"I did it like that because it's cleaner" is a non sense. A program must be maintenable, efficient, observable, testable, scalable, performant, readable, secured. Each criteria can be objectively measured in a kind of radar diagram and can be maximized as long as it does not sacrifice another criteria. Form follows function.

I don't think it's nonsense. "Cleaner" here is just a different word that falls under your categories of readable and maintainable. More toward readable. Different word, same meaning.