Why Keeping Your House Clean Matters: The Best Advice I Ever Got

True confession: I used to HATE cleaning my house. Like, would-rather-organize-my-tax-receipts kind of hate. 

Sure, regular cleaning was something I did. But it seemed like a waste of time – and I resented it.

After all, I had better things to do than clean a messy home again and again and again.

I mean, we’ve all felt the struggle: You clean your house, the house gets destroyed. You pick up toys, they’re back on the floor. You do the dishes, fold the laundry, cook, mop, clean every room … and they’re all messy and waiting again the next day.

What’s even the point of daily cleaning? It’s like evil elves show up at night and purposefully undo all your hard work!

Why should we keep our house neat and clean, when it’s just going to get messy again tomorrow?

Why It Matters: The Best Reason to Keep a Clean and Tidy Home

Why should we bother keeping our house neat and tidy?

That question pestered me until a conversation with my pastor’s wife changed everything.

Life has a funny way of teaching you lessons when you least expect them.

We were chatting at a women’s breakfast, and I was complaining (okay, whining) about the never-ending battle with housework.

She finally looked at me with this kind smile and said something I’ll never forget: “What if you saw homemaking not as a drudgery, but as a ministry? These days the world is so hungry for ‘home.’ You’re creating a retreat for weary souls – including your own.”

What if you saw homemaking not as a drudgery, but as a ministry? These days the world is so hungry for ‘home.’ You’re creating a retreat for weary souls – including your own.

Mind. Blown.

How a Clean Home Affects More Than Just Appearances

I started paying attention to how I felt walking into different spaces. A friend’s chaotic living room with pet smells and sticky toys everywhere made it hard to relax – although I’d never tell her that! 

Contrast that with the calm I felt entering my sister Monica’s house, where everything had a place, surfaces sparkled, and the air smelled faintly of lemon and soap.

Many years ago, after a particularly rough patch in my life, I stayed with Monica’s family while I got back on my feet. One evening after a hard day of job hunting, I trudged downstairs find a stack of my laundry – washed, dried, and perfectly folded – waiting on my bed.

Such a simple thing, right?

But I stood there staring at those careful piles and actually teared up.

Growing up with a single mom and three siblings, I’d been doing my own laundry since I was tall enough to reach the controls. I couldn’t remember ever having someone care for me in that tangible way. 

That stack of clean clothes said “you matter” more clearly than words ever could.

That’s what a clean home communicates – value.

When we spend time creating order and cleanliness, we’re saying that this space and the people in it deserve care – including ourselves.

When we spend time creating order and cleanliness, we’re saying that this space and the people in it deserve care.

It’s like a love letter written in vacuum lines and gleaming countertops.

Check out my post on How to Tackle Cleaning a Messy House for more thoughts on home cleaning.

10 Reasons Why a Clean House is Important for Your Well-being

Let’s talk about the practical benefits of keeping your house clean.

And I’m not just saying this to justify my deep affection for my robot vacuum (though that little gadget deserves a Christmas card for removing dirt while I don’t lift a finger).

• Sleep quality improves dramatically in a clean bedroom. Research from the National Sleep Foundation found that people who make their bed each morning are 19% more likely to report regularly getting a good night’s rest.
  
  There’s just something about crawling into a freshly made bed that makes you feel more relaxed. 

• The air quality in a clean home is substantially better too. Regularly cleaning cuts allergens like dust mites, pet dander, and pollen that build up in carpets and upholstery. 
  
  For the 50 million Americans who suffer from allergies and asthma attacks, regular dusting and vacuuming are a top priority. They mean the difference between constant sniffling and actually being able to breathe through your nose.
  
  As someone who’s allergic to cats – and has two of them! – I can tell you that respiratory problems from a dirty environment are no joke.

• Pest control is another huge benefit. Insects, ants, and rodent problems are way less likely when there aren’t crumbs to entice them. 
  
  At our last house, every spring little “sweet ants” somehow navigated to a favorite spot by our kitchen sink. A little Taro for a few days – PLUS an immaculately cleaned countertop – and they were gone till the next year.
  
  It was my yearly reminder about the importance of keeping the counters cleared and tidy. Houses need good hygiene, too!

• The physical health benefits extend beyond allergies. Regularly cleaning reduces the spread of bacteria and germs, lowering the risk of illness. This hit home during pandemic times, didn’t it? Suddenly we were all amateur sanitizers during our time at home.
  
  But even in normal times, keeping surfaces clean helps prevent everything from common colds to stomach bugs. A clean home is simply key to maintaining good health.

• And safety improves in a tidy house. No tripping over clutter, no toppling piles of stuff, no slipping on wet or dirty floors.
  
  Did you know that the #1 cause of death in older adults is falling? And in 2022 more than 8.5 million people were treated in emergency rooms for fall-related injuries. How much of this is preventable with fifteen seconds of cleanup?

• Now let’s talk productivity. Working from home in a messy environment is hard. It’s like trying to focus while someone repeatedly pokes you in the arm saying “Hey! Look at me! Deal with me!”
  
  A clean and organized workspace lets your brain focus on your tasks instead of the visual noise around you.

