The Mental Health Benefits of a Clean and Organized Home There is a Science to It!

One thing we often hear from our clients is how much they love walking into their home after Take Time has been there. “Energized, a great pick-me-up, happy and more patient with kids, New-lease-on-life” …. Just a few of the reactions we hear from clients.

Having a clean home is a huge boost to a person’s sense of well being.

Blogs and websites that focus on cleanliness and organization are numerous — for instance, Things Organized Neatly, Apartment Therapy and Unclutterer, to name only a few examples. Pinterest contains countless organization pictures and tips, and Buzzfeed regularly runs listicles designed to appeal to “your inner neat freak.”

What is it about a clean well-organized home that makes people so satisfied? Why do some people spend their free time scrolling though blogs that teach them how to clean efficiently or rearrange their closets or the best way to color-code their filing cabinets?

Keeping things clean and organized is good for you, and science can prove it.

A study led by associate professor NiCole R. Keith, Ph.D., research scientist and professor at Indiana University, found that people with clean houses are healthier than people with messy houses. Keith and her colleagues tracked the physical health of 998 Americans between the ages of 49 and 65, a demographic known to be at an increased risk for heart disease. Participants who kept their homes clean were healthier and more active than those who didn’t. In fact, house cleanliness was even more of a predictor for physical health than neighborhood walkability.

In 2011, researchers at Princeton University found that clutter can actually make it more difficult to focus on a particular task. Specifically, they found that the visual cortex can be overwhelmed by task-irrelevant objects, making it harder to allocate attention and complete tasks efficiently.

The human body is made up of tens of thousands of integrated biological and neurochemical systems, all of which are — yes — organized. Many of our cells operate on strict schedules, or circadian rhythms. Even at the atomic level, we are well-regulated and well-organized. Without this organization, our bodies would collapse into chaos. Maybe we crave symmetry and cleanliness in our homes because it supports our physical state.

Whatever the reason, staying clean and organized is a good thing. It helps us feel better about ourselves, it keeps us productive and it may very well keep us physically fit.

Want to have a clean and organized home but just don’t have the time to keep it that way. Give us a call! Take Time Home Cleaning & Lifestyle Services 204-770-7103