MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Aurikatariina Kananen has become famous online for cleaning some of the world’s messiest homes.
Videos she posts to social media show her scooping up piles of trash, navigating through swarms of cockroaches, and keeping a cheery demeanor the entire time.
Now, the social media influencer is in South Florida, and tells Local 10 News she is helping families cope when they are overwhelmed by growing clutter.
“When I was a kid, I was a messy girl,” Kananen said. “But then I started cleaning. I started as a cleaner when I was 16.”
Kananen said she began cleaning homes for friends and family in her home country of Finland. Over time, people started sending her photos of messes and asking for her help.
The self-described “queen of cleaning” has racked up 4 million followers on Instagram, more than 10 million on TikTok, and has 3.7 million subscribers on YouTube.
She even caught the attention of Aaron Krause, CEO of cleaning company ScrubDaddy. He made Kananen a brand ambassador.
“She gives people a brand new re-set. And we hope they can start their lives again,” he told Local 10 News. “We are aligned in our mission of cleaning and helping people.”
On a recent morning, Kananen was in South Florida to help a young woman who knew her from social media and asked for help. The woman said her father fell into anxiety and depression in 2020, and had a hard time keeping up the home.
“When I moved back in, I was trying to start help him keep up with it. Then it got overwhelming,” she told Local 10, asking to remain anonymous. “I basically begged to him and we cried together and it was his breaking point. And he said okay.”
Inside the house were piles of magazines, an old, brown Christmas tree, and dried dog feces. The family said the dog was re-homed.
For three days, Kananen scooped up piles and got to work scrubbing. One day she had help from a friend, another day she said her mom pitched in.
And, of course, she filmed her progress using cameras and an iPhone. The gross-out factor is what gets her views and makes her money, so she can do the cleanings for free.
Kananen has been criticized by some online commenters for not doing more, like calling in exterminators or replacing furniture. Others have said mental health treatment is also needed for some of her cleaning recipients.
“I can do only my part,” Kananen said. “I can clean their home, and then it’s a push for something better.”
Kananen said since she has been working in South Florida, she has helped a single mother and a police officer. She doesn’t judge the private struggles people face behind closed doors.
“I feel like there’s nothing to be ashamed of. I always feel like I could be this person,” she said.
The South Florida home she cleaned still needs floor repair work, and a damage has been done to some of the furniture. Still, the woman living there with her father said she is grateful.
“She literally inspired me not to let a crumb drop,” she said. “She made my house a home; that’s all I wanted for a really long time.
For more information on Kananen’s free cleanings, click here.