• But mental health benefits might be the most powerful reason of all to keep our homes tidy.
  
  A 2010 study in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that women who described their homes as “cluttered” had higher levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) than women who described their homes as clean and organized.
  
  That’s right – a messy house literally stresses you out on a hormonal level!
  
• And beyond all that, an orderly home is just welcoming and aesthetically pleasing. A clean, well-managed home can help maintain your health and well-being – in all aspects of your life. 

Takeaway: A healthy living environment can reduce stress levels.

How a Clean and Organized Home Boosts Your Work-From-Home Success

Before I started working from home, I could leave “home stress” at home and “work stress” at work. 

But now? My home is my office, which means home chaos directly impacts my workday.

I noticed a pattern. On days when I started work with dishes in the sink and clutter on my desk, I’d waste the first hour feeling scattered and distracted.

But on mornings after I’d taken time to tidy up – I’d knock out my to-do list like a superhero.

There’s a psychological benefit to a sense of order in your environment. It creates order in your mind.

I’m not saying you need to be a minimalist (says the woman with three shelves of gardening books 😎 ), but having systems that work for your life makes everything flow better.

When I finally created a proper home office instead of working from the kitchen table, my stress and anxiety decreased immediately and my productivity zoomed. Coincidence? I think not. 

QUICK TIP: For those days when your desk needs a quick refresh, allocate specific baskets or bins to help with organization. They’re perfect for corralling papers, pens, and random bits that accumulate throughout the week.

Simple Ways to Keep a Tidy Home Without the Overwhelm

Alright, I’m not going to pretend I magically transformed into Mrs. Clean overnight. This is still a journey. But I’ve found some approaches that make maintaining a clean home possible, even with my packed schedule.

1. First thing – declutter like your sanity depends on it (because it kinda does). Less stuff equals less to clean. Period.
   
   When Randy and I downsized from our “big house” to our 1400-square-foot lake place, we purged about 60% of our belongings. Best decision ever.
   
   Now cleaning takes half the time because we’re clutter-free and there’s just less to deal with.
   
2. Also, good habits beat marathon cleaning sessions. I used to save all my cleaning tasks for the weekend, then feel resentful about spending my precious free time scrubbing toilets.
   
   Now I do a quick,15-minute cleaning whirlwind twice a day – swish the toilet one day, dust the living room the next.
   
   It never gets overwhelming, and nothing ever gets truly gross.

3. The “one-touch rule” can’t be over-stated. Instead of setting mail down to deal with later (and later, and later…), I handle it immediately – recycle, file, or act on it.
   
   Same with dishes, laundry, and everything else that tends to pile up. Not only does it look better, but now you can find things!

4. Is lack of time an issue? If your budget allows, consider a cleaning service for the deep stuff. My co-worker has a fabulous local cleaner who comes once a month to handle the things she never gets to – baseboards, inside of the oven, window tracks.
   
   It’s worth every penny for the time and mental space it frees up. She can relax after a hard day’s work and spend time with family.

5. Making your bed in the morning instantly creates order that can motivate you all day long. It literally takes 60 seconds but transforms a room. On days when everything else is chaos, at least there’s one sane spot to retreat to.

6. Also, think of cleaning as exercise! Dusting and vacuuming actually burn calories. Strap on a fitness tracker when you clean – it’s surprising how many steps you can rack up. Two birds, one stone!

Creating Home is Creating Value

Looking back at that conversation with my pastor’s wife, I realize she gave me more than cleaning advice – she helped me see the deeper purpose in creating home.

It’s not about achieving some magazine-worthy interior (though I won’t lie, I do love when guests compliment our cozy living room).

It’s about creating a space where people – including ourselves – can feel safe, valued, and nourished.

Homemaking is about creating a space where people can feel safe, valued and nourished.

Yes, the work of keeping a clean house is still work. It’s DEFINITELY tedious sometimes!

The dishes will keep coming, the dust will keep settling, and somehow the laundry basket is never, ever empty. (Those evil elves again.)

But reframing these tasks as acts of care changes everything.

I’m still an entrepreneur at heart. My work matters deeply to me. But I’ve stopped seeing homemaking as something separate from or less important than my professional goals.

They’re complementary.

My clean and organized home supports my work, and my work makes the time I spend caring for our home meaningful and possible.

Moving Forward: A Fresh Perspective

If you’re struggling with the endless cycle of housework while trying to build your career from home, I get it. I’ve been there – frustrated, overwhelmed, and resentful of the crumbs on the floor demanding my attention.

But maybe shift your perspective a bit. That cleanup isn’t just busywork. It’s creating the foundation that makes everything else in your life possible.

And on those days when it all feels too much? Treat yourself! Just order takeout. Let the laundry wait one more day. (Trust me, nobody’s going to accidentally clean your home when you’re not looking.)

After all, a perfectly germ-free, clean house isn’t the goal.

You’re just trying to create a healthy home that looks like somebody gives a damn. ❤

What about you? Has your relationship with housekeeping changed since working from home? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below.

And if you’ve found some ways to maintain your space while juggling work, please share your magic! We’re all figuring this out together.