Everyone knows that you should keep your Manhattan, CA home clean. Would it surprise you to learn the health benefits of a clean home?
Your mom probably made you clean your room (and the bathroom, and maybe even the cat litter box) growing up, as her mom probably did before her.
Today, you try to keep your home clean, but some days you wonder: How bad would it be if you pushed aside that cleaning planner you downloaded off Pinterest and just took a break from cleaning for a bit?
How important is a clean house? To answer that, today we will share just a few of the many ways that keeping your home clean can actually benefit your health and the health of the ones you love—ways that may surprise you.
Health Benefit #1: Keeping Your Bedroom Clean May Lead to Better Sleep
Have a hard time catching those beloved zzz’s? You aren’t alone.
A recent study by the National Sleep Foundation showed that 45 percent of Americans experience poor sleep. It’s a wonder, with our constant on-the-go lifestyles, that we all don’t fall into bed and conk out until morning—but that isn’t the case.
The truth is, our minds are full, and of course we think of all the things left undone as we try to fall asleep, including all of the mess around us in our bedrooms.
The National Sleep Foundation also ran a survey that clearly showed those with clean sheets and clean rooms had an easier time sleeping. Clean house, clean mind!
Health Benefit #2: A Clean, Clutter-free Space Can Improve Your Mental Health
When every surface is covered in clutter, laundry is in an unknown state—clean? dirty?—kids’ school papers, dirty cups and who even knows what lies beneath it all along with dust, crusted spills, pet hair…
It’s overwhelming and can actually contribute to stress, anxiety, and depression. While over time, parts of our brain shut off the mess and we become “clutter blind,” other parts of our brain become overwhelmed. All it sees is the untidy mess, the unfinished piles, leaving a part of your brain ticking away as it thinks about that unfinished business. A Princeton University study concluded that clutter can actually overwhelm the visual cortex, making it more difficult to process the task at hand.
That wasn’t the only study showing the effects of clutter on mental health. Many psychology studies have been performed that show an uncluttered, clean space can help us focus better and feel calmer, less depressed and less anxious in general.
Health Benefit #3: A Clean Home Can Lead to Healthier Food Choices
Why is cleaning important? Here’s another reason: It’s been well established that cluttered, dirty and even off-smelling spaces make us feel anxious and stressed. And it’s no secret that many of us tend to make poor food choices when we are stressed.
When you look at it that way, it’s easy to see the reverse, that a clean and tidy home may lead you to better eating habits and a generally healthier lifestyle.
Science backs up this thinking. A 2010 study published in the journal Psychological Science showed that people in a more orderly, clean environment made smarter, healthier snacking choices than those attempting to work in more cluttered, messy spaces.
A messy, grungy kitchen is no fun to cook or eat in, either, so those who have cleaner, neater kitchens may be more likely to make healthier food at home, rather than avoid their kitchens altogether and go out to eat.
This may not seem like a big deal, but it does add up quickly. The average fast-food meal weighs in at about 1,800 calories, whereas a home-cooked dinner comes in at about 550.
Health Benefit #4: A Clean Home Can Ease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
Whether you suffer primarily from seasonal outdoor allergies to pollen and molds or mainly what’s considered “indoor” allergies like dust, dust mites, pet dander, and hair, keeping a clean home can greatly reduce your symptoms.
Outdoor allergens like pollen and mold can be tracked in on feet and clothing, truly “bringing the outdoors in.” If left to accumulate, dust, animal hair, and other allergens can wreak havoc on your nose, eyes, and sinuses, leaving you feeling foggy, itchy and red-eyed.
Keeping the home clean, including regular vacuuming with a high-powered, HEPA filter vacuum and paying special attention to any areas that might be prone to mold growth, specifically in the bathroom; keeping airborne dust to a minimum by dusting with a moist cloth (as opposed to a dry cloth, which will simply send dust flying around); regularly changing bed sheets; and cleaning window dressings can greatly reduce your allergy symptoms.
Health Benefit #5: A Consistently Clean and Tidy Home Saves Money
Why is it important to have a clean house? Here’s another compelling argument: Staying on top of regular cleaning tasks and keeping extraneous clutter to a minimum in your home can truly save you money in several ways.
First off, when you keep your home clean regularly, you will have less of a need for more expensive, extra-strength cleaning products, as the dirt and grime aren’t given an opportunity to get built up to the point that would require extra cleaning power.
Secondly, surfaces are more likely to become damaged if they are coated with dirt and grime. Dirt on wood or tile flooring acts like sandpaper when people walk on it, scratching and dulling the finish, making it look worn before it should. Soap and hard water deposits can damage bathroom finishes. Keeping surfaces like floors, counters and bathroom fixtures clean will help them stay looking nice for longer.
Third, keeping appliances clean will help them work more efficiently and last longer, saving you thousands.
Keeping clutter at bay can save money as well. How many times have you bought a new item because you couldn’t find one in your home, only for it to resurface a few days later, somewhere it definitely didn’t belong?
Cleaning for Health
Having a clean, well-kept space can have many benefits, from keeping germs at bay to helping you feel generally happier and less stressed. Unfortunately, for many people here in Bothell and around the country, establishing a clean home and taking the time to maintain it can be equally as stressful as the mess itself.
Hiring a house cleaning service can provide you with the best of both worlds—a clean, healthy space without the stress of making the time to clean it yourself. The benefits of a clean house without the hassle.
Clean and Simple provides affordable, high-quality cleaning services for the Bothell area. Whether you are looking for a deep clean to give you a jump start to regular cleaning on your own or you are ready for us to take the reins and keep your space sparkling with regularly scheduled maintenance cleaning, we have you covered.