Judging a book by its cover may be taboo, but when someone comes into your home they will make assumptions about your personality. Keeping a clean home provides a string of many unspoken benefits, well beyond providing your guests with a positive first impression.
- Sanitation
Having a clean home can eliminate not only germs but help prevent unwanted critters. According to Gene Miller from Broadway Exterminating And Pest Control, the best way to deal with mice and rodents is with the method of elimination and exclusion. “After pests are removed from the home, make sure to close up any holes that could be used as entrances. Other preventative measures include putting away leftover food and garbage containment,” says Miller. “Keeping your house clean means bugs and pests have nowhere to hide and no reason to stick around.”
- Good Mental Health
It is very difficult to relax after a busy day in a home that is dirty and cluttered. Researchers have discovered that those people who live in a cluttered home experience a rise in the stress hormone called cortisol. People who live in cluttered homes have a higher rate of depression and fatigue. Conversely, those who live in a clean home tend to have more positive attitudes and are more rested.
- Improved Family Relationships
When your home is cluttered and untidy, the tension can rise. Items are easily lost, and misunderstanding about a favorite pair of shoes, a missing hairbrush, or lost toy can arise quickly. Keeping your home clean will help prevent interfamilial disputes over belongings that have been covered by clutter.
- Boost in Creativity
Creativity can be stunted when there is a cluttered and dirty home staring at you in the back. Being able to focus on art, writing, music or crafting means that your attention isn’t being diverted by a messy house. When your house is clean, your creativity will be able to flow freely. Clutter will cause extra and unnecessary stimuli for your senses. Not only will it cause sensory overload, but also create guilt because you will feel like you should be cleaning, not creating.
- Increased Hospitality
By keeping your home clean because of your daily routines you can have a lot less stress when you plan your next get together. No more of the last panic during crunch time before the birthday party for your child. No more frustration at having to quickly clean the bathroom and over-explain the house’s state of dirtiness when a friend drops by unexpectedly. How much better to keep your house clean as a matter of routine so you can relax and enjoy your friends!
- Better Sleep
Having trouble sleeping? Look around your home and you might see why. When your home is untidy and cluttered, it can cause a high level of anxiety. To the brain, clutter means that there is still work to be done. The brain will continue working on that thought even though you are trying to go to sleep. According to the American Sleep Foundation, the cleaner your bedroom is the better you will sleep. In fact, the quality of your sleep could be boosted by the simple act of making your bed in the morning. Other contributors to a good night’s sleep are fresh sheets and pillowcases, and fresh air.
- Better Physical Health
Cleaning gets rid of allergens and bacteria, but there are other ways a clean home can contribute to good health. The physical act of a good cleaning can get your heart pumping and burn some serious calories. Cleaning windows and pushing the vacuum cleaner around will work arm muscles and help to develop lean muscle mass.
A clean house can also impact your diet. In 2013 the Association for Psychological Science did a study on the effects of a messy environment on healthy eating choices. The researchers found that those who lived in an orderly environment were more likely to reach for a healthy snack, such as an apple, rather than junk food. The frequency of snacking was less in a clean house because of the effect of a cluttered environment. Messy surroundings create more stress, and many people react to stress by eating. Snacking is a strategy we use for defense against anxiety.
Having a clean house has many visible and invisible benefits. It is widely accepted that when your home is scrubbed down you can expect fewer germs and sickness. A clean house also means that there are less misplaced items. Because you don’t have to replace lost items as much, there is less waste. But the unspoken benefits are just as valuable. Who wouldn’t want less stress and anxiety in their life? When your house is clean, you can relax and enjoy your free time to express yourself creatively. Your sleep patterns will improve because you won’t be thinking continually about a messy house. You won’t have to worry about pests or bugs because all their secret hiding places will be gone. A great time to start cleaning is now. By doing a little bit at a time you won’t feel overwhelmed. Before you know it your mess will be turned into a comfortable and welcoming haven.
Author: Olivia Wolfe
