May 13, 2026, 4:34 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Social media is just for dancing? Only people who have never been there would think that. In reality, various niches have developed within these platforms. This includes people sharing tips on cleaning and organizing their homes. It’s helpful for picking up tips for your own house cleaning. At the same time, a real obsession with order has emerged. myHOMEBOOK editor Lena Hackauf wonders: “Aren’t we already stressed enough?”
If you don’t have the financial means for a cleaning service, you have to come to terms with the idea of picking up a cleaning cloth and regularly tidying up your own four walls. And that’s a good thing, partly because there’s a direct link to hygiene and health. Regular cleaning reduces dust, bacteria, mold, and allergens, according to the Federal Ministry of Health. Order, on the other hand, reduces mental strain. Living and working in a tidy environment requires less energy to find things or make decisions. These are just some of the positive aspects of a clean and organized home. But there’s a big “but.”
Everything in Moderation
The golden rule in almost every aspect of life is: everything in moderation. This also applies to cleaning and organizing your home. When order and cleanliness reach compulsive tendencies, it can lead to stress. Then it’s less about function and well-being within your own four walls and more about control at any cost. Instead of feeling satisfied and comfortable, pressure and dissatisfaction arise.
Order and cleaning are tools meant to make life easier. A pragmatic level that fits your own daily life is more sensible than perfection.
Far from Reality
In social networks, people often talk about a virtual reality. That’s exactly what you should keep in mind when comparing yourself and asking, “Why isn’t my home as perfectly clean?” The answer is that the photos and videos shared on social networks are merely snapshots.
A false image is created: You see the perfectly organized kitchen but not the chaos just outside the camera’s view. You see the freshly cleaned floor but not that everything was arranged for the post just before. The content shared on social media is rarely an honest average of daily life but rather a deliberately chosen ideal state.
Forgetting this can quickly create pressure. You feel like you’re not tidy or “good enough.” In doing so, you’re comparing reality with a curated representation. The comparison distorts your perception and can trigger dissatisfaction. Here’s the reminder: Order in real life is functional, not perfect. It’s about feeling comfortable and finding your way around.
Also interesting: “Why Minimalism Doesn’t Feel Like Home to Me”
Perpetual Perfection in Everyday Life
A consistently perfect state of the home is hardly sustainable in normal life. Where people live, traces are left. Especially in living situations with multiple people, small children, or pets, it’s unrealistic to expect to eat off the floor. If someone’s home is always perfectly tidy, they either have too much time or something to prove. Often, it’s less about actual well-being and more about an ideal to be shown to the outside world. Additionally, work, social obligations, and relaxation require time and energy. Trying to keep everything immaculate alongside these can lead to burnout or neglecting important rest periods.
The body needs breaks to avoid getting sick, explains “Quarks.” The human body is designed to alternate between tension and relaxation. Constant activity, whether physical or mental, keeps the stress system permanently activated. Without breaks, our body releases more stress hormones. In the short term, this helps us be productive. In the long run, however, it can have negative consequences, such as a weakened immune system or concentration problems.
Working without breaks can be detrimental to your health. And yes, cleaning and organizing are also work–even if you don’t get paid for it at home. It’s not the individual cleaning action that’s the problem, but the constant state of inner tension without sufficient breaks.
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Order as a Status Symbol
Perfect order is often also a matter of resources. Financial means can buy support. This includes not only cleaning services but also larger homes with more storage space and organized furnishing systems, as seen on social media. However, this factor is often overlooked there. It then appears to be pure discipline, even though more resources are often behind it. This sets unrealistic standards for people with less time or money.
The Wrong Motivation
Finding the necessary motivation to clean and organize your home can sometimes be quite challenging. It becomes particularly critical when pressure is added. When order doesn’t stem from your own well-being but from the feeling “It has to be this way” or “Others expect it,” order becomes a duty rather than a help. Then you clean not because it feels good, but to meet an ideal. This can lead to stress, guilt, and constant self-evaluation. Yet, order is supposed to bring relief.
I don’t count cleaning and organizing among my favorite activities either. The clothes rack sometimes stays up an extra day simply because I lack the motivation to take down the laundry. What’s crucial for me, though, is what I consciously remind myself of: how good it feels when it’s done. This feeling of clarity, of “I’ve accomplished something,” and the view of a tidy environment have a unique quality.
I particularly enjoy the small, sensory moments, like the scent of freshly made beds. It’s nothing big, but it makes a noticeable difference in everyday life. For me, the real motivation lies not in the compulsion to do everything perfectly but in knowing that a manageable level of order enhances my well-being.