What would happen if you never cleaned your house?
For some, cleaning may seem like second- nature. For others -like myself- it takes a little more effort but is done regardless of how much I enjoy it because, like most of you reading this article, I understand that it is something that just has to be done. It improves so much in life beyond aesthetics: it makes me feel good, lets me be more organised with work and studying, lets me feel relaxed and proud of the space I live in. So this made me wonder, what would happen if someone just never cleaned their house? I’m sure there are people like that out there somewhere, and if so, really wish they would one day find this blog! Anyway, after researching this I found a whole host of problems/events that occur with no cleaning but the majority fit into the following categories…
Physical health:
This may seem quite obvious- especially if you frequently read our cleaning blogs- but cleaning has a huge impact on health! This is most significant for those with underlying conditions present; for example respiratory conditions such as asthma or emphysema. Lack of cleaning can lead to some nasty things forming- such as mould in different areas of your home. Mould is a pretty dangerous thing to have in your home- it can produce substances varying from irritants and allergens, to toxic substances! You can read more about the dangers of damp and mould here.
You may also be affected by other irritants and allergens such as dust. Again, this is worse for those with respiratory conditions but can affect anyone- especially if you are exposed to it for long periods of time (which of course, you would be if you didn’t clean your home at all).
Chances of infection also increase, for example if you accidentally cut yourself on a dirty cabinet: not only have you introduced dirt to your body whilst cutting yourself, but leaving your wound exposed to all the dirt in your home would hugely increase the risk of infection!
Hazards:
If you never put your things away, and didn’t clean up spills, rubbish or dishes, your house would eventually become the ultimate hazardous, dangerous and potentially deadly obstacle course! You would have a range of problems to deal with such as electrical hazards- especially in the kitchen as dishes are left out next to sockets; slip hazards; trips and fire hazards. What’s even worse, if you did encounter a hazard such as a fire hazard, it is more likely to be intense as you have more clutter and ‘fuel’ lying around to allow the fire to spread easily.
Mental health:
As we have mentioned on many of our previous posts, cleaning isn’t only important for physical health and safety, but for mental health too. A lack of organisation may be overwhelming for some, and a neglected home may be a sign someone isn’t in the best mental state. Cleaning improves mood, makes everything around you seem fresher, and allows you to feel much more organised and ‘put together’ as a whole. Therefore, if you didn’t clean at all, you’d be much more likely to negatively impact your mental wellbeing. This could potentially lead to a vicious cycle as your wellbeing could restrict you from cleaning, so leading to more mess, and possibly worse wellbeing.
Infestations:
Humans aren’t the only creatures that love food. That means, if you don’t clean, and leave food lying around unsealed, you are vulnerable to pest infestations. These could be anything: ranging from mice and rats to flour beetles! Not only does this put you at risk (pests aren’t usually the most hygienic and can spread all sorts of disease) but it wastes perfectly good food.
General organisation:
Many people who struggle with cleaning, also struggle with organisation. This is no coincidence! When your home is not organised, you are more likely to lose or misplace items and therefore, not complete assignments, become frustrated and have others lose trust in you.
Hopefully, this post has given you an insight into what life without cleaning your home might be like and encourages you to clean regularly, and to see the benefit in doing so. There are many places you can go to for cleaning tips, for example: our blog, or Instagram and Linkedin pages.