tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/tidying-65309/articlesTidying – The Conversation2023-09-04T02:00:06Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2116842023-09-04T02:00:06Z2023-09-04T02:00:06ZWhy is a messy house such an anxiety trigger for me and what can I do about it?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542969/original/file-20230816-25-polgjf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C11%2C3840%2C2144&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the sight of clutter and mess in your home? Have you walked in the door only to feel overloaded by scattered papers, unwashed dishes and clothes in disarray? Maybe you’ve even had arguments because it bothers you more than it bothers you partner or housemates. </p>
<p>You’re not alone. Many people report a messy house can trigger feelings of <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0146167209352864">stress</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494421000062?via%3Dihub">anxiety</a>.</p>
<p>So why do clutter and chaos make some of us feel so overwhelmed? Here’s what the research says – and what you can do about it.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542970/original/file-20230816-28-9s4xh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542970/original/file-20230816-28-9s4xh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542970/original/file-20230816-28-9s4xh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542970/original/file-20230816-28-9s4xh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542970/original/file-20230816-28-9s4xh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542970/original/file-20230816-28-9s4xh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542970/original/file-20230816-28-9s4xh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542970/original/file-20230816-28-9s4xh7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Ever felt that mess bothers you more than it bothers you partner or housemates?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sorry-men-theres-no-such-thing-as-dirt-blindness-you-just-need-to-do-more-housework-100883">Sorry, men, there's no such thing as 'dirt blindness' – you just need to do more housework</a>
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</em>
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<h2>Cognitive overload</h2>
<p>When we’re surrounded by distractions, our brains essentially become <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21228167/">battlegrounds</a> for attention. Everything competes for our focus.</p>
<p>But the brain, as it turns out, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1994-43838-001">prefers</a> order and “<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00086/full%22%22">singletasking</a>” over multitasking.</p>
<p>Order helps reduce the competition for our attention and reduces mental load. While some people might be better than others at <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1523471113">ignoring distractions</a>, distractable environments can overload our cognitive capabilities and memory.</p>
<p>Clutter, disorder and mess can affect more than just our cognitive resources. They’re also linked to our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23907542/">eating</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132318307157?via=ihub">productivity</a>, mental health, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15374424jccp3401_9">parenting</a> decisions and even our willingness to donate <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23907542/">money</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544129/original/file-20230823-29-e5v7ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman looks at the camera while standing in a messy room." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544129/original/file-20230823-29-e5v7ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544129/original/file-20230823-29-e5v7ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544129/original/file-20230823-29-e5v7ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544129/original/file-20230823-29-e5v7ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544129/original/file-20230823-29-e5v7ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544129/original/file-20230823-29-e5v7ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544129/original/file-20230823-29-e5v7ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Mess can profoundly affect mental wellbeing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>Are women more affected than men?</h2>
<p>Research suggests the detrimental effects of mess and clutter may be more pronounced in women than in men.</p>
<p>One <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167209352864">study</a> of 60 dual-income couples found women living in cluttered and stressful homes had higher levels of cortisol (a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19596045/#:%7E:text=After%2520controlling%2520for%2520the%2520individual,and%2520poor%2520self-rated%2520health.">hormone</a> associated with stress) and heightened depression symptoms.</p>
<p>These effects remained consistent even when factors like marital satisfaction and personality traits were taken into account. In contrast, the men in this study seemed largely unaffected by the state of their home environments. </p>
<p>The researchers theorised that women may feel a greater responsibility for maintaining the home. They also suggested the social aspect of the study (which involved giving home tours) may have induced more fear of judgement among women than men.</p>
<p>We will all live with clutter and disorganisation to some degree in our lives. Sometimes, however, significant clutter problems can be linked to underlying mental health conditions such as <a href="https://beyondocd.org/information-for-individuals/symptoms/ocd-related-hoarding#:%7E:text=Examples%20of%20hoarding%20in%20the,are%20not%20needed%20any%20more">obsessive-compulsive disorder</a>, <a href="https://beyondocd.org/information-for-individuals/symptoms/ocd-related-hoarding#:%7E:text=Examples%20of%20hoarding%20in%20the,are%20not%20needed%20any%20more">hoarding disorder</a>, <a href="https://psychcentral.com/depression/messy-room-depression#does-it-exacerbate-symptoms">major depressive disorder</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005796704000531">attention deficit hyperactivity disorder</a>, and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0887618510001647">anxiety disorders</a>. </p>
