A Cuban resident in Spain who works as a cleaner surprised her followers by revealing that every time she returns from vacation in Cuba, the first thing she does is to clean her own home, and she does it with a joy that she can hardly find words to describe.
Yaney, content creator under the username @yamiley083 on TikTok, published a video last Saturday lasting just over a minute where she showcases that routine and explains the emotional significance it holds for her.
"There’s something you might not know about me: every time I come to Cuba on vacation, one of the things I enjoy the most is cleaning my house," she says at the beginning of the video.
The paradox is not lost on her: "I work cleaning houses in Spain, and, incredibly enough, when I arrive in Cuba, I also enjoy getting up in the morning and cleaning my own."
The difference, he explains, lies in the meaning of that space.
"This house has a very special meaning for me. My parents live here, and when I come, I try to make some changes, fix a few things, and remodel whatever I can," he notes.
Yaney describes with particular fondness a large porch at the back of the house, which he defines as his favorite spot in the entire home: "This is where we spend a lot of time as a family, especially because it gets incredibly hot inside the house."
"Every improvement I've made in this home, I affirm, represents years of sacrifice: 'Behind everything I have done here, there is a tremendous amount of effort, a tremendous amount of work, and also a tremendous amount of sacrifice.'"
In the video description, add humorously: "Here I can pour water without fear," in reference to the cost of water in Spain, where cleaning generously is not a free option.
The video connects with a trend that has become recurrent on social media since 2025: Cuban emigrants returning to the island and dedicating part of their stay to cleaning, remodeling, or improving the family home with money earned abroad.
In the case of Cubans in Spain, a significant proportion works in the domestic service and caregiving sectors, often under precarious conditions. This context transforms the act of cleaning one’s own house in Cuba—freely, with abundant water, and with pride—into the intimate and rewarding counterpart of a job that is performed abroad out of necessity.
Yaney sums it up with a phrase that reflects what many Cuban emigrants feel: "For me, cleaning my house in Cuba isn't just about cleaning; it's about enjoying what I once dreamed of having."
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