Laundry piling up? Dishes in the sink? You might feel like you have too much cleaning to do to relax, but why don’t you turn on the TV for a while? Hear us out: Maybe the key to your tidying motivation is streaming some straight-up organizational content. Just like with home renovations, there are loads of great shows about cleaning that can give you some inspiration. Here are some of the best.
Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin bring their Home Edit to your home by bringing it to celebrities’ homes—and filming it. They help celebs like Reese Witherspoon and Khloe Kardashian organize their homes with their signature approach to form and function and their focus on color-coordinating.
Where to stream: Netflix.
Organizing expert Cas Aarssen is big on the belief that each person’s own organizational style should be embraced, so whether you prefer your stuff hidden or organized visually where you can see it, she has custom tips. She shares those with families on her Discovery+ show and features a variety of homes and room types, so whether you’re a visual organizer with a cramped office or a parent who favors an out-of-sight-out-of-mind approach in the playroom, there’s inspo for you here.
Where to stream: Discovery+
There’s a reason this show has been a huge success since its 2019 debut: Marie Kondo, creator of the infamous KonMari method, utilizes a pleasant, optimistic approach to organizing and decluttering. If something doesn’t spark joy, you toss it. If it does, you keep it. Her light personality and focus on happiness might be just the encouragement you need to tackle that junk drawer.
Where to stream: Netflix
If you live in a small space, Bea Organized is the show for you. Beatrice Copeland is a master of finding easy, cheap solutions for the storage-space-challenged and is a real wizard for finding dollar store deals that anyone can copy. Plus, she offers tips on taking your overall ambiance to the next level, too, whether that means creative lighting or decorating options, so even the most cramped home can be organized and welcoming.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime
If your closet organizational issue is that you have a hard time letting go of belongings, you’re not alone. It might just help you to see the value other people assign to their clothes, which is what Worn Stories provides. It doesn’t necessarily have tips for decluttering, but it can help you contextualize your own hoarding and decide what’s really worth keeping after all.
Where to stream: Netflix
Another documentary that offers helpful insight is The Minimalists: Less Is More. Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus use their film to advocate for a challenge—throw one thing out on the first day, two things the next day, and on and on for a full month—and speak to other people whose lives have been meaningfully changed by embracing minimalism. Maybe you’ll join them in shrugging off your material possessions for good.
Where to stream: Netflix
This show has been around for ages and focuses on people whose homes have been completely overtaken by hoarded clutter. That may not describe your situation, but the therapists and organizers who intervene on Hoarders share helpful tips and the stories of perseverance are inspiring.
Where to stream: The Roku Channel (12 season), Hulu (11 seasons), and Discovery+ (three seasons) have the most to choose from
Over nine seasons starting in 2003, the Style Network brought viewers into Clean House, first hosted by Niecy Nash, then by Tempestt Bledsoe. Teams of professional cleaners and renovators went to everyday people’s homes and taught them how to clean up clutter. With a joyful attitude, Nash leads the teams through homes that are overrun with mess, where they provide helpful tips on cleaning, organizing, and living better in the space you have.
Where to stream: Fubo TV (four seasons) and the Roku Channel (two seasons)