Oh how we dream of being rich and famous. Our societal obsession with the lives of our public figures, whether singers, actors or, these days, Youtubers and influencers has led to an endless pursuit of their personal lives. It used to be the case that we relied on sneakily taken paparazzi shots from cameramen perched in trees and bushes to get an insight into the private side of Hollywood, occasionally grabbing a closer look via shows like MTV Cribs and glamour magazine spreads. Nowadays, though, celebrities are practically giving away chunks of their private lives or, depending on their position on the hierarchical ladder, selling them to the highest bidder!
The advent of reality TV culture and the ever evolving world of social media has offered humble folk like us unique access to the inner circles of celebrity life, a rare opportunity to bathe in their golden glow… for about thirty seconds at a time or however long an Instagram story lasts. And why would we not take it? Idolising people’s lives that might well be quite far detached from our own offers us something to aspire towards, a tantalisingly dangled glimpse of how we could be living if we make shrewd business decisions or get our ‘big break’. This is why, when we see an article promising exclusive access to the inside of Leonardo DiCaprio’s twenty five thousand foot mega yacht, even the most cynical amongst us cannot fight the urge to take a quick peek. Recognising this, a whole variety of websites and magazines have sprung up to satisfy our unquenchable thirst for celebrity culture, providing those insights we crave.
Yet, the COVID19 pandemic, with its myriad of surprising knock-on effects, has narrowed the divide between ourselves and the superstars –well to a certain extent at least. With butlers isolating and nannies looking after their own families, celebrities have been forced to do the regular household chores just like us. However, true to form, they have benefitted from some innovative methods to look after their homes. Let’s have a closer inspection.
Deep cleaning
As you might expect, celebrity homes tend to be squeaky clean, regularly scrubbed by dedicated janitorial staff. However, with lockdown fast approaching back in March, many celebrities had their homes preemptively deep cleaned, anticipating a lengthy spell within their four walls. Fortunately, there are many agencies which offer professional deep cleaning services. These mobile teams scrub houses to real estate industry standards, restoring any mansion to its show home gleam. While this requires them to temporarily move out during the process, celebrities often own multiple properties to fall back on.
Power washing
Similar to deep cleaning, power washing provides an intensive clean to outside areas, returning paving stones to a fresh state. How does it work? Pressurised water is blasted at each surface, decimating any dirt and leaving it as good as new. And one of the exemptions from lockdown restrictions is for workers coming to do outside maintenance work in your home so celebrities have been able to keep their gardens spick and span! So Will Smith can hire the top power washing company in Pennsylvania to carry out their work from the safety of his house.
Trust the technology
For those with anxieties about robots taking over the world, it might be best to skip this section as the rich and famous are flocking to innovative technologies to help out with their daily chores. There are now a whole range of autonomous gadgets that can cope with most stages of the cleaning process for you, from mopping the floor to vacuuming to cleaning up after pets. For those with busy lives, these groundbreaking gizmos provide a valuable shortcut to household chores so they can get as much done during the day as possible. UK soap opera star Nina Wadia, for example, recently admitted her robot vacuum cleaner has been a saviour, entertaining her children as well as keeping the house spotless. As more become available, celebrities are increasingly turning to tech to avoid getting their hands dirty. Time is money, something many celebrities have in abundance.
Get the kids involved
Many celebrities, normally forced to spend lots of time away from home, have reportedly been loving their return to intense family life. Whilst they themselves have to get on with their chores, the same goes for their children who also benefit from wall-to-wall external cleaning services and care. Many have roped their reluctant children into the cleaning process, giving them a taste of hard work, I would imagine with mixed results! Although her kids are grown up now, Madonna was reportedly a stickler for tidiness.
Celebrities might live extravagant lives which seem so distant from our own, but lockdown has revealed that many of life’s chores are somewhat inescapable. It is their turn to get a look into our lives for a change!