<p>This raises a crucial question: which came first? For some, clutter is the source of anxiety and distress; for others, poor mental health is the source of disorganisation and clutter.</p>
<h2>Not all mess is a problem</h2>
<p>It’s important to remember clutter isn’t all bad, and we shouldn’t aim for perfection. Real homes don’t look like the ones in magazines.</p>
<p>In fact, disorganised spaces can result in increased <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23907542/">creativity</a> and elicit fresh insights. </p>
<p>Living in constant disorder isn’t productive, but striving for perfectionism in cleanliness can also be counterproductive. Perfectionism itself is associated with feeling overwhelmed, anxiety and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28026869/">poor mental health</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544133/original/file-20230823-26-jq020l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man cleans an already tidy house." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544133/original/file-20230823-26-jq020l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544133/original/file-20230823-26-jq020l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544133/original/file-20230823-26-jq020l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544133/original/file-20230823-26-jq020l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544133/original/file-20230823-26-jq020l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544133/original/file-20230823-26-jq020l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544133/original/file-20230823-26-jq020l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">We shouldn’t aim for perfection.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Mess makes me anxious so what can I do about it?</h2>
<p>It’s important to remember you have some agency over what matters to you and how you want to prioritise your time.</p>
<p>One approach is to try to reduce the clutter. You might, for example, have a dedicated de-cluttering session every week. This may involve hiring a cleaner (if you can afford it) or playing some music or a podcast while tidying up for an hour with your other household members.</p>
<p>Establishing this routine can reduce clutter distractions, ease your overall mental load and alleviate worry that clutter will spiral out of control.</p>
<p>You can also try micro-tidying. If don’t have time for a complete cleanup, commit just five minutes to clearing one small space.</p>
<p>If the clutter is primarily caused by other household members, try to calmly discuss with them how this mess is affecting your mental health. See if your kids, your partner or housemates can negotiate some boundaries as a household over what level of mess is acceptable and how it will be handled if that threshold is exceeded.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544135/original/file-20230823-19-ng1nw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man and child sort laundry together." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544135/original/file-20230823-19-ng1nw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544135/original/file-20230823-19-ng1nw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544135/original/file-20230823-19-ng1nw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544135/original/file-20230823-19-ng1nw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544135/original/file-20230823-19-ng1nw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544135/original/file-20230823-19-ng1nw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544135/original/file-20230823-19-ng1nw0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Managing mess is the whole household’s job.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>It can also help to develop a self-compassionate mindset.</p>
<p>Mess doesn’t define whether you are a “good” or “bad” person and, at times, it may even stimulate your <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23907542/">creativity</a>. Remind yourself that you deserve success, meaningful relationships and happiness, whether or not your office, home or car is a mess. </p>
<p>Take comfort in <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0013916516628178">research</a> suggesting that while disorganised environments can make us susceptible to stress and poor decision-making, your mindset can buffer you against these vulnerabilities.</p>
<p>If clutter, perfectionism or anxiety has begun to seem unmanageable, talk with your GP about a referral to a <a href="https://psychology.org.au/psychology/about-psychology/what-is-psychology">psychologist</a>. The right psychologist (and you may need to try a few before you find the right one) can help you cultivate a life driven by values that are important to you. </p>
<p>Clutter and mess are more than just visual nuisances. They can have a profound impact on mental wellbeing, productivity and our choices.</p>
<p>Understanding why clutter affects you can empower you to take control of your mindset, your living spaces and, in turn, your life.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/men-do-see-the-mess-they-just-arent-judged-for-it-the-way-women-are-118728">Men do see the mess – they just aren't judged for it the way women are</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211684/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erika Penney does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When we’re surrounded by distractions, our brains essentially become battlegrounds for attention. Everything competes for our focus.Erika Penney, Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2020162023-04-06T13:52:26Z2023-04-06T13:52:26ZWhat is ‘eldest daughter syndrome’ and how can we fix it?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519302/original/file-20230404-24-pqcpq3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3600%2C3567&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Eldest daughters often take on the lion's share of domestic responsibilities.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/three-children-smiling-2385657/">Pexels/nishant aneja</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Have you heard of “eldest daughter syndrome”? It’s the emotional burden eldest daughters tend to take on (and are encouraged to take on) in many families from a young age. </p>
