TBTL #4629: "You're A Clean One Mr. Grinch"

Date: December 29, 2025
Hosts: Andrew Walsh (main), Hannah Brooks Olson (guest, co-host of Spotless podcast)

Episode Overview

In this lively and self-aware mid-holidays edition of TBTL, Andrew Walsh takes the reins while regular co-host Luke Burbank enjoys a holiday break. Andrew welcomes writer and cleaning podcast host Hannah Brooks Olson for a wide-ranging, humor-filled conversation. Topics travel from weird sleep schedules, cleaning fetishes and disasters, podcast obsessions, and regional pronunciation peeves, culminating in their personal lists of the most satisfying things to clean.

Tone is characteristically TBTL: goofy, self-deprecating, meandering, and filled with generous tangents. Deep dives into mundane-seeming subjects like glass cleaner and lint traps are punctuated by laughter, relatable anecdotes, and the particular joys of friendship.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dreams, Holidays, and Sleep Schedules (04:00 - 11:30)

• Andrew opens with stories of weird sleep cycles over the holidays and relates a profoundly symbolic dream—only to realize it was inspired by staying up too late playing Minecraft.
  Quote:
  "I realized I was up until 2 in the morning last night playing Minecraft because I got lost in my damn Minecraft world and this whole dream was just about Minecraft. I'm a 49 year old man and I had a dream about Minecraft. That's the saddest thing I've ever heard." —Andrew (03:45)

• Hannah recounts late-night family holiday traditions, noisy Mariners games with friends, and the challenge of being a night owl. Her partner, Keith, struggles to keep up with her and her parents' “no mornings” ethos.

  Quote:
  "My mom has... She does not respect the morning as a concept... She goes full Lucille Bluth: 'I don't understand the question, and I won't respond to it' regarding anything prior to, like, noon." —Hannah (07:08)

2. Cleaning Podcast Origins & Literary Tangents (12:00 - 14:45)

• The hosts recount how their cleaning podcast, Spotless, grew out of Hannah’s first TBTL appearances, where audience questions about cleaning snowballed into the show's founding idea.

• A humorous confusion between "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility" leads to mutual embarrassment and listener corrections.

  Quote:
  "It was like Wile E. Coyote looking down and realizing that he has been running over air the whole time." —Andrew (12:40)

3. Podcast Preferences: Long vs. Short, Addictive Listening, True Crime (16:00 - 23:00)

• Discussion on ideal podcast lengths: Andrew prefers long-form for their immersive quality, while Keith (Hannah’s partner) likes short, digestible episodes.

• Andrew details his podcast obsessions: Comedy Bang Bang, Scott Hasn't Seen, formerly the Dan LeBatard Show.

• Hannah describes her “discerning crime girly” habits—favoring podcasts with original reporting and neglected cases, not rehashes of famous crimes.

  • Shares a formative story: starting a Forensic Sciences club in high school with friends, purely to read Ann Rule and watch Cold Case Files.

  Quote:
  "I was reading Ann Rule when I was 10 years old... my true crime girly claim to fame is that my friends and I, when we were sophomores in high school, started the forensic sciences club at our high school..." —Hannah (18:00)

4. If Books Could Kill, Patreon Podcasts & Ad-Free Models (20:00 - 23:30)

• Hannah recommends "If Books Could Kill," a podcast dismantling pop-intellectual books (Malcolm Gladwell, Freakonomics, Tim Ferriss, etc.)
  Quote:
  "The amount of schadenfreude I get from hearing these two men absolutely like rip to shreds mostly bloviating white men who happen to have books is... I just love it." —Hannah (21:30)

• Andrew points out the similarity to TBTL, in that both are entirely listener-supported and ad-free.

5. Regional Name Mispronunciations & Local Pet Peeves (25:50 – 29:50)

• Both hosts share stories about struggling—and cringing—over local place names like Issaquah, Willamette, Puyallup, Cooch Street, and Squim.

• Hannah provides a mnemonic for Oregonians:
  "It's the Willamette, dammit." (28:00)

• They agree that mispronouncing these names is a reliable 'tell' for whether someone's opinion about the Pacific Northwest should be trusted.

6. Childhood Books & Literary Sadness (30:06 – 33:13)

• Reminiscing about childhood Newbery-award winners (Where the Red Fern Grows, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Bridge to Terabithia) and the unique trauma of animal or child deaths in children’s literature. Quote:
  "I think it's only sadder if you're more sad about a child dying in a book than a dog dying in a book." —Hannah (30:36)

7. Satisfying vs. Unsatisfying Cleans: Listener Lists & Cleaning Philosophy (36:00 – 76:00)

How the Segment Works (36:00)

• Inspired by recent listener "Top 5" segments, Andrew and Hannah trade their top five "Most Satisfying Things to Clean." Definitions and criteria are debated (high reward for less effort is a plus).

Honorable/Mentionable Unsatisfying Cleans

• Andrew: Descaling a coffee maker—there’s no visual cue for progress; feels pointless. (46:10)
• Hannah: Cleaning an air fryer—so many nooks, never truly clean. (49:00)
• Key Insight: It's only satisfying if you see the grime removed—either in the object, or in the resulting dirty water, lint, etc.

