A Clean Home Makes for a Healthy Home
STORY Merry Maids of Oakville, Hamilton & Milton
Everybody strives to keep a clean home, but it can be difficult to consistently keep it spotless. While we understand that there’s only so much time in a day, we thought it would be important to take a closer look at the link between a clean home and your overall health.
A Clean, Clutter-Free Home Leads to Less Stress
It turns out that there is actually a link between visual clutter and mental clutter. While you may believe that your home is organized chaos, or you can live with the mess, there have been plenty of studies that show why you shouldn’t.
A study was released from the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin showing that people with messy homes tend to have higher levels of cortisol than those with tidy homes. This is a steroid hormone produced in response to stress.
The University of California performed a similar study, gathering thirty different couples for a study on stress hormones. The couples who described their homes as messy or chaotic showed increased levels of cortisol, with women being more adversely affected by the clutter than their male counterparts.
You’ll Get Better Sleep
We all know the positive effects that exercise has on your health, producing endorphins which improve your ability to sleep and reduce stress. However, many people don’t realize just how much exercise you can incorporate into your daily life, just by cleaning your home.
Scientists have found that regular participation in certain aerobic exercises, which are performed through chores like scrubbing or mopping, can decrease your overall levels of tension, elevate and stabilize your mood, improve self-esteem and lead to better sleep. If you’re able, setting aside just twenty minutes a day to clean can actually help reduce stress, clutter and relationship friction.
As an added bonus, by crossing chores of your to-do list before bed, you’ll end up with less uncompleted tasks nagging at you as you try to fall asleep. The National Sleep Foundation conducted a study that showed making your bed in the morning can actually improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep by almost 20 percent.
A Clean Home Reduces Your Risk of Getting Sick
Did you know that the average person sheds roughly half an ounce of dead skin every week? Unfortunately, most of that skin ends up in your bed, attracting dust mites who feed on dead skin. The waste dust mites leave behind can exacerbate various conditions, such as eczema, skin irritations, allergies and more. Between gross dust mites and other allergens such as animal fur that can collect on your sheets, it’s a good idea to give them a wash once a week.
Outside of the bedroom, the frequency for cleaning should be increased. It’s a good idea to give your surfaces a good wipe down often to remove any germs and bacteria, preventing them from spreading around the house. Whether it’s germs from outside errands, or bacteria like salmonella in the kitchen, frequently wiping down surfaces limits your chances of getting sick.
Clutter Can Be A Serious Fire Hazard
The two leading causes of injuries and death that occur in the home are fires and falls. By cleaning up clutter from your home, you are actually improving the overall safety of your home. Not only does clutter contribute to slips and falls where you can seriously injure yourself, but you’re removing fire hazards in your home. Not only does all this extra material help spread a fire in the event of one, but it can hinder your ability to escape in a hurry.
Working In A Clean Kitchen Reduces Your Caloric Intake
We’ve already established that a messy home leads to more stress in your daily life, and now we’ll reveal the link between stress and unhealthy snacking.
Cornell University did a study that proved chaotic physical environment plays a role in the way we snack. Two test kitchens were set up – one messy and one clean, for participants to work in with the same snacks in both kitchens. Those who were put to work in the messy kitchen consumed nearly twice as many calories in sweets as those working in the organized kitchen.
A Clean Home Leads To Better Physical Health
On top of the above research, a study performed at Indiana University found that people who kept clean homes were healthier than those with messy homes. The scientists responsible for the study tracked the physical health of 998 participants. The participants who kept a clean home were found to be physically healthier and more active than those who didn’t. The study shows that house cleanliness was a very strong predictor for physical health, more so than neighborhood walkability or other lifestyle factors.
If cleaning has fallen down your to-do list, don’t get discouraged. Merry Maids of Oakville, Hamilton and Milton is here to help out. We understand the importance of a clean home using non-toxic products that are safe for pets and people. Let us clean your home, so you can reap the benefits without taking time away from the moments that matter.
About Merry Maids of Oakville, Hamilton & Milton
For more than 40 years, Merry Maids has been providing superior home cleaning services that allow busy homeowners to spend more of their free time doing what they love. Each of our professional maids are bonded, insured and thoroughly trained before entering any home, so you can trust you’ll receive a high-quality, consistent clean with each visit.
Learn More
Oakville: www.merrymaidsoakville.ca
Hamilton: www.merrymaidshamilton.ca
Milton: www.merrymaidsmilton.ca