The cleanliness of a person’s house – or lack thereof – is the frequent subject of clever home décor items, such as wall art that says “Bless This Mess” or “Great moms have sticky floors, piles of laundry, messy kitchen and happy kids.”
And while it is true that striving for a perfectly clean house 100% is not only unrealistic but even a waste of time in some people’s opinion, there is solid science behind the health benefits of a clean and organized living space.
For example, a 2010 study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin analyzed the linguistics at play in how people spoke about their homes and correlated it to negative health outcomes. Women who described their living spaces as “cluttered” or spoke of a high number of “unfinished projects” were more likely to be depressed and fatigued than their counterparts who used terms such as “restful” and “restorative” to describe their homes. The researchers also found that women with cluttered homes expressed higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
A survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that people who make their beds every morning are 19 percent more likely to regularly get a good night’s sleep. Clean sheets seem to have benefits, too: 75 percent of respondents said they sleep better and are more comfortable when they sleep on freshly cleaned sheets.
In findings from an Indiana University research study, people with clean houses proved to be healthier than people with messy houses. The study tracked the physical health of nearly 1,000 African Americans ages 49-65, a demographic proven to have increased risk for heart disease. Participants who kept their homes clean were healthier and more active than those who didn’t, and house cleanliness proved to be a more important predictor for good health than other positive lifestyle factors such as neighborhood walkability.
An organized home is, by definition, a cleaner home because there are functional spaces to store all the items that lead to a full, healthy and happy life: cooking supplies and utensils, healthy foods, cleaning products, sports and exercise equipment, and more. And better organization can even help prevent a mess in the first place when you consider that a well-designed mudroom helps keep dirt outside instead of being tracked inside, or that a functional laundry sorting system can prevent piles of dirty clothes from accumulating elsewhere.
While it is true that spending endless hours cleaning is no one’s favorite chore, come see us at Cabinet City to see how we can help you reap the positive benefits of a clean and organized
You must be logged in to post a comment.