Cleaning, Camaraderie, and the Power of Doing It Together

I got married in the winter of 1992 at the ripe old age of 20. I wasn’t even legally allowed to have champagne at my own wedding. My husband? He was 19.

Fast-forward five years and two kids later—he left for another life, and I became a single mom. (I’m sure neither of our parents saw that coming. Oh, the optimism of youth.)

Those early years were brutal. Grieving, raising kids, and stretching every dollar left me constantly overwhelmed—depressed, exhausted, and convinced I was fundamentally unlovable. But in that sea of struggle, one memory still shines: my mom coming over to clean with me.

I’ve mentioned in a previous post that I was a picky housekeeper back then. Looking back, it makes sense. As the child of an alcoholic father, keeping my environment under control gave me a sense of peace—a fleeting one, sure, since kids are absolute wrecking balls of tidiness. But when single motherhood knocked me flat, I no longer had the energy to keep my home the way I wanted—needed—it to be.

My mom saw how much the chaos fueled my depression, so every once in a while, she’d show up, and we’d clean together. Sometimes, we tackled the same room. Other times, she vacuumed while I faced down the mountain of dishes.

And while the actual help was incredible, what really mattered was the company. The camaraderie. The feeling that, for a little while, I wasn’t alone in the mess—literal and figurative.

The Science Behind It: Body Doubling

I was reminded of those times when I first heard about Body Doubling—the idea that working alongside someone (even in silence) improves focus, reduces stress, and makes overwhelming tasks feel more manageable. There’s a reason virtual co-working spaces exist. Simply having another person "there," even virtually, makes it easier to get things done.

That’s exactly why Freshen My Home created Companion Cleaning—and honestly, it’s one of the best ideas we’ve ever had. There’s something powerful about tackling a daunting project with someone by your side. It turns a stressful chore into teamwork, and that feeling of accomplishment is so much sweeter when shared.

It’s Kind of Like Weeding

I love gardening. And every spring, I love weeding. (By mid-summer, the romance fades, but for this blog let’s focus on my springtime enthusiasm.) There’s something deeply satisfying about clearing out an overgrown space—seeing beloved plants reappear from beneath the weeds and restoring order to the chaos.

That’s exactly how Companion Cleaning feels. We step in to assist when a project feels too big. We work alongside people, offering support and momentum when they need it most. And the best part? Just like my mom showing up all those years ago, it’s never just about the cleaning. It’s about being there. About making things feel possible again.

Because sometimes, the hardest part of any task—whether it’s cleaning, organizing, or just getting started—is feeling like you have to do it alone. And now? You don’t.