<p>From caring for younger siblings, helping out with everyday chores, looking after <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40894-019-00119-9">sick parents</a> to sorting shopping orders or online deliveries, <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/work-employment-and-society/article/abs/household-division-of-labour-generation-gender-age-birth-order-and-sibling-composition/C8915E3CE7CA1BDECA34D25AAC0C71D4">eldest daughters</a> often shoulder a heavy but invisible burden of domestic responsibility from a young age.</p>
<p>What’s wrong with that? You might ask, shouldn’t the eldest children, who are supposed to be more grown-up, help out and look after their younger siblings? Aren’t girls “naturally” better at caring? These <a href="https://www.elgaronline.com/display/edcoll/9781788975537/9781788975537.00033.xml">popular assumptions</a> are so entrenched that they can make it difficult for us to see the problem.</p>
<p>But <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/oldestdaughtersyndrome">#EldestDaughterSyndrome</a> is now trending on TikTok, with adolescent girls speaking out about the unfair amount of unpaid (and unappreciated) labour they do in their families, as well as discussing its adverse effects on their lives, health and wellbeing.</p>
<p>Of course, the “<a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/eldest-daughter-syndrome-tiktok-trend-093323841.html">syndrome</a>” has existed for centuries across many parts of the world. So why is it now being spoken about as such an issue?</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/houseplants-dont-just-look-nice-they-can-also-give-your-mental-health-a-boost-186982">Houseplants don’t just look nice – they can also give your mental health a boost</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-philosophy-behind-the-japanese-art-form-of-kintsugi-can-help-us-navigate-failure-193487?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">How the philosophy behind the Japanese art form of kintsugi can help us navigate failure</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-spend-time-wisely-what-young-people-can-learn-from-retirees-189340">How to spend time wisely – what young people can learn from retirees</a></em></p>
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<p>Despite women’s rise in <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-soc-073117-041215">education</a> and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jftr.12248?casa_token=SbEGSkHlhYQAAAAA:gO7Afzv3nFIe2QHW4kwYlb3hcEvAs31SRbLwbhviKNQgkmFD8nV-yGovkwTiOOaLFgMjy9LGcUnmr94">employment</a>, they still shoulder the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jomf.12590">lion’s share of housework</a>. Indeed, progress towards gender equality in the workplace has not <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jftr.12248?casa_token=STyBuPSvBKkAAAAA:Ov9x4WfFu4XW21hHDd_8pfFn_0mlOPE-SIu8DcLqFCUQnpa1NwJ-EUK3q44wpChTJT5ulFFHX_1OPDo">translated into</a> gender equality at home. And eldest daughter syndrome can go some way to explain why this is the case.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Eldest daughter helps her brother and looks after him." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519305/original/file-20230404-16-34v0km.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519305/original/file-20230404-16-34v0km.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519305/original/file-20230404-16-34v0km.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519305/original/file-20230404-16-34v0km.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519305/original/file-20230404-16-34v0km.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519305/original/file-20230404-16-34v0km.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519305/original/file-20230404-16-34v0km.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘ Just look after your brother will you.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.pexels.com/photo/little-girl-helping-her-brother-with-homework-5088191/">Pexels/olia danilevich</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Research shows that children make a notable but often <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11150-013-9234-5">overlooked contribution</a> to domestic labour. Mirroring the gender divide among adults, girls between five and 14 years old spend <a href="https://www.unicef.org/turkiye/en/node/2311#:%7E:text=The%20data%20show%20that%20the,chores%20than%20boys%20their%20age.">40% more time</a> on domestic work than boys. </p>
<p>Following a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21620555.2018.1430508?journalCode=mcsa20">patriarchal pecking order</a>, the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21620555.2018.1430508?journalCode=mcsa20">eldest daughter</a> often bears the brunt of the burden among her siblings.</p>
<p>As voiced by many on TikTok, the syndrome <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/oldestdaughtersyndrome">can impair</a> eldest daughters’ wellbeing and “steal” their childhood as they are rushed into assuming a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21620555.2018.1430508?journalCode=mcsa20">disproportionate amount</a> of adult responsibilities – also known as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/sep/20/parentified-child-behave-like-adult">parentification</a>. In doing so, it reproduces gender inequality in domestic labour from one generation to another.</p>
<h2>Why it happens</h2>
<p>At least three behavioural theories underlie eldest daughter syndrome and they are often simultaneously at play, reinforcing one another.</p>
<p>First, the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jomf.12225?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false">role modelling theory</a>, which suggests that eldest daughters often follow their mother as a role model in learning to “do” gender. Second, the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0044118X92024002004">sex-typing theory</a> proposes that parents often assign different, gendered tasks to girls and boys. </p>
<p>Sex-typing often builds on parents’ gendered understanding of domestic work as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0049089X04001073?casa_token=7-yGCGodnf4AAAAA:pz_LKJKsAWAgnNIZoqNuHHjRM6fpwgmli69FdBQrAibGqnyN7GtIZj9ae_KKP9M_OvrmJjM48Q">something associated with femininity</a>. For parents who consciously strive to instil gender equality in their children, sex-typing can still occur as eldest daughters unconsciously <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2657414?casa_token=VDKVPExTOXAAAAAA%3AOnkPl9ACA1nU7FUY5hV5wPjQ2tQ1gbFjbu8Kojq6lC--QKqp6JxMEnOkiM1E8ZKWGz32JpqBdxILbj9F0DYs3ZVI09DeMsIH-uLPEFlNVeZ2EwBGO_s">join their mothers in gendered activities</a> such as cooking, house cleaning and shopping.</p>
