ORLANDO, FLA. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – While you might think an extra box in a basement or bedroom isn’t a big deal, clutter can be a hazard. A study from St. Lawrence University found that a cluttered bedroom and a poor night’s sleep go hand in hand.
A dirty home will zap your energy and productivity. Researchers have found that cleaning helps you gain a sense of control over your environment and can improve your mood.
Want tips to help you declutter?
- Go room by room and focus on a category.
- Set reasonable goals so you don’t quit halfway through.
- Create a keep, donate, and toss pile, and if you find you’re storing anything for someone else, give them a deadline to pick it up.
And what about those hard-to-clean items you’ve been avoiding? Your pillow can have oil, dirt, sweat, bacteria, saliva and even mold. Toss them in a washer on a gentle cycle, using a very small amount of detergent. Add tennis balls to the dryer so the filling doesn’t get clumped.
Coffee machines are another neglected item. An NSF International Study of Kitchen Products found that 50% of the sampled reservoirs in coffee makers had mold or yeast.
Spring is also a good time to replace your sponges. More than 75% of dish sponges and rags had salmonella, E. coli, and fecal matter.
And don’t forget your home office and living room. In 22 households, the NSF found yeast and mold and even staph on the computer keyboard, remote control, and video game controller.
Icemakers are often neglected as well. Start by unplugging the refrigerator, and dumping any ice, clean it with warm soapy water, replace the filter, and run through a few cycles of ice before use.
Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/20/well/mind/how-to-declutter.html; https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/the-big-pandemic-clean-out-clearing-the-junk-out-of-your-home-while-stuck-there/2020/08/04/230d71d2-c868-11ea-a99f-3bbdffb1af38_story.html; https://www.today.com/home/marie-kondo-effect-thrift-stores-nationwide-see-uptick-donations-t146810 https://www.verywellmind.com/how-mental-health-and-cleaning-are-connected-5097496 https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/cleaning-and-organizing/youre-probably-ignoring-these-things-in-your-home-that-need-to-be-cleaned/ss-AAOtW84?li=BBnb7Kz#image=10
Contributor(s) to this news report include: Danielle Gober, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor.
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