- Once a granny, now a TikTok star, dispensing tidy advice as a "cleanfluencer"
"Give the living room a good cleanup and spruce it up in just 15 minutes, plus, check out this hot new method to make your grout shine brighter than ever. Surfing TikTok under the hashtag #cleantok reveals over 4 million related clips. Lea de Bruijn, a 25-year-old from the Ruhr area, has been sharing cleaning and home-related advice on TikTok for a year now.
People can't seem to get enough of these videos, she shares. "They not only offer entertainment but also encourage people who might struggle with tidying up," de Bruijn explains. Trust between followers and influencers builds over time, she adds. "When they vouch for a product or technique, followers usually trust that it's good or effective."
Five-figure sums per clip
Over 110,000 TikTok followers and around 28,000 Instagram followers (@leabloomz) keep up with de Bruijn's content, positioning her as a Cleanfluencer. This title refers to social media personalities who specialize in cleaning.
De Bruijn transformed her love for cleaning into a lucrative career. She spends about 8 to 10 hours on each clip and earns five-figure sums. "I work with various brands and get two to three requests daily," she says. "Both big-name companies and smaller ones are involved." Her future plan is to introduce and sell her own cleaning products.
Cleaning is popular online
De Bruijn provides practical tips in her videos, such as applying fabric softener to a cloth and wiping down dusty surfaces to prevent re-dusting. She also shares how to clean windows without any streaks using shampoo. She routinely tests new cleaning products like soaps, sponges, and cloths, teaches deep-cleaning tricks for pillows, and maintains the stairwell of her apartment building regularly.
According to marketing and communication professor Arne Westermann of the International School of Management (ISM), many people now turn to online resources to find household tips, particularly on social media.
Besides cleaning, various niches exist across social networks, each with their respective influencers. People showcase make-up tutorials, cooking lessons, travel experiences, fashion styling, bicycle customization, book reviews, and more.
Companies chasing trends
Companies are not shy about monitoring these trending topics to leverage product placement opportunities. Marketing expert Westermann explains, "Companies seek to align themselves with what's popular and connect their products with the trend." Often, this involves collaboration with influencers like Lea de Bruijn.
Influencer campaigns by Vileda—a cleaning division of the Freudenberg group—and Kärcher—a cleaning appliance manufacturer—saw significant growth in 2024, while Leifheit also recorded an increase in cooperation with Cleanfluencers.
Gender stereotypes in question
Psychologist Brigitte Boesenkopf raises a few concerns about cleaning videos. While they may help motivated people to declutter, social media can sometimes discourage personal initiative. Comparing messy homes to those in videos can lead to feelings of inadequacy or frustration. Additionally, many of these videos are produced and shared by women, potentially reinforcing traditional gender roles.
Bosenkopf points out that cooking videos are different; they no longer perpetuate the stereotype that cooking is "women's work." In real life, many men also engage in cleaning activities but typically share fewer videos related to domestic chores."
In the digital age, social networks have become a platform for Cleanfluencers like Lea de Bruijn to share their cleaning tips and advice, attracting a large following and earning lucrative sums per clip. Many companies are now leveraging trending topics on social networks, such as cleaning, for product placement opportunities and collaborations with influencers.
