Cleaning is one of the most satisfying activities on earth.

I am the first to put my hands up and say that in general, I dislike cleaning. Hoovering is exhausting, dusting feels like it will continue ad infinitum, and putting away laundry and washing up is the bane of my life.

But on occasion (such as today) I commit myself to cleaning, and once I’ve resigned myself to putting my heart into it, it’s the most rewarding way to spend the day. I’ve hoovered, cleaned the hob, and washed the car today, alongside bits and bobs of other things. Cleaning the car was the high point, because I still live in a very studenty area, and until I started it didn’t occur to me that they are probably really not used to people doing such suburban things as cleaning their cars (at least, that’s what their faces suggested).

I think being in a clean environment gives me a sense of peace – which is odd given my propensity for collecting and then hoarding tat. That’s just life I suppose.