<p>And third, the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-9507.00225?casa_token=PMbEnckrqtoAAAAA:NuCMXJNrsW2-DwY5kYhrlaQ7tzgLlXml3rBtnZnGR7zTjhR1Vx8gnKdz1-uUnsJ6ZTksuFxhYbJo834">labour substitution theory</a> suggests that when working mothers have limited time available for domestic work, eldest daughters often act as “substitutes”. As a result, they end up spending more time on care provision and housework. </p>
<p>Consequently, mothers’ progress towards gender equality at work can come <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21620555.2018.1430508?journalCode=mcsa20">at the cost</a> of their eldest daughters picking up the domestic slack at a young age.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Eldest daughter helps sibling with homework." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519303/original/file-20230404-27-dvcqk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519303/original/file-20230404-27-dvcqk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519303/original/file-20230404-27-dvcqk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519303/original/file-20230404-27-dvcqk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519303/original/file-20230404-27-dvcqk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519303/original/file-20230404-27-dvcqk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519303/original/file-20230404-27-dvcqk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Older siblings often end up helping with homework.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/mother-helping-her-daughter-use-a-laptop-4260325/">Pexels/august de richelieu</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As we look further afield, the issue of eldest daughter syndrome has far-reaching implications for <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Servants_of_Globalization/sCcoCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=servants+of+globalisation&printsec=frontcover">global gender inequality</a> and an ongoing <a href="https://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/2018/a-global-crisis-in-care/">global care crisis</a>.</p>
<p>In the Philippines, for example, <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Servants_of_Globalization/sCcoCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=servants+of+globalisation&printsec=frontcover">many mothers migrate</a> to the US, the Middle East and Europe to work as domestic workers.</p>
<p>Their work helps free their clients from domestic gender inequality to some extent through <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jomf.12321?casa_token=jYXuxbZK_H8AAAAA:kJYVkwu5HRiCyfiAqzMDeeildvh9C3_vCgEgQCdLqHPVwcCB_y4qXBlMV_bezq8F2XG2h3VqnzXYFJ4">domestic outsourcing</a>. But back in the Philippines, the women’s eldest daughters often have to step up as <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/011719680501400301?casa_token=plrqCW5kHG8AAAAA:yYkI906GzoUOiSdio9psYpb1VfxxdBVNMSvICk_eFI94n72L5QBxX6jd_DAu-kADauVqaKRufVbf">“surrogate” mothers</a> and run the household.</p>
<p>In this process, eldest daughter syndrome reproduces <a href="https://trainingcentre.unwomen.org/instraw-library/2009-R-MIG-GLO-GLO-EN.pdf">domestic gender inequality</a> across generations and offloads such inequality from one part of the world to another.</p>
<h2>What can we do?</h2>
<p>The “cure” might seem simple – we need families to recognise the unfair burden that may have been placed on the eldest daughter and to redistribute household responsibilities more equally.</p>
<p>Yet, doing so is far from straightforward. It requires male family members in particular to step up their contribution to domestic work. In turn, it requires us to “undo” <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jftr.12245?casa_token=F2VnZvOJRaoAAAAA:6-kRCkTWzBiHQsE33S-0Z-VzajzAIMI1WgFO_mKrawK7bOzSFuSQgKn-qkRG3IkSBEoCOpv0_6_kPCk">centuries of thinking</a> about housework and care as something gendered and “feminine”. </p>
<p>To achieve that, we need to first recognise the problem that domestic labour, particularly labour performed by children and eldest daughters, which goes largely <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1043463193005003003">unseen, unpaid and under-valued</a>. </p>
<p>In the <a href="https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/03/16/budget-2023-everything-you-need-to-know-about-childcare-support/">2023 UK Budget</a>, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/mar/14/budget-2023-hunt-to-announce-4bn-boost-for-childcare-in-england">£4 billion</a> investment in extending childcare coverage sheds some light on the sheer economic value of childcare, which, although massive, represents only a tiny fraction of the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210518-the-hidden-load-how-thinking-of-everything-holds-mums-back">extensive</a> range of domestic responsibilities disproportionately shouldered by women and often eldest daughters.</p>
<p>But we can’t change something we can’t see. This is why being more aware of eldest daughter syndrome, not only as an individual struggle but also as an issue of gender inequality, is a good start.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202016/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Yang Hu receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council, UK, and the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canada, for his ongoing collaborative projects on artificial intelligence and labour market inequalities.</span></em></p>Breaking the cycle of eldest daughter syndrome: tips for families.Yang Hu, Professor, Department of Sociology, Lancaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1140402019-03-22T13:54:47Z2019-03-22T13:54:47ZHere’s what that house proud mouse was doing – plus five other animals who take cleaning seriously<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265294/original/file-20190322-36283-1me4pb6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3772%2C3342&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/house-mouse-standing-on-rear-feet-137911070">Szasz-Fabian Jozsef/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A house proud mouse, considerately tidying up the workbench of the shed in which it lives, has been captured on video and shared online. The mouse pops out of a box, picks up some screws, nail clippers and a metal chain and carries them back into the box. It’s tempting to think the mouse is cleaning up its home in the same way that a human would. Of course, in biology, things are rarely that simple. </p>
