What's considered messy? A messy house refers to disorganized clutter that isn't damaging to someone's health. For example, if you have empty water cups, papers scattered, toys out and laundry in the lounge then it's a bit of a mess. But, if there are stains, mould, or bad odours in the house then it is dirty.
Clutter: Possessions are disorganized and may accumulate around living areas. Collecting: Possessions are part of a larger set of items. Display does not impede active living areas in home.
The short answer here is that you have a dirty house if it is unsanitary, meaning there is mould in the home, unwanted pests are being attracted, or there are lingering unpleasant odours. This is different from a house that is simply messy, meaning that there is a lot of clutter or disorganization.
How Messy Is The Average House? Surprisingly, we found that half of American homes are always clean, while just 1% of Americans never lift a finger and do the dirty work. In between these extremes, about 1 in 4 respondents clean once a day and another 23% make at least some effort but let their duties slip on occasion.
How Often Does The Average Person Clean Their House? Research by the American Cleaning Institute found that Americans spend 6 hours cleaning every week, while a third wonder if they are cleaning enough and correctly. Most homeowners sweep and mop, vacuum, clean the bathroom, and dust furniture once a week.
Sometimes, a messy house can be a sign of hoarding disorder. Hoarding disorder is a mental health condition that causes people to accumulate an excessive amount of things with no real value. Some experts think it's related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), while others say it's related to dementia.
Polluted air vents and untidy filters can contaminate the air. Soiled sheets and bedding can cause skin rashes and irritations. Dust mites can trigger allergies, asthma, and other respiratory issues. Bugs, pests, vermin, and critters are carriers of germs and many diseases.
There is increasing evidence to suggest that a messy house affects both mental and physical health. In fact, a messy home can make you more susceptible to colds and flus as well as stress and anxiety. While keeping on top of housekeeping can be time-consuming, the health benefits make the time commitment well worth it.
Messiness can actually be a sign of creativity and freedom. Or it may mean a teen is busy with school, hobbies, and socializing, and hasn't made time to clean their messy bedroom. However, a messy room can also be an outward sign of feeling disorganized or overwhelmed.
You may be overwhelmed
A messy space could indicate creativity or someone who is too busy but a messy space could also indicate further issues like anxiety or ADHD.
“There are four types of clutter: paper, digital, emotional, and spiritual,” she says. “Physical and digital clutter are symptoms of emotional and spiritual clutter.” Years ago, Hemphill started as a professional organizer.
You can't find things easily: The most obvious sign that you need to declutter a space is if you struggle to easily find what you're looking for. Clutter can make it hard to find even everyday essentials like your keys, phone, or wallet because everything blends in together into one jumbled mess.
Being surrounded by clutter may make the average person a little cranky. But, a hoarder suffers from something much deeper. Depression, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD are associated with hoarding. While cleaning up clutter may be enough to elevate most people's moods, a hoarder needs much more targeted treatment.
If you don't clean your house, it might mean you are busy and have little time to clean and organize. It might be a sign that you have too much stuff. Or it might be the result of having young kids in the house who are usually not motivated to clean up after themselves.
Diogenes syndrome is when a person does not take care of themselves or their surroundings, leading to poor hygiene and possibly some health and social problems. It often occurs with other conditions, such as dementia. People with the condition often show signs of severe self-neglect, social isolation, and hoarding.
Realistically, if you're tidying up your home daily, it should only take 15 – 30 minutes to keep your house clean and organized. The two areas of your home that likely require daily cleaning are your kitchen and bathroom.
People with depression can often find themselves living in messy spaces. This is because feelings of hopelessness, low energy, and lack of motivation can make it hard to keep on top of everyday tasks, such as tidying.
Clutter can make us feel stressed, anxious and depressed. Research from the United States in 2009, for instance, found the levels of the stress hormone cortisol were higher in mothers whose home environment was cluttered.
A cluttered, untidy environment actually generates more of the stress hormone cortisol in the brain. So, if your home and living spaces are clutter-free, tidy and clean then you can assume you'll generate less cortisol and reap the rewards mentally.
How Often You Should Wash Your Sheets (And How to Get Them Really Clean) Experts recommend washing or changing sheets once a week.
Daily: Flush your toilet every day (even if it's not in use) to discourage the growth of bacteria. Weekly: Deep-clean your toilet once a week or biweekly—this includes the toilet bowl, exterior and toilet seat. Yearly: Clean your toilet tank twice a year.
Clean your bathroom once a week as a good rule of thumb. Kelly Reynolds, PhD, MSPH, professor and director of the environment, exposure science and eisk assessment center at the University of Arizona, recommends cleaning your bathroom at least weekly. More often than that might be overkill.