Whether you work full time, are a stay-at-home mom (which is a full-time job!) or are retired, you’ll spend a lot of time at home, either way, and how clean and tidy it is, can have a significant impact on your health.
From making us feel anxious and depressed, to aggravating allergies from high dust levels, a dirty home can affect our health in many ways, some of which can be found below:
How a dirty home can impact your mental health
Taking care of our mental health has never been more important, and if you’re experiencing any of the issues below, it might be time to consider hiring a professional cleaning company to help you get your home up to a cleaner, tidier, healthier standard:
- Increased anxiety and low mood
A cluttered home has long been linked to a variety of mental health issues such as anxiety, presenting us with a sensory overload that our brains are unable to take in and process. What you’re left with, is a feeling of helplessness and the clutter and dirt can simply become too overwhelming to bear.
Keeping a clean and tidy home, on the other hand, has been proven as a self-management strategy to help individuals combat feelings of anxiety and a low mood.
- Elevated stress hormones
Especially in women, clutter and dirt in the home have been found to raise stress hormones in the form of elevated cortisol levels, and can have a significant impact upon our mood. Not only that, but because men appear not to be so affected by an untidy home, it can cause arguments between couples.
- Low self-esteem
Research has shown that those living in unclean and cluttered environments, and who lack organizational skills, tend to have low self-esteem. The impact can actually be far further reaching, and in some cases can cause individuals to not maintain their personal hygiene, and experience problems in work or social environments.
How a dirty home can impact your physical health
Bacteria left to breed on unclean surfaces can of course be harmful to our physical health, but dust, pet dander and other allergens can be equally as harmful:
- Dust mites and pet dander
Particularly during the winter months, heating systems and stale air can contribute towards the build up of dust mites, pet dander and mold spores, in fact, dust mite allergens are present in the majority of American homes. With the potential to trigger symptoms in anyone suffering from allergies or asthma, allergens are troublesome for many of us, and only regular cleaning can prevent this from happening.
- Mold
Around half of all U.S. homes have a problem with damp or mold, and for some individuals, their asthma symptoms can be attributed in their entirety to such issues.
- Unwashed dishes and surfaces
Dirty dishes left stacked up in the sink and unclean kitchen surfaces don’t just reflect badly on you from a visual perspective, but they can be harmful to your health, too. Anything with leftover food on it can quickly attract bugs and pests, and with them, comes harmful droppings and disease.
If you’re desperate to feel better and suspect that your unclean home might be contributing to your poor health, simply hire a maid service to come in and get your entire home clean and tidy, fast.
