De-stress and Enjoy the Serenity of a Clean Home by Cheryl C.
Clutter and mess are significant sources of stress for many. A disheveled home is difficult to navigate and obstructs the kind of free-flow that is essential to environmental balance. Messes irritate us on all sorts of levels, so we often avoid dealing with them until some imaginary later time when we think we’ll be less stressed. And then that time never materializes. There’s good news, though. Cleaning is actually a great way to de-stress, and it’s a lot easier than you might think.
Messes can make us tense
Our homes are supposed to be sanctuaries from some of life’s problems. Work woes, intrapersonal issues, and gripes with the outside world can all be left outside your front door, in theory. But in practice, we can let all of these in when we allow our homes to become dumping grounds rather than serene shelters. Messes make us feel anxious and helpless, overwhelm us with stimuli and laden us with guilt about our cleanliness. Worse, clutter and the bad feelings we associate with it takes up too much space in our mind. Instead of being creative, solving problems or just enjoying life, we worry and fret over dust bunnies and piles of stuff. Imagine the possibilities if you achieved your clean house goal.
Minimize stress by attacking mess
The act of cleaning, on its own, is a stress cure. There is a meditative quality to housework, especially when added to a routine. It can even be fun as well, where you can listen to your favorite music or even dance a little for some exercise. And the process of cleaning relieves stress directly because you are eliminating a source of stress -- your messy house!
Alternatively, the act of decluttering can seem stressful. That’s because clutter is less of a physical problem and more of a mental challenge. The reasons we hold onto too much stuff vary from fear to guilt to pride. The good news is that anyone can learn to declutter. Most expert suggests separating items into keep, sell, donate, and trash. If there are items you just can’t decide about, box them up and put them in storage for six months; then go back and look at them again. To prevent cluttering up your home with boxes, consider renting an off-site storage unit as an investment in your peace of mind.
Tips to effective and efficient cleaning
Much of the stress over clutter is because we fear that the mess is insurmountable. If we arm ourselves with some professional cleaning tips, we can tackle messes as they arise and realize some additional side benefits, as well. Here are some techniques to speed up your path to serenity:
By cleaning efficiently and as you go, you can avoid having to bring in outside help, which can be costly (maid services cost $164 on average in Green Valley).
Look for hidden spots that make your home shine
Some areas collect more dust and grime than others, such as hard surface flooring, behind appliances and baseboards. A daily habit of sweeping or dust-mopping can reduce visible dirt and mess (a quality dust mop will run you around $12). And baseboards only require monthly attention in most cases. Here are some tips to make these spots shine:
Good cleaning habits and a few pro tips can help you maintain your home as a sanctuary for you and your family. Calmness, productivity and enjoyment await - it’s as easy as grabbing a broom.
Photo Credit: Pexels
Messes can make us tense
Our homes are supposed to be sanctuaries from some of life’s problems. Work woes, intrapersonal issues, and gripes with the outside world can all be left outside your front door, in theory. But in practice, we can let all of these in when we allow our homes to become dumping grounds rather than serene shelters. Messes make us feel anxious and helpless, overwhelm us with stimuli and laden us with guilt about our cleanliness. Worse, clutter and the bad feelings we associate with it takes up too much space in our mind. Instead of being creative, solving problems or just enjoying life, we worry and fret over dust bunnies and piles of stuff. Imagine the possibilities if you achieved your clean house goal.
Minimize stress by attacking mess
The act of cleaning, on its own, is a stress cure. There is a meditative quality to housework, especially when added to a routine. It can even be fun as well, where you can listen to your favorite music or even dance a little for some exercise. And the process of cleaning relieves stress directly because you are eliminating a source of stress -- your messy house!
Alternatively, the act of decluttering can seem stressful. That’s because clutter is less of a physical problem and more of a mental challenge. The reasons we hold onto too much stuff vary from fear to guilt to pride. The good news is that anyone can learn to declutter. Most expert suggests separating items into keep, sell, donate, and trash. If there are items you just can’t decide about, box them up and put them in storage for six months; then go back and look at them again. To prevent cluttering up your home with boxes, consider renting an off-site storage unit as an investment in your peace of mind.
Tips to effective and efficient cleaning
Much of the stress over clutter is because we fear that the mess is insurmountable. If we arm ourselves with some professional cleaning tips, we can tackle messes as they arise and realize some additional side benefits, as well. Here are some techniques to speed up your path to serenity:
- The grid approach. Rather than inefficiently roaming from room to room picking up messes haphazardly, break your living space down into chunks. This technique uses the age-old wisdom of breaking your problems down into little pieces and provides structure for a cleaning plan.
- Top to bottom. While cleaning your sections, always work from top to bottom. This avoids duplicative work that could result if dust from above rained down on a freshly mopped floor, for example.
- Keep tools stocked and available. Organizing your cleaning tools will save considerable time when you clean. With the right supplies at the ready, you’ll have the right tool for the job and can clean efficiently.
- Clean as you go. Resist the temptation to put off cleaning. Messes fester and become more difficult to clean. Stains set it, and dust can cling to grease in the kitchen, but not if you wipe surfaces as part of a daily routine.
By cleaning efficiently and as you go, you can avoid having to bring in outside help, which can be costly (maid services cost $164 on average in Green Valley).
Look for hidden spots that make your home shine
Some areas collect more dust and grime than others, such as hard surface flooring, behind appliances and baseboards. A daily habit of sweeping or dust-mopping can reduce visible dirt and mess (a quality dust mop will run you around $12). And baseboards only require monthly attention in most cases. Here are some tips to make these spots shine:
- Attack the loose soil first. Use a vacuum with a brush attachment. It’s much easier to clean up dry material - like dust and hair - before using wet cleaners.
- Sponge it down. There are a few tactics to employ in wiping down the baseboards. You can simply crouch down with a wet sponge, or you can use a sponge mop from a standing position.
- De-static the baseboard. Once clean and dry, go back over the baseboard with a dryer sheet. It will remove any static on the surface, which will repel dust.
Good cleaning habits and a few pro tips can help you maintain your home as a sanctuary for you and your family. Calmness, productivity and enjoyment await - it’s as easy as grabbing a broom.
Photo Credit: Pexels
