People Share 80 Before And After Pics Of Them Cleaning Up

Oftentimes, a messy room might not mean anything more than its owner being short on time.

"Some people simply don't value cleanliness, and they prioritize other things over keeping a room clean," says Weena Cullins, a marriage and family therapist.

"When you think about it, there's a mundaneness and a monotony with keeping up with tasks like this that need to be completed routinely without much more benefit to them than returning to a clean room, so sometimes a refusal to keep a room clean is more about that than anything else."

But it can also be indicative of a bigger issue.

A messy room can also be a sign of depression. Several of the criteria for the diagnosis — hopelessness, fatigue, and lack of concentration — can all play a role in why cleaning is constantly postponed, or not even considered at all.

Cullins explains that, in the case of fatigue, many times you're struggling to even get out of bed. "If you can barely get out of bed, it's unlikely that you have the energy to clean your room," she adds.

If you're feeling a little less than hopeful, you might have a hard time understanding why you should bother to organize your stuff since, from your point of view, everything seems to be going wrong anyway.

Cullins notes that, for people with depression, it can be a "struggle to find joy or see a light at the end of a dark tunnel." If it's not going to change anything, why even try?

"While it may sound strange to forget to clean up your room since you're reminded of the condition of the room each day, depression can make you easily distracted," Cullins says.

"So you can intend to put things in order in your room and never find the concentration or the energy to get around to it because you have so many other things going on."

It's hard to say exactly how many people let their homes go for too long, but one survey says that, on average, Americans spend about six hours per week cleaning their homes.

Around a quarter (28%) dedicate more than seven hours, while one in five (21%) spend just one to two hours.

However, one in ten (10%) admit they clean for less than an hour each week.

Even though we clean regularly, questions often remain about how, what, and when to clean. According to the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), what matters most is not how long we spend cleaning, but how effective we are.

To maximize our efforts, the ACI recommends prioritizing these cleaning tasks:

1. Bathroom: Disinfect toilet bowls, sinks, tubs, and showers
2. Kitchen: Clean cutting boards, countertops, and dishes
3. Laundry: Wash sheets, towels, and bathmats weekly
4. Floors: Vacuum carpets and mop floors to reduce asthma and allergy triggers

In addition, we can practice prevention to reduce the time we spend cleaning. The ACI suggests developing these habits to stay ahead of the mess:

1. Keep clutter to a minimum: This limits places for dust and allergens to accumulate.
2. Avoid spreading dirt and germs: Wash hands regularly and wipe shoes on entryway rugs or mats.
3. Keep bathroom and kitchen surfaces clean and dry: This helps reduce mold and mildew.
4. Promptly clean up crumbs and spills.
5. Treat spots and stains on clothing immediately.