How can a clean home help improve physical and mental health?

When life gets a bit hectic, particularly over the upcoming Christmas period, it can be easy to neglect cleaning duties around the home. However, staying on top of your housework not only creates a tidy living environment, it can also provide many health benefits for you and your family.

In light of the pandemic, keeping our homes as clean as possible has been of high priority. In addition to making every effort to keep the virus at bay, we should pay similar attention to other impacts unhygienic living can have on both our physical and mental health.

Here are three health benefits to maintaining a clean home:

Protects against allergens

One of the most important cleaning tasks contributing to a healthy living environment is vacuuming. Regularly running a vacuum cleaner through your home, particularly in high-traffic areas, can reduce the amount of allergens commonly found around the house, such as dust mites and pollen.

Whilst standard cleaners will be relatively successful in removing these harmful particles, the most effective allergy-friendly vacuums on the market will contain a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter. These models are specially designed to reduce the amount of airborne particles in the home by at least 99.7%. This is particularly important in households with allergy sufferers, as the removal of allergens can improve living conditions and prevent allergies flaring up.

Improving general mood

Particularly when undertaking the more arduous tasks, cleaning can be a brilliant form of exercise. Any time we engage in physical activity, our brain releases endorphins, which have the effect of reducing pain and creating a feeling of well-being to improve our general mood. Consider ways you can incorporate your household chores into a workout routine, such as vacuum cleaner lunges or squats whilst dusting.

Furthermore, research has shown that ‘mindful’ cleaning can also have a positive effect on our well-being. In a study conducted by Florida State University, experts saw a 27% reduction in nervousness levels in people who washed dishes ‘mindfully’. This means they took special care to focus on the task at hand – smelling the soap and noticing the feeling of the warm water on their hands. By taking more care in completing simple tasks around the home, the benefits can seep into our everyday lives.

Improving concentration levels

Have you ever found yourself struggling to focus on work since moving to your home office? As many of us have had to adapt to new working arrangements, it is more important than ever to pay close attention to the cleanliness of rooms serving as temporary offices.

The old adage ‘tidy house, tidy mind’ still rings true. Working in a disorganized, cluttered office can hamper our ability to focus on the important tasks, as we can easily get distracted by other things in the room. Since dangerous bacteria have been found to lurk within office equipment like keyboards and trackpads, keeping a clean working environment can also improve physical health, allowing us to be more productive.