Hecht offers home cleaning help to people in need

Signed-Johanna Hecht helps people put their homes in order when mental health problems or other difficulties make it impossible for them to cope, ERR’s Vikerraadio reported.

“This is about helping people in need because of problems related to depression, ADHD or another mental disorder. Their homes may be full of belongings or simply untidy and neglected. I have come to help them. Sometimes there is no need to call a professional cleaning company; they just need someone to come, offer support and say: I am here, let’s do this together,” Hecht said.

The first homes Hecht organised belonged to people in her close circle. Her work has now reached a wider audience, and she shares her cleaning projects on social media under the name “Uus algus kodule”, or “A new beginning for the home”.

“The first video received more than 120,000 views in less than a week, which is quite shocking for me. I cannot even properly put into words how I went from zero to this point in a couple of days, or what it all means for me,” she said.

Sharing cleaning processes online is not new internationally and attracts millions of viewers. Hecht agrees with each client in advance on what can be shown.

“First, I inspect the home and ask for their permission. We agree which parts may appear in the footage and how much the client is willing to show. It is enough, for example, to make a video of me cleaning a cupboard. People may watch such videos because of the excitement or the sense of satisfaction they get from them,” Hecht said.

Hecht urged people in Estonia not to be ashamed or afraid to ask for help, and encouraged them to intervene if someone close to them appears to be struggling.

“I know very well what it feels like to be trapped in your own body and unable to move in any direction. This is where other people can step in by coming to help and helping you find a place to start,” she said.

Hecht said that some people refuse help and want to remain in their homes. In such cases, she believes they need to understand that having their home cleaned can give them “a much fresher start”.

She said her role was not to tell people where to seek help, but that she would ask permission to guide them to additional support if she believed it was needed. She could help them search for an appropriate service or recommend someone.

Hecht said that cleaning the home alone can provide significant relief.

“These are people who have become stuck in their daily lives and cannot deal with their own homes, so they call me for help. When the work is finally done, genuine joy and gratitude come back from them. That is exactly why I do this work,” she said.

Some social media users have questioned whether the work makes a lasting difference, saying that the home may soon look the same again. Hecht said that while some people are used to living that way and cannot imagine their homes differently, this does not apply to everyone.

“Many people have what is known as hoarding disorder. There are certainly sceptics, but I can strongly say that this is not true for everyone. Most people keep their homes clean after everything has been properly organised. If the home becomes dirty or returns to its previous state, there must be some stronger reason behind it,” she said.

Hecht said helping people gives her great joy. When a home is finally put in order, she compared the feeling to having heavy loads of bricks lifted from her back, leaving both her and her clients with a sense of peace and relief.