A House Older Than the Country
I used to live in a house built around 1744. With the country turning 250 years old, I've been thinking about how that old house taught me about caring for a home.
Posts by author
Robin Murphy
25 posts
I think we’ve gotten cleaning all wrong. We treat it like a chore when it’s really one of the simplest ways to protect your health and take care of your life. After 30 years in the industry, that’s the idea I keep coming back to, and what I write about here.
Your Carpet Is Keeping Secrets
We vacuum until the crumbs and pet hair disappear. But the carpet can look clean while still holding dust, pollen, and dander, and the most important results are the ones you can't see.
The Friction Audit
Some rooms are messy. Some rooms are exhausting. They aren't always the same room. Before you clean anything, it's worth finding out which things in your home are quietly billing you.
Why Vinegar and Baking Soda Aren’t the Cleaning Dream Team the Internet Thinks They Are
The internet's favorite cleaning hack is vinegar and baking soda. But by the time the fizzing stops, you've often canceled out most of what made each one useful. Here's what's actually happening, and when they work better apart.
Is Your Vacuum Making Your Home Dustier?
A vacuum that picks up every crumb can still be quietly making the air worse. Most of us never ask the question that actually matters: where does the dust go?
Why Some People Can Relax in a Mess and Others Can’t
Some people can sit in a messy room and not hear it. Others can't relax until the counter is clear. Neither is wrong, and it's rarely about the mess.
In Praise of Dish Soap
Big Scrub wants to sell you a separate product for every tiny cleaning problem in your kitchen. A degreaser for the stove. A spray for the cabinets. A special bottle…
The Problem with “Clean as You Go”
"Clean as you go" works beautifully for some brains and feels like a personal failing for others. A look at why the advice isn't universal — and why your messy workflow might be just fine.
Your Home Might Be Giving You Decision Fatigue
Sometimes the exhaustion isn't your schedule or your inbox — it's your house. A look at how a cluttered home quietly drains your brain, and why clearing a surface can feel like exhaling.
What Cleaning Rhythm Actually Works
A cleaning rhythm isn't a schedule you force onto your home — it's the pattern you build by noticing what actually gets messy, what bothers you, and when you have the energy to deal with it.