<p>Cleaning a living area for hygienic reasons isn’t unusual in animals. <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23731604-900-smell-of-death-tells-undertaker-bees-its-time-to-remove-corpses/">Bees will remove corpses from the hive</a>, <a href="http://sciencenetlinks.com/science-news/science-updates/fatherly-fish/">male fish will pick bits of mould and silt</a> from their eggs. <a href="https://insider.si.edu/2017/09/clean-sexy-panamas-golden-collared-manakins/">Clearing debris from a display area is common in birds</a> that dance to attract a mate. None of these apply to the mouse, so we need to look for an explanation that is based in the innate behaviours of rodents.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.terminix.com/pest-control/rats/pack-rat/">Packrats</a> in North America have a habit of collecting shiny objects, stones and wood to protect their nests. Some mice like to keep a good larder – when food is plentiful, <a href="https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?as_ylo=2015&q=hoarding+in+rodents&hl=en&as_sdt=1,5">they will hoard it</a>. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1108021056650936320"}"></div></p>
<p>Many rodents <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166432897001629">bury novel objects</a> that they find in their territory and this is sometimes thought to be an <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-009-1466-y">extension of the natural digging response</a> that all rodents have. Mice and rats are keen tunnellers so the urge to dig is an important part of their behavioural repertoire. </p>
<p>Mice also <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1258/002367796780684890">manipulate their bedding</a> to make a nest. Though it’s difficult to be sure with only a short video as evidence, it’s possible that the mouse’s behaviour is rooted in these responses of hoarding, burying and generally manipulating its environment. All those objects in the mouse’s territory may have triggered confusion, leading the mouse to stash them somewhere it perceives as safe.</p>
<p>So animals are lot tidier than you think and not just this one mouse. Cleanliness is a virtue for a whole host of critters.</p>
<h2>1. Rattlesnakes</h2>
<p><a href="https://bioone.org/journals/the-southwestern-naturalist/volume-60/issue-4/0038-4909-60.4.374/Habitat-Manipulation-in-Hunting-Rattlesnakes-iCrotalusi-Species/10.1894/0038-4909-60.4.374.short">Rattlesnakes</a> lack limbs but still tidy their hunting grounds using their triangular heads and muscular necks to move aside grass. </p>
<p>Decluttering their space may give them a clearer path to potential prey – extremely beneficial for a predator that cannot correct its aim after launching an attack.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265286/original/file-20190322-36279-10d9cld.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265286/original/file-20190322-36279-10d9cld.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265286/original/file-20190322-36279-10d9cld.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265286/original/file-20190322-36279-10d9cld.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265286/original/file-20190322-36279-10d9cld.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265286/original/file-20190322-36279-10d9cld.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265286/original/file-20190322-36279-10d9cld.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A rattlesnake flattens and shifts grass aside to get a clear shot at prey.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/farmboyted/14617656300/in/photolist-ogHiWU-9jw6rM-dCfWfn-6y1ck2-c2CDiY-RGff8s-bG6tL6-c2CEbJ-9jzc1o-9w5Yfp-6sxh9w-ogHrdC-cgaB7m-bEwkSw-9JbsYF-foqXDe-6Cmu9U-bwJnLm-fLb2J6-nqk2Cj-ym6-9jw5Zi-ym8-4r8K3z-eANoh-9JehDw-UguVim-3nXx8s-4K1mgu-fogVFW-q6C2jS-ym7-6xSBRx-2d2p5Wr-9jw5Ev-BcT-QbmR2k-9Bnf6F-9jDYMa-9jDYrK-8cCaYz-mGPGL-bVzTZz-4qEDUu-o2NHhu-7K7Luz-e9yo9a-9jDYHe-FLJo4-cU9sFW">Flickr/Farmboyted</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. Songbirds</h2>
<p>Songbirds are known to haul their chicks’ “faecal sacs” and drop them outside the nest. <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1370361?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">Bluebirds</a> have been seen draping faecal sacs on electric wires, fence posts and utility poles. The birds are quite strict at removing faeces, uneaten food and dead nestlings immediately, to prevent infection and to make the nest harder for predators to detect.</p>
<h2>3. Ants</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265292/original/file-20190322-36244-y7lxvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265292/original/file-20190322-36244-y7lxvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265292/original/file-20190322-36244-y7lxvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=795&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265292/original/file-20190322-36244-y7lxvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=795&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265292/original/file-20190322-36244-y7lxvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=795&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265292/original/file-20190322-36244-y7lxvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265292/original/file-20190322-36244-y7lxvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265292/original/file-20190322-36244-y7lxvm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=999&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A plaster cast of an ant colony, with visible tunnels and chambers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant_colony#/media/File:Ant_Nest.jpg">Shaners Becker/Wikipedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The risk of disease is especially serious for social animals. Social insects such as ants and bees live in large numbers within very confined spaces, making them vulnerable to contagions. It is for this reason that many <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118376">ant species</a> carry their dead out of the nest rather than leaving the corpses to fester in the tunnels. </p>
<p><a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2014.0306">One study</a> found that if ants were prevented from removing the dead bodies, they were more likely to die. However, Indian jumping ants have a slightly different method – their nests include a “rubbish” chamber which is filled with dead ants, left over prey and faecal matter. These chambers are staffed by a “sewage crew” of maggots that eat the refuse and prevent the chamber getting clogged.</p>
