Why Clean Your House? The True Cost of Being a Slob
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As children, most of us were born slobs. Let’s face it – there are a lot more fun things to do than clean and when we were young our parents cleaned up for us. In my generation we were responsible for doing chores when we got a little older and at the very least, tidy our rooms. This was not always successful but the attempt was there. In the younger generations today there are more people that weren’t taught how to clean properly or even why it is important to do so. Read more to hear about the true cost of being a slob.
In the current age of over-consumption and wasteful disregard of our planet, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Advertisements bombard us from a very young age and with over-indulgent parents and grandparents, it is no wonder people are drowning in clutter, debt and health complications.
#1 Cost of being a slob...Health
This is probably a no-brainer.
Household dust contains human and animal skin cells and hair, plant pollen, minerals from outdoor soil, textile and paper fibers, meteorite particles, and many other toxins or things in the environment. There are also mold spores in the air at all times, just waiting for the right elements to grow. For those of you who don’t know, mold spores require moisture, oxygen and prefer warmer temperatures, although most basements are warm enough. They do not require light, so dark spaces are perfect. There are many different kinds of mold and some of them can cause nasty health problems.
When you have too much stuff – furniture, accessories and general clutter, it makes it very difficult, if not impossible to clean properly. If you think your place it clean, but it is a cluttered hot mess all the time, you are lying to yourself! In extreme hoarding situations, injuries from accidents can also occur.
Examples of health costs:
- Allergies, asthma and other breathing problems.
- Anxiety and increased stress levels.
- Depression and brain fog.
- Injuries from falls from tripping over things.
- Loss of income if not able to go to work due to injury or illness. (Take your wage and multiple by typical hours worked per day = lost income per day.)
#2 Cost ..Repurchases
How much money do you waste buying things you already have? You have either forgotten you already have it or just can’t find it when you need it. Been there…done that.
#3 Cost...Social
Are you ever embarrassed to have anyone see how you live in your home? How many missed opportunities have you had to connect with people in your home?
Life happens and sometimes things get out of hand. It is important to keep trying though – maybe do a little at a time or ask for help if you aren’t able to do it yourself. My dining room was a disaster for months after my mother died. I had to find places to put her things (the ones I didn’t get rid of). It is a slow process sometimes.
#4 Cost of being a slob...Damage to property
Maybe this should be #1?
When food scraps, crumbs or residue are not cleaned properly, vermin and pests are attracted. Mice, rats, squirrels and insects can do serious damage and have detrimental health effects. They can cause damage to wires, insulation, walls and wood which may even result in equipment failure or a fire hazard.
With regular cleaning you will be able to see any maintenance issues that come up and can get them fixed before they become a major problem. In one of my rental properties, the tenants didn’t like to tell me when things needed to be fixed. What might have been a small cost to fix if I had known immediately, is now going to cost me thousands of dollars. I’m sure they were not even aware of some of the issues that I found when I had the house cleaned out. (And yes, they left me a big mess, which leads to #5.)
#5 Cost...Increased disposal costs.
In my town, there is a weekly limit of one bag of garbage per household. For any extra bags you have to buy tags for an extra fee of $3 a bag. It definitely pays to utilize the recycling and green bin collection, which is free. And it’s better for the environment.
When my tenants moved out and left a lot of their crap behind, it cost me almost $3000 to get it cleaned out. That included the rental of a 40 yard dumpster bin, labour for three people and dump tip-age fees.
#6 Cost of being a slob...Legal
In extreme cases, if you are a hoarder like the ones seen on TV, the town or city may condemn your house and you will have all the costs of moving and any legal costs that go along with it. Also you are at risk of a law suit if someone trips and falls on your property and gets injured.
A final note...
The purpose of this article is not to shame anyone. It is to educate and enlighten. As I mentioned before, not all people have been taught how to or even why it is important to clean on a regular basis. Life events and mental illness can also can also affect our abilities to maintain a clean home. Our quality of life is directly impacted by our surroundings and our home should be our sanctuary, our haven from all the troubles of the world. It should not be adding to our troubles with mental or physical health issues or unnecessary money problems.
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