I’m an interior expert and these are the things people judge the most in your home – and why you should clean less
WHEN visitors are coming over, you might have a sudden urge to whizz round the house with a feather duster and hoover, and frantically put things back where they belong just to make sure everything looks presentable.
However, having a clean home with nothing out of place could actually make your guests feel less comfortable, according to new research.
To find out what else our guests will judge us on inside our home, property development experts, Essential Living, analysed thousands of comments from Reddit to reveal the biggest icks.
According to the data, kitchenware that tastes like soap will cause the most havoc for your guests.
As one Redditor said: “Since I moved to the UK almost everyone I’ve stayed with seems to not care about soapy dishes and rinsing thoroughly. [I’m] desperately waiting to find housemates who are actually particular about this and other cleanliness stuff!”
The second biggest judgement in your home is a dirty microwave. If it has not been cleaned for a long time and smells, chances are, your guests will notice.
TOP TEN THINGS VISITORS JUDGE US FOR
1 Kitchenware that tastes of soap
2 A dirty microwave
3 Overly clean homes
4 Cluttered bathrooms
5 Sugar with tea/coffee stains in it
6 Pets who have full roam of the house
7 Urine on the toilet seat
8 Wearing outdoor shoes inside
9 Mouldy food on display
10 Dust bunnies/dust build up
Third is when your home is a bit too clean. While people enjoy a space that isn’t dirty, there’s a spectrum of cleanliness and a bit of clutter adds to the sense of homeliness for some.
Barbara Santini, a psychologist at Peaches and Screams, said: “Although keeping your home clean and orderly can make it seem inviting, being excessively clean can make your guests feel uncomfortable as if your home is too sterile, your guests will feel self-conscious about making a mess.
“While I recommend keeping your home clean when guests visit, you should find a balance between comfort and cleanliness to create a conducive environment for guests to socialise, relax, and have fun without feeling pressured to maintain extreme cleanliness”.
Other things your guests will pick up on are cluttered bathrooms, for instance, where there are empty toothpaste tubes lying about or too many open shampoo bottles for the number of people living in the house.
Also, check the current state of your sugar pot, as tea and coffee residue is another big no-no for anyone who pops round for a catchup and a brew – a social occasion extremely common for us Brits.
Nick Woodward, Lettings Director at Essential Living, comments: “Home is our safe space and somewhere we can be proud of. But it’s also a place where we invite the outside world in so it’s interesting to find out exactly what people notice when they arrive, as everyone has their own routine and preferences behind closed doors.
“Our study sheds light on some of the opinions our friends and family may think but not voice out loud, and it’s a bit of harmless fun to expose some of the judgement. Next time you invite someone over, this might be the reminder you needed to give the dishes an extra rinse!”
When it comes to hygiene, visitors won’t approve if you let your furry friends walk all over the kitchen counters or lick their plates, and, in the bathroom, never leave any wee on the seat.
If you want your guests to return again, avoid wearing your outdoor shoes inside the house and don’t leave mouldy fruit and vegetables out on display.
Lastly, get rid of any dust – whether that’s under the sofa or on your bookshelf; the research shows that people notice, even if you don’t.