From Chaos to Calm

Cleaning a home—really cleaning it—gives you a sense of control that’s hard to come by in the chaos of daily life. When you’ve lived in a “handyman’s dream,” like I have, you know that control can feel elusive. Renovation projects, DIY fixes, and even the odd plumbing mystery (still not over the ancient coins we found in the pipes) teach you to live with a bit of disorder. And in some ways, you get used to it. But there’s nothing like the satisfaction of walking into a space that’s clean, organized, and truly yours.

After months of patching up walls, sanding floors, and pulling who-knows-what out of the plumbing, I realized something: there’s a different kind of reward in keeping the house tidy once the projects are done. With the renovations behind us, I started to appreciate that maintaining the house—really maintaining it—brought me a peace that no amount of hammering and nailing could provide. There’s something about coming home to a place where the countertops are wiped down, the floors are clear of dust and debris, and the air feels lighter.

It’s not just about the aesthetics, though. A clean home is more than just a pretty space. It’s a symbol of order in a world that so often feels out of control. After a day of juggling work, errands, and whatever else life throws at you, walking into a clean house feels like a deep breath. You can stand there and say, This is my home. Everything else might be a mess, but here, in this space, you’ve got things under control.

Keeping it that way, however, is a whole other story. I used to think cleaning was a one-and-done deal. You dust, mop, vacuum, and then you’re good for a week, right? Not exactly. I quickly learned that cleaning is more of an ongoing process, something you weave into the fabric of your day-to-day life. One thing that stuck with me was the discipline of resetting—making sure that when you finish a task, it’s actually finished. You fry an egg? You’re not done until the pan is washed and back in its rightful place. You make coffee? Don’t forget to put the sugar away.

It sounds simple, but it’s this small act of following through that makes a difference. When you’ve got DIY projects on hold or a laundry list of to-dos, it’s easy to let little things slide. But those little things add up. Before you know it, you’re living in a cluttered space, which feels as chaotic as it looks. And after all the hard work of transforming our house, I wasn’t about to let it slip back into disorder.

One particular battle that stands out is the war against shower mold. Now, if you’ve ever dealt with it, you know how relentless it can be. We’d barely finished our bathroom renovation when the first spots started appearing. It was like mold was waiting, biding its time. I tried to ignore it at first—because who wants to scrub grout after a long day? But here’s the thing: once you start letting things like mold creep in, they take over. Not just physically, but mentally, too. The space doesn’t feel as fresh, and before long, you start avoiding it altogether.

I finally caved, grabbed a bottle of cleaner, and went to war. Scrubbing the shower was oddly therapeutic, though. It wasn’t just about getting rid of the mold; it was about reclaiming that space. Once it was gone, the whole bathroom felt different—brighter, fresher, more inviting. There’s something deeply satisfying about knowing you’ve not just cleaned a room but actively fought back against the chaos that life tends to throw your way.

Cleaning, I realized, is kind of like those DIY projects, just on a smaller scale. Both give you the chance to take something that’s disordered, chaotic, or downright messy and transform it into something functional, peaceful, and even beautiful. And just like the thrill of pulling out a completed project, there’s a quiet joy in wiping down that last counter or vacuuming the last floor.

In a world where so much is out of our control, having a clean, well-organized home is like planting a flag and saying, This is mine. It’s not perfect, and it’s definitely a work in progress, but it’s my little corner of the world where I get to decide what’s in order. Whether it’s finally banishing that stubborn mold in the shower or just putting away the sugar after making coffee, these small actions add up to something bigger. They’re a reminder that while life may be unpredictable, you always have the power to create a little bit of order and calm, right where you live.