People have different ways of handling anger. There are people who go for a drink, exercise, scream at the top of their lungs in a secluded area – the list can go on forever. But there is another way to vent out your frustrations while getting stuff done: do some cleaning.
When some people get angry, upset, or emotional, they clean. It is an unusual reaction to a stressful situation, but it works. You may want to give it a go the next time things don’t go your way.
Benefits of rage cleaning
Studies have shown that there are benefits to venting out through doing house chores. These included the following:
- Participants indicated that the activity gave them peace of mind.
- Cleaning provided a means to establish control over their immediate environment.
- Seeing the clean and organized space afforded a sense of accomplishment for the cleaner.
Are you fuming and looking for stuff inside the house to clean? Here are a few tips and areas where you can direct your negative energies.
Start dusting
Pick an area where a layer of dust has settled for some time. Shelves and bookcases are a few excellent examples. Such areas are often filled with books, electronic devices, and knick-knacks that collect dust.
Dusting takes time, especially if you want to be thorough or you live in an area where dust and dirt are prevalent. For instance, in Dubai, housekeeping services are popular among homeowners and apartment dwellers because of the dust, sandstorms, and other extreme weather conditions. If you are looking for a distraction and want to save on resources, carefully remove the dust on every single item on your shelf.
Scrubbing the bathroom
It is rare to find a person who loves to clean the bathroom. Over time, stubborn stains start to develop on the tiles, inside the sink, and around the toilet bowl. The chore is gross, time-consuming and labor-intensive – perfect for your next rage cleaning episode.
Attacking the kitchen
Much like the bathroom, stubborn stains can develop and accumulate around the food prep and cooking areas inside the kitchen. Food stains need to wiped away from the kitchen counters while the cabinets may need a good rub. But these are the easier areas.
There are other areas that are more challenging, including the kitchen sink, the fridge, oven, and microwave, among others. Layers of cooking oil and food stains can form on the burners and other areas. Attack these sections the next time you’re annoyed as they require a lot of scrubbing, arm strength, and patience.
Start vacuuming
Do you have wall to wall carpeting? Dust can easily accumulate on the carpet, causing allergies and breathing problems for those with asthma or other respiratory issues. If you haven’t been regularly vacuuming, now is the time to take out your vacuum from the storage room.
Change the sheets
Changing the bedsheets and pillowcases in your bedroom and the throw pillows in the living areas don’t require a lot of effort. But if you are looking to exert some brute force, you may want to consider flipping the mattress over as well.
Think of the exercise as similar to lifting weights at the gym. You can also exert some force in removing the pillows and stuffed toys from the bed or headboard. Just be careful where you throw the pillows and toys so as not to knock down or break any fragile items inside the room.
Fluff the pillows before you put them back to their proper places. The act is another way of releasing some negative energy, like punching the sandbag at the gym.
Rub the walls clean
Toddlers and young children can get hyper. It is not uncommon to find kids running around writing on any surface they come across. If your kids are at this stage, your walls and floors are bound to be covered with scribbles.
Instead of taking your rage out on your kids, use that aggression to remove the offending markings from the walls or other surfaces. But some stains can be hard to handle. If a little elbow grease is not enough, you can hire professional cleaners to do the job for you.
Before you begin
Rage cleaning can be a relaxing activity for some people. It is a great way to get two birds with one stone as you can get chores done while venting. However, you still need to be aware of your surroundings even while you are cleaning.
If you live with a roommate, partner, or your family, they may not be aware of the circumstances surrounding your frustration. You may accidentally lash out at other people while trying to focus your energies on cleaning or doing chores.
Let the other people in your home know what you plan to do. As difficult as this may seem, you may also need to inform the other people what you expect from them if any. This way, they can stay out of your hair while you clean with passion.
AUTHOR BIO
Mohamed Samad is the Founder & CEO of Matic Services. He started the company in 2016 after a series of small start-ups within the home services sector. Prior to that, Mohamed was Vice President at Greenstone Equity Partners, where he spent 24 months building the UAE business from 2011-2013 with its founder.
