16/08/2026
Sometimes a cleaning job is about so much more than cleaning. ❤️
Yesterday I went to a job thinking I was simply going to help an elderly lady who was struggling to keep on top of the dishes.
I had absolutely no idea what I was walking into.
When I arrived, it quickly became apparent that this was a much bigger situation than I had anticipated. She was extremely frail and could barely walk, and the kitchen was in a condition unlike anything I had ever encountered in my time of cleaning.
There were hundreds of dirty dishes and plates piled throughout the kitchen. Pans on the cooker contained food that had clearly been sitting there for months, with mould, flies and larvae everywhere. There was rotting food and vegetables throughout the kitchen, and honestly, some of it was so unpleasant that I had to fight my own gag reflex.
And I know there will be people who would say, “I wouldn’t touch that.”
But I couldn’t walk away.
Because if I hadn’t helped, who was going to?
This wasn’t a situation where someone needed to be told off or made to feel ashamed. This was a person who was clearly struggling, and who needed someone to simply step in and help.
I also learned very quickly that this isn’t just about cleaning. She has a huge amount of belongings and it is very clear that parting with things is extremely difficult for her. So we’re not going to go in there and tell her what she has to get rid of.
But I want to say something important about this job.
I am sharing this because I think there is a bigger story here — not to shame this lovely lady, and certainly not to exploit her circumstances.
Sometimes people become overwhelmed. Sometimes their physical health, mental health, age, isolation or circumstances mean that things get completely out of control. And once that happens, it can become incredibly difficult to know where to even begin.
There was absolutely no judgement from us. Just a big pair of gloves, plenty of cleaning products, a LOT of hard work, and the determination to give her back a clean, safe and usable kitchen.
I tackled the dishes, the food waste, the cooker, the benches, and everything in between. It was one of the hardest and most confronting cleans I have ever done — but also one of the most rewarding.
Because at the end of it, she could walk into her kitchen again.
And sometimes cleaning isn’t really about making something look pretty.
Sometimes it’s about giving someone a fresh start. ❤️
If you or someone you know is struggling with a home that has become overwhelming, please don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. There is no judgement here.
We clean. We don’t judge. ❤️
