Bea Elton in the Guardian: cleaning, mental health and the homes people cannot face
The Guardian follows Bea into a Midlands home where the resident, living with depression and ADHD, had stopped disposing of anything for around three years.
Bea began posting cleaning videos in 2023 after being made redundant, initially to secure a deposit refund on a mould covered London flat. Applications for free cleans now arrive at around 160 a month, and she has completed roughly 45 since starting. She spends months talking to each homeowner before arriving, and liaises with local authorities, support workers and therapists during and after.
Her core argument is that most people are one or two events away from the conditions she cleans. She campaigns for renters’ rights and animal welfare alongside the cleaning work, and refurnishes homes, pays off debts and covers accommodation during the clean itself.