<h2>4. Naked mole rats</h2>
<p>Naked mole rats also live underground and follow a similar system to the ants. They build special toilet areas in their burrows, and when these are full, “waste worker” mole rats plug it with soil and dig a new one. Mole rats are quite meticulous when it comes to their tunnels – whisking away any unruly roots, pebbles and other litter in the passageways. </p>
<p><a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1971.tb04544.x">In one study</a>, scientists planted cables and a thermometer in a mole rat burrow, which were promptly cleared away by the “cleaning crew”.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jin0dGcFjao?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>5. Damselfish</h2>
<p>For those of you who watched the BBC’s Blue Planet II, you may remember the footage of the garibaldi damselfish tirelessly removing sea urchins from their nest areas, only to find the next day that it was again covered in sea urchins. </p>
<p>Much of the work of rearing offspring is handled by the male. Upon becoming an adult, a male garibaldi will <a href="https://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/nature/garibaldi.htm">select a promising stretch of reef</a> where he will live for the rest of his life. In addition to removing sea urchins from their nest areas, the garibaldi will remove debris, sea stars that wander along, and gnaw away all the plant growth except for a few species of red algae. These he trims so they are about an inch long, which is perfect for the eggs to rest in.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"934878000834842624"}"></div></p>
<p>Just like physical traits, behavioural traits aren’t just influenced by the environment, they can also be inherited. Certain traits make some individuals more likely to reproduce and pass on their genes than others – such as an insistence on cleanliness to prevent disease or predation. As much as we like to think that humans are special and unique, it’s worth recalling the words of Charles Darwin, who said: “The difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/114040/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The mouse who tidied the shed he lives in fascinated human viewers, but cleanliness isn’t a virtue unique to humans.Sophia Daoudi, Lecturer in Psychology, University of StirlingJan Hoole, Lecturer in Biology, Keele UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1131582019-03-22T10:44:35Z2019-03-22T10:44:35ZSkip this chore: Cleaning your air conditioner condenser probably won’t make it work better<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265106/original/file-20190321-93063-z8kltl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Scratch this off your to-do list.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Florence Yuill</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>I asked my neighbor who hoses off his air conditioner condenser every spring why he does it. “Because my dad always told me I had to,” he said.</p>
<p>Conventional wisdom like what my neighbor’s dad imparted may always seem right. But through <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SHB82wYAAAAJ&hl=en">my HVAC scholarship</a> – the study of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems – I’ve learned that this particular presumption is probably wrong.</p>
<h2>Dirty equipment</h2>
<p>The equipment I’m talking about washing is the outdoor part of central air-conditioning systems that move heat from homes into the outdoors. </p>
<p>Technically known as condenser coils, they are usually about the size of a large garbage can but they can be as small as a bucket or as big as a refrigerator. Some are protected by louvered grilles but most are exposed to the elements. Their metal fins help transfer heat to the air. They contain tubes that carry the hot refrigerant, which gives off heat as it condenses.</p>
<p>Stuff like windblown seeds, dust and grass clippings tends to collect on the coil surface. Most homeowners and HVAC companies envision that this untidy-looking stuff acts like an insulating blanket, slowing down the passage of heat from inside to outside. Any debris that accumulates would also interfere with airflow over the coil, further restricting the system’s ability to expel heat.</p>
<h2>The nitty-gritty</h2>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Y5kMZy8AAAAJhttps://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Y5kMZy8AAAAJ">Mehdi Mehrabi</a>, an architectural engineering graduate student, and I set out to learn the extent to which <a href="https://www.ashrae.org/1705">dirty residential air conditioners</a> are less efficient than clean ones. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/23744731.2019.1605197">What we found</a> astonished us – and many of the other experts in this field. </p>
<p>Previous work on this question simulated outdoor dirt with synthetic materials in a laboratory setting, or used reduced airflow as a proxy for the effects of dirty coils. Although it’s necessary to carefully to control operating conditions, we took a novel approach: collecting condensers that had gotten dirty through ordinary residential use, and bringing them to the lab for study with a special <a href="https://www.techstreet.com/ashrae/standards/ch-18-c033-development-of-a-method-for-testing-air-side-fouling-effects-on-outdoor-heat-exchangers-rp-1705?product_id=2005124">test apparatus</a>.</p>
<p>This meant that they were coated in real-world dust and other crud in everyday amounts. We tested the dirty air conditioners, then washed them thoroughly with a garden hose and tested again. We also used a commercial coil cleaning fluid and tested them for a third time.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265180/original/file-20190321-93048-m7w5sj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265180/original/file-20190321-93048-m7w5sj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265180/original/file-20190321-93048-m7w5sj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265180/original/file-20190321-93048-m7w5sj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265180/original/file-20190321-93048-m7w5sj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265180/original/file-20190321-93048-m7w5sj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265180/original/file-20190321-93048-m7w5sj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265180/original/file-20190321-93048-m7w5sj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Close-up of 7 grams of dirt per square foot on an air conditioner condenser and that same condenser after it’s cleaned.