CLEAN QUEEN
I became a millionaire doing a job nobody wants – you don’t need qualifications but things will make your skin crawl
Scroll down to find out more on some of the horrendous conditions Auri has had to clean
A WOMAN has revealed that she became a millionaire by doing a job nobody else wants to do.
Thanks to what started out as a side hustle, Auri Kananen, 30, from Tampere, Finland, was able to rake in the cash by being a house cleaner.
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Originally, Auri started cleaning homes for free in 2020 while still working her main job as a cleaning supervisor during the week.
But after posting clips on social media, whereby Auri documents herself working and shares cleaning tips to viewers, she has now been able to attract sponsors and ad revenue.
Now, Auri, who started cleaning at the age of just 16 whilst still at school, has over 10 million followers on TikTok and was able to earn a whopping €500,000 (£429,088) from her YouTube channel alone.
The social media star explained: “Cleaning is fun - the best thing ever. I absolutely love it. It makes me feel satisfied. Happy, very relaxed - like my life is complete.
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“I remember being excited to have 100,000 followers but now to have 10 million is crazy – It’s like I have my own cleaning crew. I am very thankful.
“The money didn’t change who I am, I just love cleaning and sharing it with the world. I love my job. It is super satisfying when you can wipe a thick layer of dust. It’s just the best feeling ever.
“I’m chasing this feeling week after week and I’m always trying to find dirtier and dirtier houses."
Last year, Auri launched her cleaning business and now travels the world cleaning homes, visiting the UK, Switzerland and Sweden.
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Whilst many of the properties she cleans are extremely dirty, this is not an issue for the professional house cleaner.
Not only does Auri have to wipe up rubbish on her knees, but she’s also seen fridges full of mouldy food and rats too.
I grew up dirt poor but make £7.5k a MONTH from the side hustle I only set up a year ago - it’s so cheap to start
The super cleaner previously told Fabulous: “The most extreme was a bathroom that hadn’t been cleaned for six years.
“It was black with mould, the floor strewn with waste and bottles of urine and poo – I called it my ‘dirtylicious challenge.’”
Auri explained that her love for cleaning began at a young age, as she confessed: “Our home in Tampere, which we shared with my dad and brother, was always immaculate.
“Aged 20, I went to Tampere University to study applied sciences, which included learning about specialised cleaning and hospitality management.
“Afterwards, I got a job as a manager in a large commercial cleaning company partly owned by Mum.
People think I use high-tech equipment, but I don’t. I use a broom to get rid of dirt and hair, then a dustpan and brush, followed by soap and water or carpet cleaner
“I started working full-time with her in 2012 and realised the jobs I got the greatest satisfaction from were the ones other cleaners refused.
“I first got the idea to share my work on social media during the pandemic in June 2020 – I knew people were stuck at home and I wanted to show them how easy cleaning could be.
“So I set up accounts on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook and started sharing before and after videos.
“They went viral, getting 1.9 million views, then double that and treble. By December, I had three million followers, and I now have more than 10 million across my channels.
“The following June, I become self-employed, thanks to my social media success.”
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Auri cleans many of her client’s homes for free, as she added: “My friends and family are proud of me, and while cleaning is how I earn a living, I also do some for free, helping people with illnesses.
“I receive so many heartbreaking messages and photos of filthy homes.
“Recently, I had a message from a woman who was concerned about her 86-year-old friend with Alzheimer’s who was squirrelling away rotting food in drawers and behind sofas.
“Her bathroom was filled with mould and unwashed clothes.
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“I was determined to create a nice environment for her, so I spent two days wiping away inches of rotted food and maggots. The stink was overwhelming.
“When I’d finished, she offered to pay me, but seeing her happiness was enough. I also talked to relatives and support groups to ensure they could keep her house clean.
“For other vulnerable people, I leave them a kit and a list of when to clean and how.
“One man contacted me because he was and his bedsit had fallen into squalor.
People might find my job disgusting, but I’m never happier than when I’m knee-deep in mould and grime
Auri Kananen
“I used a scraper to get rid of a year’s worth of cigarette butts and ash from the floor, and removed a mountain of rubbish and rotting food from the kitchen.”
And whilst many might think that Auri has posh tools to get the grubbiest of homes sparkling, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
She claimed: “People think I use high-tech equipment, but I don’t. I use a broom to get rid of dirt and hair, then a dustpan and brush, followed by soap and water or carpet cleaner.
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“I don’t employ anyone, but I hope to set up a network of cleaners around the world to help those in need."
And whilst being a cleaner is a job many may not want to do, Auri concluded: “People might find my job disgusting, but I’m never happier than when I’m knee-deep in mould and grime."
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