Every parent knows the feeling of looking around the house and realizing the mess has won. For one mom of three children under five, that moment turned into a promise. In a challenge she began sharing on social media, @itsreallycarly set out to clean every square inch of her home until she becomes what she calls a “type A” mom. Her first post of the series drew about 2.2 million plays, and the rest of the days piled up just as quickly.
@itsreallycarly
Day 1 and the Pile That Started It All
In her opening post, she says the state of her house was simply enough. “We’ve had enough,” she says, adding that she does not want her kids to grow up like this. Her goal is easy to understand. She wants people to be able to come over at any time, without needing a three day notice, because she says she does not even know what is under some of the clutter. She is also upfront that she has three kids, which most parents will agree explains plenty.
Her first step was to get everything off the floor. She says she honestly did not know whether a single square inch of the house was clean. She signed off from a pile of clothes that she says had been sitting there for three years, promising to be back the next day. Her caption adds that she was not even sure she wanted to show everyone, but that it was time for a change. She also says she used to think she was a type A person.
Days 2 and 3 in the Bedroom
On Day 2, she explains, she picked her own bedroom as the starting point because it felt right, even if she was not sure it was the most impactful place to begin. She gathered up items that she says had been sitting around for roughly three weeks. Along the way something fluttered up that she identified as a moth. She also made an honest observation about herself, saying her biggest problem is that she does not know what to do with stuff, so she leaves it in one spot forever. She says she had owned one lamp for three years. When the room started to come together, she summed it up with “one spot down, million to go.”
Day 3 was all about the bed. She says the family dog sleeps in it, and she jokes about whether that is disgusting before explaining that the dog is old and has done it for about ten years, so the habit stays. She stripped the bedding for a wash, ran out of soap at one point, and then vacuumed the mattress, asking whether that is what clean people do. In her caption she says the bed felt so clean and fluffy that it did not even feel like her own when she slept in it. She also asked her followers to vote on what she should clean next, with the bathroom, the laundry and the hallway closet as the options.
Days 4 and 5 in the Bathroom
By Day 4 she was calling out the level of dust the house had collected, and she says she felt mildly overwhelmed. She decided to begin in the bathroom. There she found coins that her mother in law had given them from her own father, which means they came from her husband’s grandfather. Her question was why they were in the bathroom at all when a toddler lives in the house. She also found what she describes as an unused barf bag and a thick coating of dust that she called talent. By the end she said you could see the floor again.
Day 5 was the bathtub, which she says she had nightmares about and ignored for years. She admits she was getting tired of cleaning, but that the show must go on. She says the tub looks a thousand times better, though a couple of stains remained and the drain area won the round. She even wondered aloud whether she just needs a new bathtub, or a pretty freestanding one that she would actually use more. Her caption calls the tub conquered, mostly.
Days 6 and 7 Late Nights and a Post Vacation Mess
Day 6 happened late at night while her whole family slept. She timed herself cleaning the bathroom countertop and says it took 40 minutes. Some people had asked her to use reusable towels, and she says she would love to but does not own any yet. She also joked that a type A person would never leave a spot, and that her husband’s side of the counter is a slightly different story. Then she announced that she was going to bed.
Day 7 followed a vacation. Her caption says the house was a disaster after the road trip, with the kids on a sugar high and ready for bed. She says she will fight the battle of getting them to help on a different day, when two of the three are not melting down from simply existing. In the transcript she wonders whether sweeping everything into one giant pile is lazy or efficient, and she mentions finding a tech deck that her husband loves, plus a literal rock. Her hope was that the mostly clean room would stay that way until a deeper clean later.
Days 8 to 10 the Toilet Room, the Shower and the Finish
Day 8 took her into the little toilet room, which she says was surprisingly tricky. She found caked on dust and the wedding letters that she and her husband wrote to each other, which she no longer understood storing there. She also felt a bit stuck and asked whether she should simply repaint. She openly asked for tips, saying she never thought she would share herself cleaning a toilet on social media.
Day 9 was the shower, and it became her second biggest post of the run at about 1.3 million plays. She says she had been dreading it. The glass looked frosted until she realized it is probably clear underneath. She wondered whether type A people are bothered by dust they cannot see as much as by dust they can, and she asked whether she should rip out the caulk and redo it. At the end she listed what was done: the tub, the counters, the toilet and the shower were all clean, and next came figuring out a schedule so it stays that way.
On Day 10 she aimed to finish the bathroom completely, with vacuuming and the removal of stubborn stickers. She thanked her followers for teaching her along the way, and then looked ahead to what she called the other ninety seven thousand million things in her house. She also made a funny confession, asking people not to follow her for cleaning tips or tricks, because she says she has none. According to her profile, the series runs well beyond ten days.
What a Challenge Like This Teaches
Her story is a reminder that you do not need a perfect system to start. Pick one spot, finish it, and let the progress carry you to the next one. These general ideas can help any busy household that wants to do the same.
Start with the floor. Clearing the floor first, as she did, makes every other task easier because you can see what you are dealing with. A laundry basket or a big box works well for gathering things that belong in other rooms, which you can then return in a single trip.
Decide where things live. She said her real problem is not knowing what to do with stuff, and that is true for many families. Items without a home end up in piles. Give frequently used items a clear spot, and ask yourself honestly whether the rest need to stay at all. Keepsakes like old letters or a family coin collection deserve a safe place, such as a labeled box or a shelf out of reach of toddlers, rather than the bathroom.
Use a timer. Her 40 minute countertop showed how helpful it is to know how long a job takes. A timer turns a vague dread into a measurable task, and it makes it easier to plan a realistic session after the kids are in bed or during nap time.
Work from top to bottom. Dust settles downward, so cleaning shelves and fixtures before the floors saves you from doing the job twice. In bathrooms, let cleaners sit on tubs and shower glass for the time listed on the label, which usually does more than scrubbing harder. Always read the product directions and never mix household cleaners, since some combinations create harmful fumes.
Build a routine once the deep clean is done. She herself pointed out that the goal after the big clean is to find a schedule so things never get that dirty again. A few minutes a day, such as wiping the counters, running a load of laundry and putting away what is out, beats a marathon session every few months. Many parents also find that even small children can help with simple jobs like putting toys in a bin.
Be kind to yourself. A mess does not make anyone a bad parent. With three kids under five, she says herself that the house reflects real life. Progress counts, even when the tub still has a couple of stains.