Spring-clean your way to better health and wellbeing

Experts have found that spring-cleaning your home has a number of health benefits.

Research shows that cleaning and organising the space you spend most of your time in can keep your immune system strong, boost your mood, and offer a task that promotes focus and reflection during a trying time. A decluttered house can also reduce stress and depression as well as help avoid injuries.

Here are four ways spring-cleaning can benefit your health and wellbeing:

1. Strengthen your immune system

A clean house can help you breathe better by preventing respiratory issues and supporting a healthy immune system. While you should aim to clean regularly to avoid immune system triggers, spring-cleaning can be an opportunity for a deep clean.

Tips to boost your immune system through cleaning:

• Wash all rugs, floors, carpets and curtains well to eliminate dust and keep the air cleaner
• Wash all extra bedding and blankets. Put pillows into the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any dust mites
• Take off your shoes at the door to avoid carrying in dirt and dust from the outdoors throughout your home.

2. Decrease stress and depression

Clutter and mess can create more stress and anxiety, but by cleaning, organising, and reducing the clutter, people are able to take control of their environment and create a more relaxing space.

How to declutter your space to improve your mental health:

• The process of sorting through items, reorganising, and getting rid of the excess by tossing, donating, or recycling them can be mentally refreshing and liberating
• Studies have found that a relaxing and clutter-free home has a positive effect on people’s daily mood and ability to focus.

3. Prevent illness

Cleaning things you touch a lot can help you avoid illness and minimize the spread of viruses and bacteria.

Keeping surfaces and sinks and items such as chopping boards clean can improve food safety, which helps minimize foodborne symptoms or illness.

How to clean to prevent illness

• Clean the items you use most, or items that could come in contact with your mouth, eyes, or nose. That may include your mobile phone, keyboard, bedding, and towels
• Sanitize surfaces with alcohol-based cleaners
• Deep-clean the sink every day, as it can harbour more bacteria than a toilet
• Clean bathrooms and other places that are shared with family members more frequently.

4. Reduce risk of injury

Falls and fractures are a common and serious health issue faced by older people in the UK. People aged 65 and older have the highest risk of falling; around a third of people aged 65 and over, and around half of people aged 80 and over, fall at least once a year. Falling is a cause of distress, pain, injury, loss of confidence, loss of independence and mortality.

Spring is a great time to make adjustments to your home, or an older parent’s home, to reduce the risk of falls.

How to clean for a safe home

• Prioritize cleaning clutter from pathways, hallways, and staircases
• Secure rugs and repair any other tripping hazards, like loose floorboards
• Cords are a major tripping hazard. Tack cords to baseboards, or reroute them along the wall to eliminate the risk of tripping on one.

By regularly cleaning your home and decluttering, your health and wellbeing can benefit greatly. Why not breakdown cleaning your house into small, manageable sections every day and see the benefits for yourself.