Flooding the house with water and soap: does the TikTok trend really work?
From the kitchen floor to the windows, women across the web have started turning the act of cleaning into a real operation: pouring quantities of water, adding a generous amount of detergent, scrubbing, rinsing, and rinsing again — until the whole house looks like it has been washed with a hose. These videos, which show the "before and after" moments and the foam being washed off the surfaces, have become addictive content that attracts millions of views on TikTok. But alongside the satisfying videos, an interesting question arises: is so much water and soap really needed for the house to be truly clean, or are we just exaggerating?
From the kitchen floor to the windows, women across the web have started turning the act of cleaning into a real operation: pouring quantities of water, adding a generous amount of detergent, scrubbing, rinsing, and rinsing again — until the whole house looks like it has been washed with a hose.
These videos, which show the "before and after" moments and the foam being washed off the surfaces, have become addictive content that attracts millions of views on TikTok. But alongside the satisfying videos, an interesting question arises: is so much water and soap really needed for the house to be truly clean, or are we just exaggerating?
When cleaning becomes a show
The reason it is so easy to get drawn into these videos is not just the cleaning itself, but the feeling they create in us. The dirty surface becomes shiny within minutes, the foam is washed away, the water flows, and everything looks "new". The more exaggerated the action seems, the more interesting it becomes to watch. This continues to encourage content creators to use large amounts of water and cleaning agents as part of the experience.
But the problem starts when the viral ritual becomes the standard by which we measure cleanliness. Because if it seems online that you need to flood the floor to achieve a perfect result, it is easy to think that something in our own home is not clean enough if we haven't used similar amounts.
More soap does not mean cleaner
So how much detergent is really needed? Probably much less than it seems. More soap does not necessarily mean cleaner. In some cases, large amounts of water can damage furniture and surfaces and create mold. Therefore, when it comes to cleaning, it is better to stick to the instructions for use on the packaging and not the amounts we see in TikTok videos.
Cleaning experts also emphasize that the effectiveness of cleaning depends on the combination of the right agent and the action itself — not on the amount of water or soap. In most routine cleanings, water and detergent in the recommended amount are enough to remove dirt, so there is no need to turn the house into a foam pool every time you take out the cleaning agent.
And what is the connection between cleaning and anxiety?
Behind the need to clean again and again, there may be something beyond the desire for a tidy house. According to "Verywell Mind", studies have found a link between anxiety and repetitive cleaning behaviors, especially in people who deal with a fear of dirt, germs, or contamination. In such cases, cleaning can provide a momentary sense of relief, but the need to clean may return again and again. This does not mean that everyone who cleans a lot deals with anxiety or OCD, but when cleaning becomes a need that is difficult to control and affects daily routine, it may be related to mental distress.
Ultimately, a clean house does not need to look like a TikTok video. There is no need to flood the floor or pour half a bottle of soap to achieve a good result. But it is impossible to deny that these videos are simply addictive to watch. There is something satisfying about seeing dirt disappear, foam being washed away, and a surface becoming shiny within a few seconds, even if in our own home it is better to do it a little less dramatically.
