What Is The 'Hollywood Clean' And Can It Help You?
Let's admit it. When planning our weekends, cleaning the house is not how we envision spending our days off. But, understandably, it must be done, so rather than adding it to our grand scheme of plans, we scribble it into our spring cleaning checklist with fine print and burn the list. Because who wants to spend time scrubbing floors, polishing tiles, and dusting god-forsaken corners behind beds and under sofas when there is so much carpe diem to be done? That's where Hollywood comes in. Much like Hollywood, where props and sets are only surface-deep and all about appearances, a Hollywood clean only focuses on cleaning what is instantly visible.
However, the more we seize the day, the less cleaning we will likely do. Consequently, as housework keeps piling up, the more we dread approaching it, leaving our homes in cluttered disarray. A messy house can impact our mental health and overall mood. High anxiety and stress levels are also closely linked to clutter and messiness. Finding peace and relaxation amidst the disarray becomes challenging, hindering our ability to unwind and recharge.
Given the negative impact on our mental health and well-being, how do we compromise living our best lives and spending time cleaning the house? Thanks to a viral TikTok trend that's taken the internet by storm, we no longer need to compromise. Instead, we can have a clean house and seize the day. And here is how.
Hollywood clean: the basics
A few months ago, TikToker @sare.nicolee posted a viral TikTok with the description, "When your boyfriend grew up in a 'deep clean house,' but you grew up in a 'Hollywood clean house." The video was a hit, reaching 5.4 million views and well over 800 thousand likes at the time of writing this article. While the coinage "Hollywood clean" is something new, several viewers could instantly identify with the term, even if they did not use it, simply because the "Hollywood" way is how many of us have been cleaning our house anyway. As a result, the term has become part of the mainstream discourse and is helping people keep a nice and clean home without bending themselves backward.
Instead of deep-cleaning, vacuuming, mopping, and scrubbing bathtubs and tiles, a Hollywood clean is a much faster way to approach housework and is highly efficient in having an orderly house without extreme effort. For instance, during a Hollywood clean, you wash the dishes, wipe the counters and surfaces, make the beds, and put away everything around the house cluttering your spaces. In essence, you are making your home comfortable and functional enough to live in without diving into the dreaded realms of deep cleaning.
How to do it: the common areas
During Hollywood cleaning, you divide your house into tiers and methodically work through each room. Of course, you don't have to do all rooms in one day, but it's a feasible task to pull off in one go. It's always best to start with the kitchen, where most of the clutter is. You will be amazed at the difference an empty versus a piled-up sink makes. So wash the dishes and proceed to wipe the surfaces. Put away anything that should not be on the counters and empty the trash. Remove junk mail, put the ones you need in a folder, and keep bills that must be paid in a designated tray in a drawer.
Next up: the living room. Ideally, you want to work on the common areas first to make them presentable in case of unexpected guests. But also, common areas are the ones that receive the most traffic by all family members, so it's best to go over them before the clutter gets out of control and the situation turns more chaotic. Put away things that don't belong in the living room. A nice box to quickly throw everything in and neatly stow away on a shelf or under the coffee table is a great way to ensure that surfaces are always kept clean. Fluff the pillows, wipe the surfaces, and quickly mop if the tiles are dirty. If not, just leave it as it is.
How to do it: bathroom and bedroom
Once you are done with the living room, move on to the bathrooms and toilets. Again, there is no need to scrub and bleach — keep the space orderly and functional until it's time for the long overhaul. Use a toilet-cleaning solution and a brush and quickly clean the toilet; sweep the floor, and wipe down the countertop and sink.
Quickly move on to the bedrooms. Make the bed and put away clothes that are lying around. Put the little things on your dresser and nightstand away. Essentially try to give everything a home so you know where to look for them next and where to place them once you are done using them.
While a messy home can increase your anxiety and stress, tidying up your house can positively affect your mental health by providing a sense of order and clarity amidst the chaos, helping us go through a mental refresh. Keeping your personal space organized and clean caters to a more conducive environment for relaxation and overall well-being, encouraging productivity and improving energy. We establish control over our personal space by organizing and keeping our belongings in order. This can be extremely empowering, especially when many aspects of our lives are beyond our control. Being happy and content in our space does not require us to go out of our way — thanks to the "Hollywood Clean."