The Clean Room Aesthetic Is a Tidy Blend of Cleaning and Decor Trends
Spaces that are neat in terms of tidiness and decor? Sign us up.
TikTok is infamous for offering the ultimate in bingeable entertainment. If you’ve ever spent hours going down the TikTok rabbit hole (at this point, who hasn’t?), you’ve likely encountered videos of people cleaning their rooms or showing a before and after of their newly tidied spaces, all under the umbrella of the clean room aesthetic. At the beginning of the video, these rooms are often in disarray. Then, in under a minute of time-lapse recording, the revamped spaces are serene, minimal, and uncluttered. You’re not alone if you find these TikToks simultaneously soothing and inspiring.
Just how popular are these videos? Well, hashtags relating to these cleaning clips each have millions—sometimes hundreds of millions—of views. There are YouTube compilations of TikTok room cleaning videos so that you can watch them without interruption. And large companies like The Container Store are getting in on the trend with cleaning challenges and their own organizing posts, so it’s safe to say these videos resonate with a lot of people.
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Why Are These Clean Room Videos So Popular?
With all the upheaval of the last few years, we’ve experienced many things that were out of our control. One of the areas we’ve had complete power over has been our home environment, where, coincidentally, we’re all spending more time than ever. It’s easy to see the appeal of a video where all problems are resolved in seconds, and we go predictably from chaos to comfort. While the outside world may be complicated, at least we can watch someone create a little oasis of calm in their homes—and perhaps emulate it ourselves.
Carissa Byrne Hebert, founder and principal designer of CBH Interiors, agrees that the universality of these videos is a huge part of their broad appeal. “I believe these videos are so popular because everyone desires a clean, organized space,” she says. “A space that’s in order gives you confidence that your life can be in order, too. There’s also something nice about watching someone else clean up—it’s therapeutic and relaxing. It gives people hope for their own space, when they see the messy before and the clean after.”
Krystle Perkins of Perkins on Parkway experienced the inspiring aspect of these videos first-hand when she implemented a fresh start Friday for her family. She mixes her weekly deep cleaning with self-care and shares it on her TikTok, where her followers have responded enthusiastically, and many have been inspired to make their own positive changes, she says.
“People tell me things like, ‘This made me get up off the couch’ or ‘that was so motivating,’ which is awesome,” says Perkins.
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How to Implement the Clean Room Aesthetic in Your Own Home
Regardless of your design sense, having a neat and tidy house is a universal goal. In addition to inspiration, clean room videos can offer a lot of practical takeaways to help you get—and keep—your home looking its best.
Many creators report that using videos keeps them accountable to finishing the job. If your room needs a deep cleaning and you don’t want to record yourself, you can get a similar feeling that someone is counting on you to finish by setting a timer and cleaning until it goes off. The positive feeling you’ll get when you step back and see how much you’ve accomplished will encourage you to keep going until the job is done.
Once you’ve got things in order, it’s essential to have a structure in place to help it stay that way.
“Every day, when you get up in the morning, make the bed and tidy up your room before heading out for the day,” Hebert says. “Then, once a week, do a deep clean of your space; clean all surfaces, put away any loose items, and straighten up all items that are out and visible, as well as hidden inside drawers and behind doors. These simple habits will help keep your room tidy and clean.”
You may also want to take a cue from the Perkins family and set aside a consistent day of the week for your more thorough cleaning. Put it on your calendar the same way you would a meeting to ensure you stick to your clean routine.
For the design side of the clean aesthetic, take inspiration from hotel rooms. These minimal, uncluttered interiors help provide an ideal, stress-free location to relax and sleep. You can mimic that feeling in your home by focusing on keeping most surfaces bare by utilizing drawer organizers and closet systems, so everything has a specific place. Keeping everything tidy when you’re busy can be challenging, so Hebert recommends having a hamper or basket to store things and keep clutter at bay until you have time to put them away.
For items you plan to keep in sight, consider investing in matching containers for a streamlined look. You can display attractive objects like perfume bottles in vignettes alongside decorative items, such as vases, so they look intentional. For those little pieces that need an organized home, don’t underestimate the power of a few pretty trays. They can take your everyday items and make them look like a collection. Who knows—when you’re done organizing, you just might want to show off your #cleanroom on TikTok.
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