Chantel Mila is someone who practices what she preaches. When WHO catches up with the social media sensation, she has just finished a bedroom blitz – or “refresh” as she calls it.
Whatever name you give it, it’s a task not everyone would be enthusiastic about. But such is her passion, it’s hard not to start thinking about the joy you might get from a shiny sink, an organised pantry or bedsheets that make you feel like you’re in a hotel.
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“My philosophy is about reframing cleaning from being this tedious chore that’s exhausting and that everyone hates, to something that’s actually empowering. I see it as a form of self-care,” she explains.
Her approach to a clean and tidy home clearly resonates. Under the tag Mama Mila, the Melbourne mother-of-two started posting simple home hacks to social media as the COVID lockdowns took hold. Like many of us, her home had become all things.
“Our kids were both under 3 at the time, I was working full-time at home, my husband Robbie was working full-time at home, and our house was just a mess” says Mila, 33.
“It was day care, it was an art studio, it was a work space, it was so cluttered with a million different things and at the end of the day it was really hard to find that downtime in that same cluttered area. So I started sharing – to my audience of 14 people back then – simple five-minute things that I was doing to make the house a more beautiful space.”
That tiny audience has grown into a 3 million-strong community, who not only seek her out for tips but share their own. It’s a “pinch yourself” moment when she thinks about the numbers in terms of people and not just digits on a screen.
This year, she’s also released a product line of natural laundry powders and stain removers, and has now written a book full of her tips, DIY hacks and ways to break down the routines into 15-minute bites.
At the heart of her business is a desire to not only make people’s lives easier but happier. Mila firmly believes that how we look after our house can impact on our mental health. “We spend so much time in our homes,” she explains.
“We wake up in this space, we go to bed in this space, we entertain in this space, we relax in this space. It’s the first thing we see when we come home after a busy day. That environment should be part of your self-care. It affects us so much mentally.”
What Mila will never do, she says, is judge. “Some people have more time for it,” she says.
“If you have a newborn baby or a very demanding job, but you can find five minutes to do anything – to soften your linen or whatever – then celebrate that win. We don’t compare what you should be doing. Because I think it has to be part of your self-care and what makes you feel good,” she adds.
“It is important to just celebrate your wins and enjoy your home.”
And while she admits most of her followers might be women, she’s adamant that no matter what your household looks like, keeping it clean has to be a shared responsibility.
The Dream Clean by Chantel Mila is out now. Buy Now
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