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mehdi Mehrabi</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Surprisingly, we found that dirty air conditioner condensers often perform better than clean ones. The change in condenser coil heat transfer performance ranged from a 7 percent increase to a 7 percent decrease for the coils we tested. The average change was … none at all.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265185/original/file-20190321-93039-gqy4ag.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265185/original/file-20190321-93039-gqy4ag.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265185/original/file-20190321-93039-gqy4ag.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265185/original/file-20190321-93039-gqy4ag.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265185/original/file-20190321-93039-gqy4ag.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265185/original/file-20190321-93039-gqy4ag.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265185/original/file-20190321-93039-gqy4ag.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265185/original/file-20190321-93039-gqy4ag.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Close-up of 17 grams of dirt per square foot on an air conditioner condenser and that same condenser after it’s cleaned.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mehdi Mehrabi</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The coil that registered a 7 percent improvement after getting cleaned up looked quite dirty, with 7 grams of dirt per square foot of coil surface area. But the coil that performed 7 percent worse was even dirtier, with 17 grams of dirt per square foot. It was so filthy, in fact, that it was nearly impossible to see the metal fins before we gave it a wash. Most of the condenser coils we tested in the lab were cleaner than both of those.</p>
<p><iframe id="BLEzu" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/BLEzu/7/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>No insulating blanket</h2>
<p>To see how the equipment’s performance could improve by getting dirty, we did further testing. </p>
<p>That next round of study suggested that the accumulated dirt stirs up the air passing over the condenser coils. Technically called “turbulence,” these little gusts can transfer heat away from the coil better. For some coil designs, this can cause the equipment to perform better when it’s dirty than when it’s clean. This is true even when the dirt has reduced the airflow rate.</p>
<p>If your home has one of these things, you are probably wondering whether you should you wash your own condenser. Here’s what you should know.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265108/original/file-20190321-93057-1pkfk1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265108/original/file-20190321-93057-1pkfk1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/265108/original/file-20190321-93057-1pkfk1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265108/original/file-20190321-93057-1pkfk1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265108/original/file-20190321-93057-1pkfk1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265108/original/file-20190321-93057-1pkfk1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265108/original/file-20190321-93057-1pkfk1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/265108/original/file-20190321-93057-1pkfk1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=567&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The author, doing a chore that his own research has found to be pointless.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Florence Yuill</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Cleaning your air conditioner might make it run better. It might make it run worse. But it probably won’t make any difference. I now personally believe in skipping this task, unless the coil is so dirty that it’s hard to see the metal fins. Although, if it will make you feel better, go ahead and hose it down. To be honest, that’s what I plan to do from now on.</p>
<p>Letting go of deep-seated beliefs of any kind is hard, whether it’s that <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/6/13/17452936/dieting-weight-loss-netflix-explained">dieting makes you lose weight</a> in the long run – something recent studies do not support – or if this particular home maintenance ritual is justified. As news of our findings spreads, I’m bracing for some unpleasant responses from people who might lose out if the condenser-cleaning business dries up and others who simply refuse to accept that there was no basis for the conventional wisdom on this question.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/113158/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Yuill received funding from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers to conduct this study, under Research Project 1705. He is affiliated with ASHRAE. </span></em></p>Unless it sparks joy, go ahead and scratch this task off your spring-cleaning checklist.David Yuill, Assistant Professor of Architectural Engineering, University of Nebraska-LincolnLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1102172019-01-22T12:40:00Z2019-01-22T12:40:00ZMarie Kondo: a psychologist assesses the KonMari method of tidying<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254921/original/file-20190122-100261-gk49lg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Netflix</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Have your friends recently begun obsessively folding their t-shirts, or explaining how they have got rid of a book that no longer “brings them joy”? If so, they’ve probably been caught up in the new craze from lifestyle guru and “tidying consultant” Marie Kondo.</p>
<p>Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and her new Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, describe the “KonMari” method. This is a series of simple ways of reorganising your home to get rid of clutter and mess. According to the author, following her method will not only lead to a cleaner, more organised household, but also to a more <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/06/opinion/marie-kondo-how-to-choose-happiness.html">positive and happy</a> lifestyle overall.</p>
