Why Cleaning Sends You Into A Rage, According To A Licensed Therapist
For some people, cleaning is the opposite of relaxing.
Natee Meepian | Shutterstock When it comes to cleaning, almost no one really enjoys doing it. For most people, the hardest part is finding the motivation to begin, but usually, once you get going, it's easier. However, some people simply find cleaning to be the bane of their existence, and even when they're actively vacuuming, mopping, and wiping down surfaces, they become angrier the more they continue.
Therapist Jeffrey Meltzer explained why some people find cleaning to be the worst chore ever and why it often directly impacts their mood while they're doing it.
A therapist explained why cleaning makes some people irrationally angry.
"Do you ever see someone, maybe a family member, start cleaning and within minutes it's like they've turned into an angry monster?" Meltzer questioned in his video. "They're scrubbing countertops like they're trying to erase them from existence, slamming cabinet doors and criticizing everyone in sight."
Meltzer explained that usually, when someone is sent into a rage because of cleaning, it's because of the stressors around them. He pointed out that they're being forced to face dozens of micro-triggers in such a short burst of time. Whether it's a stain they've wiped before, Cheetos all over the floor, clothes being tossed into the wrong drawer, or dishes in the sink that aren't even theirs to wash.
When all of these things start stacking up in quick succession, the brain responds in the same way that it would to a bigger dilemma. It releases a surge of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which speed up your heart rate, tense your muscles, and get you ready for action.
Since you're already cleaning, that angry energy goes right into the scrubbing.
"That energy gets channeled into scrubbing harder, vacuuming faster, and cleaning with laser focus," Meltzer continued. "In some ways, that anger helps you clean. You've got the drive, the urgency, and the physical energy to power through."
However, Meltzer pointed out that those emotions make you feel more irritable, less patient, and just more likely to snap at people around you while you're cleaning. While the room may be getting cleaner, the mood doesn't really match the spotless floors and countertops around you.
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Interestingly enough, there was a trend going around on TikTok where people were "rage cleaning," meaning they were taking out their frustration and anger about other situations happening in their lives and channeling that into cleaning. Considering many people don't really enjoy doing chores, with an estimated 28% of people saying they don’t like folding laundry and 26% of people saying they don’t like doing the dishes, finding any outlet to get it done means people will take it.
Burnout coach and therapist Alex Stark defined rage cleaning as "cleaning with a vengeance; a person’s inclination to clean as a means to control their chaotic brain and space." To combat "rage-cleaning" and stay calm, it's best to tackle small messes one at a time.
Things like wiping down the counters immediately after cooking to prevent grease and stains from hardening and becoming a more strenuous task, rinsing the shower after each use, and occasionally sweeping the floors throughout the week. By tackling chores one day at a time, it ultimately lightens the load and therefore lowers the frustration.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
