Everyone has a different style of housekeeping, and everyone’s style is strongly connected to their personal housekeeping philosophy. Some people believe that cleaning is an every day task that they should not fall behind on, while others view cleaning as an actual chore and spread out their cleaning sessions more liberally. Neither way is right or wrong, so long as the home stays sanitary and functional. Below are descriptions of three basic housekeeping philosophies:

• The Constant Cleaner. The first type of cleaner is the constant cleaner, who is perpetually cleaning. This type of person often cleans as much out of enjoyment as out of responsibility. They have immaculately clean homes and they pride themselves on their good housekeeping. This person’s cleaning philosophy is to clean anytime something is unclean and needs attention. Cleaning is a very high priority for them and there is little that can prevent them from immediately cleaning something that does not meet their standards of cleanliness.
• The Regular Cleaner. The average person is a regular cleaner. This is considered to be the most balanced philosophy of cleaning. This housekeeping style enables a person to keep their home clean but to not be absorbed in cleaning. If cleaning is a genuine passion and hobby for a person, then doing it regularly is not unhealthy behavior, but if a person has other interests they need a considerable amount of time for, knowing when to forego cleaning can be very important.
• The Sporadic Cleaner. The opposite of the constant cleaner, the sporadic cleaner is one who does not enjoy cleaning or has an overfull schedule that barely permits it. More often than not, the sporadic cleaner only does the bare minimum in cleaning, and detail cleans only out of absolute necessity. The sporadic cleaner’s living environment usually remains sanitary, though the constant cleaner might disagree. Their level of cleanliness is socially acceptable, but undoubtedly at the lesser end of the spectrum.

Not everyone has the ability to maintain a clean, organized home at all times, but those who are known for their good housekeeping skills are likely to be a particular type of person. That is to say, you can tell a lot about a person by their housekeeping skills. Those who maintain organized, neat homes are statistically more likely to be punctual, successful A-types. This is more a likelihood than a rule, but tends to be a fairly reliable one. Good housekeepers are more likely to have their lives under control, have good time management skills and be successful, effective people.

It is likely that if someone has the cleanliness and organization of their home under control, they also have the rest of their life under control. A person’s cleaning habits are frequently a reflection of their life management abilities. People with messy homes tend to lead messy lives while people with clean homes tend to lead responsible lives. A person’s level of organization is a key attribute of their personality and they will tend to apply it to their personal space the way they apply it to the rest of their lives.

Good time management is integral to good housekeeping. One universal rule about housekeeping is that it is time consuming. It cannot be accomplished by someone who does not intelligently plan their time. It has been observed that anyone who is responsible about their routine housekeeping is also an avid time manager. Those who live their lives by a clock very consistently have well-cared for homes.

Another trend between good housekeeping and personality types is that good housekeepers are more often than not successful, effective people. They have managed to have career success, are financially responsible and make good investments. They have good reputations in their peer circles and are generally valued employees and respected members of their communities. Good housekeeping skills are a sign of a respectable person.

Where as a person with a tidy home tends to have a well put together life, a person with a messy, unorganized home is more likely to have a frazzled life. This observation of cleanliness mirroring a person’s general life management skills and decision making capabilities has been seen in repeated instances. It is very common for people with messy homes to be undisciplined, out of control of their lives and generally bad at time management skills. There are always variations, but generally speaking, this observation holds true more often than not.

Being undisciplined is very common for people with messy, unorganized homes. Cleanliness and good housekeeping requires a fair amount of discipline because it is seldom thought of as fun. It is more of a labor than it is an enjoyable task, so maintaining the motivation to get it done requires a strong sense of discipline. Those who are undisciplined are far more likely to procrastinate housekeeping in order to do something more enjoyable.

Many people are also not brought up to have particularly good life management skills. When someone does not make an effort to keep their home clean, often times it is because they simply do not know how, or if they do know how, they do not know how to prioritize it. This inability to be in control of one’s life is often the underlying cause of poor housekeeping habits. If you cannot control your life, how are you going to control the cleanliness of your home?

And lastly, failing to keep your house clean can simply be a sign of poor time management abilities. People who cannot manage their time well are often misunderstood. They may possess strong organization skills, but due to their inability to fit them into a reasonable amount of time, they forego them in order to complete more essential tasks, such as going to work or being with family.