees around within a span of a few hours or days. Sometimes she shows the clean room at the end, and when she does, it is such a satisfying feeling!

@nottheworstcleaner

Your self-worth is never dependent on the cleanliness of your home so if you are struggling please always remember that ❤️ #cleantok #clorox #scrubdaddypartner

♬ Stories 2 – Danilo Stankovic

At the end of a free cleaning, Brogan will give the client new food or a restock of cleaning products, including Scrub Daddy sponges. In fact, Brogan is frequently sponsored by Scrub Daddy and was even offered a trip to Philadelphia by the company, which wanted to treat her after her hard work. Sometimes, Brogan also collaborates with other cleaners like @aurikatariina. 

Brogan is an absolute gem because she gives back to the community. Since she enjoys cleaning, even at home, doing something she loves while helping others in need is an excellent idea. From the COVID pandemic (when she first started posting) until today, Brogan’s free cleanings have come a long way. 

@nottheworstcleaner

Today’s cleaning was really hard on my heart 💔 Reach out to family, friends and neighbours because you never know who’s living like this behind closed doors. c#cleantok

♬ original sound – Not the Worst Cleaner
The bathroom is the first video I saw of Brogan cleaning. It is terrifying and sad at the same time.

I have seen a few more free cleaners such as @cleanwithbea or @cleaningwithdiana1. Both are great, but in my opinion, @nottheworstcleaner will always and forever be on top. She was the first cleaner I watched, and she did the best job in my opinion. She is keeping the clean in #cleantok. 

The reason why large messes accumulate in these homes is that people are scared to ask for help. They want people in the outside world to believe that they are free of issues at home. In fact, in one of her videos, @cleanwithbea said one of her clients wears makeup every day and wears good clothes, so you would never expect her to live with messes everywhere. On the outside, it’s all a facade. 

The moral of the story is, everyone deserves to have a fresh, clean home. People should get to come home to a space where they can unwind for the day. Brogan is determined to achieve that vision for others, and she always makes it clear that it is never shameful to ask for help. We are human, and it is easy to let cleaning slide. Or to let our physical and mental health get in the way. Brogan has been and always will be judgment-free. And more people should think like that. 

Jazzy Tung

CU Boulder '27

Jazzy Tung is a writer for Her Campus at University of Colorado Boulder (HCCU), and is a part of its social media team. Currently, she is currently a sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder, who is majoring in journalism and minoring in international relations. Jazzy has always loved being involved with school media: in middle and high school, she was on the yearbook team. In her junior year of high school, she attended the National Student Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. (American University) for communication studies. That only fueled her love for journalism even more! She was also the president of her high school's Creative Writing Club. Outside of school, Jazzy has a variety of interests. For example, she enjoys playing board and card games like UNO, spending time with friends and family, and surfing the internet for any interesting topic. Jazzy also has a large collection of notebooks in her room, most of which are from previous school years, that she saves in case she wants to write anything and everything later on. One of Jazzy's favorite hobbies, though, is stationery! She loves collecting pens, highlighters, sticky notes, and stickers.