Big cleanup is where scope goes to hide
The dangerous refactor starts with "while I am here" and ends with a pull request nobody can review. The safer move is to make the next change easy, then stop.
The useful signal is usually already there.
A tiny patch rarely touches only one thing. Push it and watch the review surface appear.
Refactor around the change
Extract the branch you need to touch, name the concept, add a test around current behavior, then make the actual feature change in a separate commit if possible.
A small name can remove a lot of local guessing.
Make review easy
A useful refactor should have boring tests and a boring diff. If the reviewer cannot tell behavior stayed the same, split the patch.
Flip the switches and watch the story turn into a tiny operating model.
Leave a cleaner path, not a new maze
Refactoring is maintenance with manners. It helps most when the shape of the change stays obvious.