My cleaning uniform is the same as my uniform in life: a black T-shirt and black shorts or sweatpants. I wear pretty much the same thing every day if I don’t leave the house; it’s one less decision to make.
What’s your cleaning playlist?
Lizzo. I turned her on about 10 months ago, and I haven’t changed the playlist since.
What’s one oddly satisfying cleaning technique?
I know I say “vacuuming” a lot, but there’s just something about it. Years ago, when I had retail stores around the U.S., I would go to do store visits, and I’d get to the stores before the store managers would. They would come into the store and find me vacuuming, and for new managers who didn’t know me very well, they’d call a manager at another store and be like, “Oh, my God, I got here and Bobby was cleaning my store. Is that a bad thing? Does he think my store is dirty?” And they’re like, “No, he just oddly likes to vacuum.” Vacuuming is like instant gratification, and kind of zen watching the dirt and filth just go away.
How do you think a clean space impacts one’s mental health?
I think it has a huge effect—not just a clean space, but an organized space. When I walk through a house (and I’m probably a little extreme) and there’s stuff left out on the counter, it instantly gives me anxiety. I drive my husband nuts going behind him putting stuff away, and he’s like, “I wasn’t done with that yet.” I’m like, “Okay, well, you are now.” When there’s chaos around you, it creates chaos in your head. So mental health, cleanliness, and organization have an especially huge effect on us since we’re all home. Everything having its place really just brings you a sense of calm, and I didn’t realize how much it even affected me until I saw how everything in my current Airbnb has such a perfect, tidy, organized place–it makes my heart sing.
What is the dirtiest room you usually see in people’s homes?
Probably the bathroom. There’ve been nasty ass bathrooms where I’m just like, How?
What’s one life-changing home product you bought in the past year?
Aesthetically, things like brooms and dustpans are not pretty. And if they are, they’re usually ridiculously expensive for something you’re using to clean up dirt. Target has a line called Made by Design of brushes, squeegees, a refillable spray mop, dish and toilet brushes, etcetera—and they’re black, white, and gray, so they look superchic, sleek, and sexy in your house. I’ve always wanted to hide my brooms and dustpans, but now I don’t have to. I can hang them on a cool rack in my room and they actually look really pretty.
If you were a cleaning scent, which one would you be and why?
