‘Why can’t men just see the little things?’: TikTok tears into men’s unbelievable cleaning habits
TikTok videos going viral for mirroring real-life quirks is nothing new, and a new clip from TikToker Tay (@thatgirltaylorrr) is making rounds on the social media app for pointing out the difference in hygiene standards among men and women.
TikTok video hilariously highlights difference in male and female cleanliness standards
With Lorde’s “Love Club playing in the background, the video begins with a text stream, cutting to a neat home setting. At first glance, the clip comes across as an ideal advert for minimalism, with only carefully placed essentials in sight. However, in the span of a second, the video takes a complete U-turn, with the theme switching to “what I see,” from Tay’s point of view.
The transition sheds light on the actual truth behind the supposedly “clean” setting, revealing baseboards smeared with dust and with pet hair all over them, electronic appliances covered in soiled fingerprints, kitchen sink filled up to the brim with dirty dishes, poorly maintained dishwasher, and a washing machine beyond any hope. The video editing and sharp close-ups give the clip a cinematic look a lot of modern horror films would be proud of, accentuating Taylor’s point.
Women in the comment section can be seen echoing Taylor’s sentiment, with remarks like “Why can’t men just see the little things we do?” highlighting their frustration. The TikTok video hits a key point home: how men only care about surface-level cleanliness, while women are fixated on the details and ensure that hygiene is maintained thoroughly, not just on a superficial scale.
In different research papers published on the subject of hygiene practices adopted by men and women, one theme has remained consistent: women practice sterner standards of hygiene than men in the majority of countries across the globe, with a few exceptions. In a separate survey, it’s been pointed out that women prefer taking up chores that need a meticulous eye and attention to detail, while men like to indulge themselves in tasks like gardening and taking out garbage.
Women’s cleanliness practices also extrapolate to them taking more care of their personal hygiene as opposed to men across different cultures and geographical divides. Traditional gender roles and societal outlooks over the years (which are typically patriarchal in nature) have played a key role in this phenomenon, and Tay’s TikTok can be considered a masterpiece in short-form storytelling, encapsulating the essence of these factors in a short video.
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