Although it’s a necessity for healthy living, cleanliness comes as a frivolous affair to some people. Has someone ever welcomed you to their house only to wonder how they manage to survive in such a messed-up space?
Spider webs on the walls, stinking dishes in the sink, unmade bed (literally), clutter all over the floor, and the most surprising of all – they seem to be very comfortable with it. That could definitely leave you with lots of questions than answers. So, what makes some people not tidy their houses?
9 Possible Reasons For Someone To Not Clean Their House
Maintaining a clean and neat house can keep you healthy and happy. It will also cover you from shame the next time you receive an impromptu visit. However, all people don’t view it from that angle. And if they do, then not all act on making their house presentable.
But don’t be too quick to judge- not all people are okay living in untidy spaces.
Here are various reasons for people not to clean their house;
1. Time Factor
We all have 24 hours a day. No matter the number of activities you have for the day, you have to squeeze everything to fit within this time. For some, 24 hours is a lot for what they have. But for others, it can’t cover everything they intend to do.
We have people who work for 80 hours a week. That’s about 12 hours a day. No, not just working days. That includes the weekends. So, when they come back home, all they need is rest. If they have to do anything else, it has to be something that doesn’t require much energy. So it definitely won’t be cleaning.
2. Stuffed-Up Space
Much like activities for our time, our possessions compete for the available space. And the more you bring in, the more they use up more space, and the more cleaning becomes difficult and less inviting.
You see, if your house has lots of stuff, or you have hoarding syndrome, then cleaning isn’t just cleaning. You have to do much more. For instance, you have to move all the things to one side, clean up the place, and then move them back to their original position.
That’s already a lot of work. And if you have to do it every time you clean the house, then it’s easy to dodge the cleaning work entirely. And yes, that’s another reason why people live in untidy spaces.
3. Personality Reasons
Do you know how clean you are can tell much about you? Well, if you didn’t know, cleanliness is a personality trait. We have a category of people who will remain restless if at all there’s anything dirty in the sink.
Then we have these other people who won’t attend to dishes until the smell begins to call them right from the sink. They don’t see anything wrong with leaving their dirty dishes in the sink for days. So yes, the next time you enter a house and everything is in a mess, perhaps your host belongs to the category of people who don’t value hygiene.
4. Psychological Reasons
Unless you are from another planet, you must have had something stress you up at some point in life. If it ever happened, then you will agree with me that in such moments, you hardly have the motivation to do anything – leave alone cleaning.
All you want when you are stressed up is to relax, watch, and for some, sleep! Some even opt to get themselves drunk. At such times, eating is even likely to get forgotten. Now, if the anxiety doesn’t end any soon, then your space may end up looking too messy.
5. Physical Challenges
If you have to end up with that house looking spotlessly clean, then it will take the contribution of every part of your body. You need hands to hold the mop and feet to move you around as you do that. Several other organs will also come in handy.
Unfortunately, we aren’t all privileged. That puts some people in a disadvantaged position to perform several house chores like cleaning. A case in point is people riding in wheelchairs.
As much as these folks could be willing to keep their house clean and neat, they just can’t by themselves. They need the help of other people. So yes, unless they have someone around to keep things in good condition, they could end up living in a dirty and untidy house.
6. Lack of Self Confidence
Self-confidence isn’t just helpful when addressing a big crowd. It’s even essential in other aspects of life, including keeping your life clean. Lack of self-confidence can make one feel they don’t deserve to live in a clean place.
As such, they won’t have the motivation to clean things up. They may also not reach for their friends, relatives, or other people within their reach because they feel they don’t deserve a tidy house.
7. Health Problems
Ever wondered why most sick people spend their time in bed? Well, ain’t sure either. However, one thing I know is that sickness makes one weak. It also makes one lack the motivation to do even basic things around the house.
So, sickness will take away at least two things – energy and motivation. Without any of these, leave alone the two, even meticulous housekeepers will struggle to make their house clean.
Again, some sicknesses will exacerbate as one attends to some chores. As such, most people choose to avoid work entirely until they fully recover. That’s now where the issue of living in a dirty house creeps in.
8. Non-Supportive Housemates
Cleanliness isn’t a one-person thing. It needs the participation of everyone in the house. You all have to share the same interest. Unless you all value cleanliness, you may spend hours cleaning the house only for the other person to mess it up in minutes- and you definitely won’t be happy!
Again, as much as it’s not okay for you for socks to lie on the rug, they will still do if the other person doesn’t see things as you do. In other words, it takes collective efforts and interests to keep a place clean.
9. Laziness
I bet you’ve heard of this quote, “I feel like I should clean the house so I’m going to take a nap until that feeling passes.” Now, it isn’t just meant to be funny. We have a category of people who do just that when it’s time to clean. These are the lazybones.
These are the people who spend most of their time lying down on the couch. All they want to do is eat, watch, and sleep – period! They don’t show enthusiasm for any other thing.
They know that cleanliness is good, but they don’t make it a priority in their lives. They are the kind of people who keep postponing cleaning. And every time that happens, the piles of junk keep increasing.
What are The Effects of Living in an Unclean House?
We know that living in a clean house is healthy. But have you ever wondered what the repercussions of living in a dirty house are? Well, here are some of the effects;
1. It Will Waste Much of Your Time
When you don’t know what is where it means you will spend more time searching for what you need. It will also take you more time cleaning the piled-up mess and putting things back in order.
2. It Makes You Confused
Sometimes how you keep your house reflects your mental condition. The vice versa is also true. If you want something but can’t locate it, that will leave you in confusion. It could even worsen stress and anxiety.
3. More Awaits in The Future
If you clean your house regularly, the cleaning sessions are usually short and less demanding. After all, you don’t have a lot of mess awaiting. However, the more you keep postponing the work, the more you will need to perform in the future.
4. Accidents Become Likely
With clutter everywhere, accidents are likely. It could be tripping. Of course, you never know what that could mean. It may even give you a fracture. So yes, simple cleaning and keeping your house well-arranged can go a long way to save you.
5. Dirty House Could Make You Sick
Yes, a dirty house can make one ill. Microbes love dirty places. Hence, not cleaning your house is an implied invitation. Places like the bathroom are bacteria’s fertile grounds. So yes, unless you keep it clean, you can expect bacteria to show up!
Can an Unclean House Lead To Mental Illness?
We don’t have any studies showing that unclean houses can cause mental illness. However, we have a few that establish the correlation between the two. Several studies show that a cluttered space can intensify mental health problems.
When you are already stressed up, even a little thing like struggling to locate something can make the condition worse. You see, when the mind is already not at peace, it’s at its weakest. As such, even small things like seeing your house disorganized can make things even worse.
Again, clutter can affect one’s memory. Psychologists will tell you that the human mind can only keep track of a few things at a time. As such, a lot of things happening at the same time will overload your brain. That makes it hard for the brain to focus.
How Can You Tell That Your House Needs Cleaning?
While some don’t struggle to tell when cleaning their house is necessary, a few do. So, how do you know that it’s time to tidy up? Well, here are a few indicators;
- Unpleasant smells
- Sneezing
- You haven’t cleaned it for the past few days
- Trash all over
- Stained floors and surfaces
- Avoiding some rooms
- When expecting guests
- You put shoes on inside the house
Conclusion
Laziness isn’t the only cause of people living in unclean houses. There’s a lot to that than one can think. For some, it’s a choice to live in a dirty space. However, for others, it’s something that circumstances push their way. Either way, the repercussions are similar.