I Tried “Rage Cleaning” My Home, and It Made Me Feel So Much Better
Emotions are part of the human experience, but lately they’ve been too much a part of my human experience. When I’m in my feels, I usually eat something delicious, but lately I’ve also tried to incorporate exercise and meditation. While a sweat session on my Peloton (or some quiet minutes spent on breath work) does make me feel better, I’m still not feeling my best. So I picked up a sponge and started scrubbing. And I’m not the only one who’s doing it. Search “rage cleaning” on TikTok and you’ll find that channeling raw emotions into cleaning is, well, all the rage.
What is rage cleaning?
Rage cleaning, or angry cleaning, is exactly what it sounds like. Something happened that got you in a tizzy? Start cleaning, and you’ll feel better. (In this video, TikToker @kerry.daehn6 demonstrates what a good rage cleaning session looks like to her.) The activity gets your endorphins — those are your feel-good hormones — pumping, and soon you’ll have the satisfaction of a clean house.
How I Rage Cleaned My Home
Kudos to those overachieving rage cleaners who take on their entire home at once. Allow me to inform you that it’s not necessary to clean from top to bottom to experience catharsis. But that’s the beauty of rage cleaning — you can do what you can in the allotted time you have.
Here’s how a recent rage cleaning session went for me.
I scrubbed a pan. I had a pan that was looking worse for wear and in need of some treatment with The Pink Stuff. I smeared some on and got to work scrubbing as I breathed deeply in through my nose, out through my mouth. In about five minutes, I had removed the tarnish and cleared my head.
I decluttered my linens. I took 10 minutes to declutter my linen storage because it had made putting back laundry an even bigger chore. I took everything out, refolded things neatly, and also decluttered about half a dozen extra pillowcases I didn’t even realize were there. I also took out some old towels and washcloths. I’ll give them a wash and add them to my donation pile, which made me feel good, too.
I cleaned the bathroom. I really had just set out to scrub the toilet in our downstairs bathroom — a good way to channel some rage for sure — but I kept going and cleaned everything else, including the floor, in record time. I even lit a candle for some spa-like aromatherapy.
How to Make Rage Cleaning Work for You
Ready for a rage cleaning session in your own home? Here are some tips on how to make the most of it.
Play a rage soundtrack. Soothing jazz or classical music is fine for the work day, but not this type of work day. When I rage clean, I put on my headphones and select music that will fan the flames I’m feeling. I’ll usually lean toward rock. Punk rock in particular is great for channeling angst because it’s already loud and often angry, but pick whatever genre that keeps you rocking on.
Work in short bursts. I’m a fan of the Pomodoro method — 25 minutes on, then a five-minute break — for work tasks. But even that is sometimes too long for a rage cleaning session. I’ll lower it to 15 minutes and see what task will fit into that timeframe. If I finish early, maybe I’ll reset the timer and move onto something else. If not, that’s OK because at least I got something done.
Pick a task with the biggest payoff. Again, if you can’t muster enough rage or time to get through every room in your home, pick the spot that will give you the best results in the least amount of time. This includes anything from scrubbing the kitchen sink or stovetop to decluttering a closet.
It’s important to note that rage cleaning shouldn’t replace a proper self-care routine, which might include therapy. But if you’re looking for a positive way to channel negative emotions, try scrubbing or decluttering something.
Further Reading
I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Store Paper Towels in Your Kitchen (It’s a Game-Changer!)
See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room