Top 5 Satisfying Cleans: Summarized

Andrew’s List:

1. Lint Trap in Dryer (66:43)

   • Magnified when collecting excess pet hair; cleaning it out feels like a fresh start; universal joy when peeling away a thick mat of lint.

2. Email Inbox (69:19)

   • Digital decluttering is as rewarding as physical cleaning; “blasting away” emails evokes mastery and peace.

3. Eyeglasses (58:23)

   • Removing the grime is instantly noticeable, transforming your view (though Hannah feels the effect is fleeting and frustrating if her glasses are permanently marked).

4. Shower Drain Trap (55:52)

   • Disgusting, but highly effective: a 30-second job that instantly restores function.

5. Bathroom Mirror (51:06)

   • Quick, low effort, high reward; glistening surface is rapidly achievable.

Hannah’s List:

1. Vacuuming Up a Crunchy Mess (73:28)

   • Nothing beats hearing crunches as your vacuum claims the detritus; the sound signifies success, even in invisible areas.

2. Dog Blanket in Laundry & Lint Trap (66:28)

   • The joy of removing dog hair from both the item and the dryer filter; plus bonus fire safety.

3. Cleaning a Child’s Sticky Face (57:19)

   • The transformation from dirty to adorable, even if temporary.

4. Filthy Car Interior (52:13)

   • Post-cleaning, the car feels like a new ride, especially after vacuuming, de-junking cupholders, and polished dashboards.

5. Bleaching a Stained White Sheet (42:32)

   • Watching stains vanish in real time is uniquely rewarding; bleach is a double-edged sword—scary but miraculous.

Techniques, Hacks, and Tips

• Use dish soap + water in a spray bottle as a mirror or window cleaner—sometimes less streaky than multipurpose cleaners. (51:22)
• Swiffer with Windex for hard-to-reach car windshields or shower tiles. (55:05)
• Use silly putty or homemade “goop” to get crumbs out of cupholders.
• To remove pet hair: run furry blankets through the dryer first (no heat) before laundering for maximum lint-trap payoff.

8. The Joy and Ethics of Cleaning Other People’s Messes (61:46)

• Stories of compulsively cleaning friends’ or partners’ spaces (e.g., Andrew cleaning Genevieve’s desk as a Christmas present).
• Balancing helpfulness with boundaries; moral dilemmas around cleaning what “isn’t your business.”
  Quote:
  "Things that are other people's, but it's so dirty that you can't help yourself..." —Andrew (61:56)

9. Pet Culture, Family Stories, and Final TBTL Rituals (76:12 – 77:55)

• Andrew and Hannah plug the Spotless podcast and its social links, promising more pet stories, cleaning fixes, and family folklore.
• Standard TBTL sign-off, with Hannah join in:
  Quote:
  "No mountain too tall."—Andrew
  "And good luck to all."—Hannah (77:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "There is a huge contingent of our listeners... The moment they hear my voice before Luke's, they're like, this isn't the episode for me. They just shut the damn thing down and they're like, maybe I'll listen to Scott Aukerman or go listen to a leaf blower somewhere." —Andrew (04:31)

• "If someone is... critical of Oregon politics and then they mispronounce something like Willamette, I'm like, cool. I disregard your opinion entirely." —Hannah (28:15)

• "People talk about... descaling their coffee... I wanted the color of the water to be off. I wanted some sort of indication that it worked. And instead I just got another clean pot of now hot clear water." —Andrew (47:13)

• "Nothing is better than vacuuming and hearing something being like, didn't even know I had a mess there and I took care of it." —Hannah (73:49)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Andrew's Minecraft Dream & Sleep Schedules: 03:45–11:30
• Spotless Podcast Origin & Literary Confusions: 12:00–14:45
• Podcast Habits — Long vs. Short, True Crime: 16:00–23:00
• If Books Could Kill Rec & Ad-Free Podcasting: 20:00–23:30
• Regional Pronunciation Rants: 25:50–29:50
• Sad Childhood Books: 30:06–33:13
• Satisfying Cleaning Lists Begin: 42:32–76:00
  • Unsatisfying Cleans: 46:10–51:00
  • Top 5 Countdowns: 51:00–76:00
• Family Cleaning Boundaries: 61:46–66:28
• Lint Trap Satisfactions: 66:28–69:19
• Inbox Clearing: 69:19–73:06
• Vacuum Joys: 73:06–75:49
• Final Plugs, Outro: 76:12–77:55

Episode Takeaway

While ostensibly “about cleaning,” this episode is a wonderful example of how conversations between old friends can meander, deepen, and soar into unexpected territories. From the meditative pleasures of vacuuming up crumbs to confronting family sleep patterns and regional in-group signifiers, Andrew and Hannah make the case that nothing is too trivial to turn into podcast gold—especially if you do it together and with humor.

Listen for:

• Relatable gags about cleaning disasters
• Tangents that become the main attraction
• Satisfying solutions for the domestically obsessed (and the cleaning averse!)
• A friendly, conversational tone that feels like catching up with old pals

For more:

• Spotless Podcast
• TBTL archives

Sign-off: "No mountain too tall."
"And good luck to all." (77:55)