Untidy House and Desk? Watch Out – You’re Being Judged!

Spring has sprung, grass is sprinkled with yellow bursts of daffodils and the air is filled with the anticipation of the changing season. March is the perfect time to start afresh, so earlier in the month we partnered with National Spring Cleaning Week. Now in its 14^th year, the week aims to encourage everyone to clear out the clutter.

As part of our involvement, we decided to conduct some research into the negative effects of an untidy home and the results were startling!

Move over, Hyacinth Bucket!

As a nation, we are quick to judge our friends for having an untidy home, with over 1 in 5 of us viewing them as lazy, and 22% viewing it as a sign that they don’t take pride in their home. However, our research showed that it’s not just friends that are likely to judge you for mess. Over 40% of us would be less likely to promote a co-worker if they were disorganised and cluttered.

Messing with our minds

It seems clutter is also messing with the nation’s minds, with 39% of the UK feeling de-motivated when their house is disorganised. The negative effects of clutter are further highlighted with almost 1/3 of us left feeling anxious and depressed. It is also having an impact on our social lives with 28% of respondents claiming not to invite friends over if their homes are in a muddled state.  But that doesn’t mean we are using those lonely nights to clean up our act, as 1/3 of the nation admitted to piling the mess in a cupboard and forgetting about it, rather than having a much needed spring clean!

Wasting time

As well as losing friends and promotions, the UK is losing significant time in the workplace as people search for misplaced items. Almost three-quarters of the population (73%) are late up to four times a month as a result of being unable to locate an essential item.

“A Place for Everything and everything in its place”

It is disturbing to see that, not only does clutter make us feel bad in ourselves, but it also has a detrimental impact on how we are seen.  So, how can we clean up our act? Our mantra at Little Shop Of, has always been “a place for everything and everything in its place”. By giving everything a designated place, it makes it much easier to put it away and then find it again.

We all lead busy lives and not many of us have the time or inclination to devote a weekend to the duster. But even small things can make a big difference! Why not wipe down the kitchen cupboards whilst you’re waiting for the pasta to cook or attack oven gunk whilst the kettle’s boiling? By making small changes before you know it, your house will be clean and clear of clutter and, as our survey shows, so will your mind!