Chances are, if you’ve been on TikTok in the past year or so, you have seen a Sunday Reset video on your ‘for you’ page at some point.
The viral social media trend involves users sharing their cleaning and restocking routines as they get ready for the new week. The ASMR audio is very satisfying, and the rhythmic movements of the vacuum – and the marks it leaves in the plush carpet – are very captivating.
Some even use stop motion to make it look like their trinkets and jewelry magically found their way into a drawer, or their Scrub Mommy moved across a surface all by itself.
This type of content is so popular that some TikTokers have gained internet fame because of it. Their videos have received millions of views and likes.
It has become so popular that fans of ‘CleanTok’ influencers like Jack Callaghan (@jack.designs) and Brooke Mason (@brookelmason) now know every detail of their interiors – and notice even small changes in the positioning of furniture or books.
I have also been drawn in by these oddly attractive montages recently. I could be lying in bed with spot cream on my chin and Netflix playing in the background, but I would still feel somewhat productive after watching a Sunday Reset vlog (or five), as if I had been the one to thoroughly clean my oven and wash my walls, not some stranger on my screen.
Do they inspire me to clean my flat? Sometimes. But mostly they make me feel relaxed and give me a sense of wholesomeness, similar to the feeling of watching a long episode of Antiques Roadshow.
And, honestly, sometimes I just like peeking into other people’s houses.
I’m not alone in this; 26-year-old digital editor Emilie Hill says these videos not only calm her, they ‘put the world to right.’
‘There is something so calming about watching someone else organize their fridge or color-code their wardrobe,’ she says. ‘Footage of a person cleaning a bathroom from tap to floor… it just motivates me to do my own and makes me feel at peace.’
Having recently moved to a different country for work, Emilie also stated that these types of videos have been a massive help in dealing with the disruption of relocating. ‘I’m watching them more now I’ve moved abroad,’ she says.
Over the years, there have been extensive studies on how cleaning benefits our mental health. A 2017 report by Dr Joseph Ferrari and Dr Catherine Roster found a significant link between procrastination and clutter, and revealed that older adults viewed clutter problems as a source of life dissatisfaction. The mental health of women, in particular, was negatively impacted by clutter and lack of order.
While this study relates to one’s own home or space, it still applies in this instance – even if we’re observing the act through a lens.
Social scientist Nina Francis-Young also comments: ‘The Sunday Reset cleaning videos provide a ritual for many people to lean into. Routine is important for humans to function effectively, but a routine that creates calm and order in our physical world also creates peace in our minds.’
Meanwhile, Mared Parry, a 27-year-old expert in social media, can’t quite explain why she’s so fascinated by these videos. ‘I don’t know what it is about them, but I always stop scrolling when one shows up on my feed,’ she tells me. ‘It’s not like I ever feel inspired to do it myself, I just enjoy watching other people who have their lives together.’
And this is a crucial point; these videos aren’t just showing useful hints and tips for cleaning, they are promoting a specific aesthetic and lifestyle; rules to live by.
While there are various users and influencers who share their Sunday Reset videos on TikTok, the more popular ones noticeably share certain themes: they’re impeccably dressed with stunningly beautiful homes (that usually look very clean to begin with), and they have the the most expensive equipment.
Those who lean towards restocking their cupboards in their Sunday Reset videos also seem to display a certain level of wealth, as they fill their fridge with Whole Foods fruit and vegetables and endless cans of Diet Coke and Fiji Water.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that cleaning is only for a specific type of person or that all these influencers are actively showcasing their wealth in these videos – most of the ones I watch seem sincere and the people doing the cleaning seem to find as much pleasure in the process as I do watching them.
But, as the daughter of a cleaner and someone who did the job myself between the ages of 13-19, I find this aspect of the trend difficult to accept.
Far from the effortless way in which influencers clean their flats, the work for those who do it as a profession is exhausting and not at all glamorous.
I remember having rough skin all over my hands from carrying a Henry Hoover and mop bucket up many flights of stairs. I’d then work hard to remove tough grime on my hands and knees – I certainly never wore my best clothes to do it.
Although these videos have captivated many and have changed the perception of the act of cleaning itself, I don’t think they have necessarily helped change the perception of cleaners in general. As my mum says; ‘There are still lots of people who deliberately make a mess because “it’s the cleaner’s job” to sort it out.
‘There’s definitely a difference between industrial cleaning, cleaning for private clients, and cleaning for yourself. They’re all fulfilling in different ways, but when you clean for a client they tend to be much more appreciative and you form a close bond over time.
‘When it’s your own home it’s even better, because it’s just for you – there’s nothing like sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea when you’re done, looking around at a clean space,’ she says.
Nina also believes that ‘any disruption to the accepted stories within our society has the power to create change, and this is really exciting.’ Perhaps these gradual changes will eventually improve how society views manual labor jobs and those who perform them.
Sunday Reset videos might give the impression that regular cleaning and maintaining high standards is not just simple but also the standard, and they also offer many advantages to viewers. Like any popular trend on social media, if you consume too much of it, you might start internalizing some of the messages or feel inadequate because you don't have a fancy apartment or the motivation to deeply clean every weekend.
Overall, though, the soothing nature of these videos helps many people, and if, in the future, they can change broader perceptions of this type of work, then that can only be positive.
