For many homeowners, cleaning a house is a daily ritual performed without a second thought. Others, however, find tidying a home tedious and believe it creates more problems than it’s worth. According to psychologists, cleaning benefits our mental health — but for some people, the disadvantages have them hiring someone else to do their dirty work.
Disadvantages of cleaning your house include how long it takes and chemical exposure. Health issues caused include stress and pressure to maintain a clean home and physical injuries due to repetitive motions. Cleaning mistakes could also cost you thousands of dollars.
This article dives into the five disadvantages of cleaning your house. The information serves to help you decide whether it’s worth it to hire a professional cleaning service or invest in smart cleaning technology to help you maintain a clean home. Read on to learn more.
5 Disadvantages of Cleaning Your House
There are far more advantages than disadvantages when cleaning a home. For some, however, the negatives outweigh the positives. Those people outsource home cleaning duties so they can spend more time doing what they love and less of what stresses them out.
Let’s look at five disadvantages of house cleaning to see if you, too, might consider booking a cleaning service or investing in home cleaning technology. Getting help cleaning your house is not bad, especially since it means you can have a clean space without stress.
1. Cleaning Takes Up Too Much Time
Cleaning a home takes hours out of your day. Depending on the size of your house, tidying up could potentially consume ⅙ or more of your entire day! That’s four hours of cleaning you could spend doing things you love or advancing your career. Instead, you’re stuck spending time on tedious tasks like washing windows and vacuuming.
To give you a clear picture of how much time it takes to clean, below is a table showing the general time expectancy for different levels of cleaning.
| Type of Cleaning | Expected Time | Tasks/Duties |
| General Tidying | 1-3 hours per day | Emptying/changing trash binsPicking up toys/clothes off floorWiping tabletops and surfacesWashing/putting away dishesMaking beds |
| Full House Cleaning | 1 hour per room Add 45 minutes per room for organization. | All general tidying tasksDustingVacuumingSweeping/mopping |
| Weekly Deep Cleaning | 1.5-2 hours per room Add 45 minutes per task per room for tasks with an asterisk (*). | All general tidying tasksAll full house cleaning tasksScrub toilet/showerClean ovenClean refrigeratorClean microwaveClean windows *Wipe blinds *Clean walls *Sanitize trash cansClean under appliancesVacuum under furniture |
| Laundry | 1 hour per day | WashingDryingFoldingHangingIroning |
A standard three-bedroom home could take up to six hours to clean each bedroom plus one bathroom, the kitchen, and a single living area! That’s enough reason to hire a maid or invest in a Roomba to save a little time for yourself.
If you want to learn more about the benefits of owning a Roomba, read my article here.
2. Exposure to Household Cleaners Can Cause Health Problems
According to the American Lung Association, regular household cleaners release volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
These compounds can cause respiratory issues, allergic reactions, and other adverse health effects. Everything from chlorine bleach to all-natural citrus cleaners can release VOCs. Those with respiratory disorders or asthma may be more susceptible to health issues caused by VOCs.
If you’re unsure what you’re doing and mix chemicals or improperly dilute concentrates, you could injure yourself or create a potentially fatal situation. You should never mix cleaning supplies, as they can easily create deadly gasses.
3. House Cleaning Can Be Overwhelming and Stressful
Unfortunately, we often associate a clean house with our self-image; this is terrible for our mental health. The need to create a perfect image for outsiders is a plague to the mind, and forcing yourself to meet these unattainable standards can affect your self-esteem.
Think about it. How often have you felt stressed about cleaning because guests are coming over? You feel flustered and anxious, so you kick things into high gear to ensure the home is pristine as soon as they step foot inside — but this isn’t based in reality.
Crumbs on the loveseat and dishes in the sink don’t define who you are. We live in our homes, so they’re going to look “lived in.” One of the biggest disadvantages of cleaning is the stress and unrealistic expectations we put on ourselves in the process. It can become overwhelming.
4. Various Bodily Injuries May Be Caused by Cleaning
There are dozens of physical hazards associated with cleaning. For instance, when cleaning the blades of a ceiling fan, you’ll need to utilize an elevated platform, such as a step stool, which significantly increases your risk of falling. When mopping, you must navigate wet floors that create a slippery surface.
Tools, such as rotary scrubbers or sharp scrapers, can cause cutting injuries if you’re not careful. When you add cleaners into the mix, things become slick, increasing the danger of falling.
Beyond daily injury possibilities, long-term injuries are also a possibility. When cleaning a house, most of the movement is at the waist. You’re bent over, moving your hands to scrub and wipe. Twisting motions, reaching, lifting, pushing, and pulling can all put you at a greater risk of musculoskeletal injuries.
5. Irresponsible Cleaning Could Cost You
Unless you’re 100 percent confident in your cleaning abilities and knowledge of chemicals, it’s possible that cleaning your house could lead to serious damage.
Imagine destroying your original hardwood floors because you failed to read a label or accidentally bleaching your blue suede sofa because you didn’t check for color fastness. These seemingly simple mistakes can cost you thousands of dollars.
Considering the cost of repairing hardwood floors and replacing furniture, for some people, it’s best to stick with a housekeeper who knows what they’re doing. Not only will it save time and reduce stress, but it could also potentially save you thousands of dollars in the long run.
