JP Staff

Jakarta

Household chores can be repetitive and boring, but people are starting to see the need to organize their living spaces as they stay home more often.

This is one of the reasons behind the surge of “cleanfluencers”, with their aesthetic Instagram posts depicting tidy spaces, organized storage and clean floors.

Syifa, 27, is one of those cleanfluencers. The mother-of-one has been building her Instagram account since March 2021 and now has over 2,000 followers. “I was inspired by South Korean moms who share their daily activities on YouTube,” she said. “I thought that I could share my homemaking experience too, with the hope that others can benefit from them.”

She goes by the handle @ibunyadhatu (Dathu’s mother), where she shares various home-keeping tips, from how to organize the fridge to getting rid of stains on walls. She often takes her followers’ suggestions on what to talk about in her IG stories. Surprisingly, enthusiasm is high, even for the most trivial things.

Syifa also shares tutorial videos and recommendations on the best cleaner brands and home appliances and where to buy them.

The rise of the cleanfluencer is not a new phenomenon. Before Syifa, there were numerous social media accounts dedicated to sharing cleaning tips. They are the go-to source for cleaning “hacks” — such as how to effectively clean narrow spots under the toilet seat cover, remove mold from the washing machine, or keeping stainless steel surfaces shiny.

As people spend more time indoors, they have more time to see what can be improved in the spaces in their house, details that may be missed when the house was merely a resting place between busy activities.

“I see that the importance of keeping a house clean should be taken more seriously, especially during the pandemic,” the Depok resident said. “We are actually spending more time at home and good hygiene is what we need right now.”

For Syifa, one of the perks of having an organized home is that things are always put back where they belong, so they are easier to find. But on the other hand, stressing over ideal cleanliness is somewhat unhealthy.

According to Syifa, the ideal might be different for each household, depending on the space, family members and activity. Handling a home with kids can be stressful, but homemaking is also about enjoying things as they are. Lowering the standard of “tidy” might work for some who have active toddlers.

“Sometimes I feel that cleaning can be a stress relief,” said Syifa. She added, “when I feel overwhelmed from doing other tasks, I always get back to tidying up the house. It’s calming to see the things put in their places. Taking pictures of the aesthetic spots in the house and posting them on Instagram is a way to motivate myself.”

Tidy house and peace of mind

Not everyone agrees with Syifa, however. Kartika “Kaka” Arifin, 36, for example, does not find the process of cleaning relieving. “I don’t find the process therapeutic, it’s more like a routine, but the result is rewarding,” the resident of Sydney, Australia, said.

Kaka is a stay-at-home mom with two kids who recently moved from Jakarta to Sydney with her family.

She made her homemaking Instagram account, @xlalu.rapih (always tidy), when the pandemic emerged in March 2020. When she moved to a new apartment, she posted a couple of IG stories on unpacking and settling into the unit. Seeing the response of her followers, she decided to open a dedicated account on homemaking and organizing tips.

Her following grew rapidly, and she now has more than 2,600 followers. She observes the engagement between her content and followers and is excited to see that her followers find her tips — such as how to fold laundry and organize toys — useful. She frequently posts questions to ask her followers about other cleaning hacks or organizing tips they need.

When asked about how to reduce stress in cleaning the house, she said to do it consistently and add it to your routine. It is better to tidy up the place every day than to try to clean everything at once.

To her, it is essential to keep our personal space clean and tidy. “I can’t enjoy my home when it’s cluttered. It will affect my mood. For others? I think it’s just as important. If you can make it neat, why mess things up?” she concluded.

ohmg

Popular

Portugal recovers bodies of two Indonesian fishermen lost at sea

Palm oil expansion in Papua raises eyebrow

Businesses project 2026 growth at no more than 5.4%