Remind me of the benefits of keeping my house very clean and tidy

[NoEffingWay]

I am not a slob, but have accepted over the years that kids, full time work, hobbies and the rest has meant that my house is definitely 'lived in'.
I recently, for some reason unbeknownst to myself, did a full spring clean, including taking everything off shelves and wet-dusting the whole shebang. It looks great modest , and since then I have been keeping on top of it.
Part of me loves it, and there's a sense of calm, quiet in living in a very clean house I really like.
If I'm totally honest though, it's not 'me' to not have washing waiting to be put away, and bins that could do with emptying.
Am I destined to live in a slightly messy house forever? Is anyone a reformed teenage dirtbag?!

Just me then?

I can only answer for me. The longer I live in untidy or dirty surroundings, the worse I feel. However at times of stress I can go the other way as if exerting control over my environment compensates for lack of control elsewhere in my life. I feel calmer when the day to day debris of the rest of my family is out of my sight but I have definitely lowered standards since having children and wanting to prioritise more pleasurable activity over endless chores at the weekend. For my birthday, almost as a joke, I asked my DH to help me clear the clutter from the room I use to WFH. He put in a massive effort to clear his crap, and deal with the stuff waitibg to go to charity, tip, CDs to be digitised etc...I was surprised at just how much it improved my mood- space to think almost. So I reckon you just need to find what your happy level is.

For me the benefits don't get beyond it being less chaotic and more useable. I never get past "good enough" because really I don't care beyond that, it brings me more stress than joy trying to make it perfect. But when it's a mess it's awful too. I know my happy place.

I get to see and enjoy my lovely things that I have chosen and placed in my home because I love them.
Also, it assuages my control freakery!

I can find stuff

The feel good feeling when you wake up in the morning?

Tbh I don’t care what the benefits are. I’ll do as much as I can but come 8pm I’m dead on my feet and anything I’ve not got the energy to do gets left until the next day. Im a single mother with no practical or physical help ever (and I mean ever).

I feel like a failure of a woman and mother because of it.

It makes me feel better. I get very grumpy and miserable when my house is cluttered, untidy and in need of a blitz. So I do it most days.

Because life is so much easier, calmer and more enjoyable if your home is clean & tidy. You save so much time not having to look for keys, phone, handbag, shoes, PE kit, swimming kit, important letter from school etc. You never have to worry about impromptu visitors. You never have to worry if your loo is a bio-hazard when you need to get a plumber in. You never have to worry that your children are ashamed to bring friends home. You never have to worry about catching food poisoning in your own kitchen.

I couldn't live in a messy, dirty home. My mental health would go straight down the loo. I love waking up and coming home to a clean and tidy house, I like knowing that someone could pop in at any time and I wouldn't be mortified, and I like knowing where everything is when I need it.