<p>Can simply tidying up really be that life changing? I’ve been following the KonMari method as part of my “getting organised” new year’s resolution and, after two weeks, I still have a clean office and my t-shirt drawer has never been more tidy. What’s more, I’ve felt hugely invigorated by the tidier space I’ve created. And, as a psychologist, I know that scientific research suggests that the effects of tidying may not just be a fad. But, without some careful consideration there’s also a chance it could end up making you feel worse.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254922/original/file-20190122-100273-mjd502.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254922/original/file-20190122-100273-mjd502.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254922/original/file-20190122-100273-mjd502.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254922/original/file-20190122-100273-mjd502.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254922/original/file-20190122-100273-mjd502.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254922/original/file-20190122-100273-mjd502.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254922/original/file-20190122-100273-mjd502.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tidy house, tidy mind.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Netflix</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The KonMari method prescribes not just simple tidiness, which removes objects from sight, but the paring down and organising belongings so that you have precisely what you need, where you need it. There are several basic concepts for the KonMari method. First, tidy everywhere (the entire house) all at once rather than tidying a small bit at a time. Second, tidy by category (for example clothes or books) not by location. Third, bring every item in a category together and discard what you don’t want before putting everything else away. Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, only keep objects that “spark joy” in you when you handle them.</p>
<p>One of the obvious advantages to a tidy house is that being able to easily locate things will cause you less stress. But there’s actually evidence that clean organised environments improve our ability to think. For example, a study of 80 people <a href="https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/MD-02-2013-0084">at the University of Navarra</a> found that participants made more mistakes when undertaking a data inputting task in a messy environment than a tidy one.</p>
<p>Successfully accomplishing a task – such as decluttering your house – also has enormous effect on your self-efficacy. This is our sense that we are competent, autonomous people who can learn, grow and succeed. Self-efficacy gives a <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%252Fcou0000219">huge boost</a> to our overall wellbeing, and psychologists have shown it can have influence in wide range of areas. For example, increasing self-efficacy in students has been shown to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10964-018-0952-0">improve academic achievement</a>. It has even be used to reduce symptoms of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10615806.2019.1566532?journalCode=gasc20">PTSD in trauma victims</a>.</p>
<p>A particular advantage of the KonMari method is that it includes detailed instructions but still provides a fair amount of latitude for how to interpret it. The sense of joy that possessions should give you is not strictly defined, and individuals can choose how this feels to them. This may help to enhance the sense of accomplishment one feels when finished. Research suggests that <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0168661">indirect hints for finishing a task</a> lead to a more positive experience than directly telling someone how to do something.</p>
<h2>Don’t start what you can’t finish</h2>
<p>However, it may not all be good news. The KonMari method is rigorous and requires commitment, time and energy to complete to its fullest. Without Marie Kondo standing over you, it may be difficult to complete, and failing tasks is usually detrimental to our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640414.2010.531752">psychological wellbeing</a>. Research shows that if people give up on a task, they usually perform worse on subsequent jobs and engage in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01795/full">unhealthy self-blame</a>.</p>
<p>One of the quirkier aspects of the KonMari method is the idea of thanking your possessions for their service, especially before you discard them. But research suggests viewing inanimate objects as “alive” may make us treat them <a href="https://akademiai.com/doi/pdf/10.1556/2006.7.2018.98">more sentimentally</a>, which could reduce our desire to be get of them, running counter to the very idea of decluttering.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254923/original/file-20190122-100261-1k5ud9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254923/original/file-20190122-100261-1k5ud9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254923/original/file-20190122-100261-1k5ud9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254923/original/file-20190122-100261-1k5ud9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254923/original/file-20190122-100261-1k5ud9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254923/original/file-20190122-100261-1k5ud9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254923/original/file-20190122-100261-1k5ud9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Thank you for your service, shirt.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Netflix</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So, should you try the KonMari method? Based on the research and my own experience, the answer is yes but with some caveats. First, consider the time and resources you have available to devote yourself to the task, and ensure you set a goal that is feasible. Marie Kondo’s clients may be able to block out whole days to tidy their entire house under her watchful eye, but chances are you can’t. By creating an achievable goal, you increase the likelihood of success, and with it the psychological benefits.</p>
<p>Tweaking the KonMari method is also fine. Remember that using hints rather than directions is better for our sense of accomplishment. Finally, don’t feel you’re missing out if the thought of going examining all your possessions for feelings of joy leaves you cold. There are plenty of other ways to increase your self-efficacy, such as writing <a href="http://maketrainingstick.com/pdfs/written-self-guidance.pdf">self-affirming statements to yourself</a>, and simply <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bjhp.12343">engaging in regular exercise</a>. Plus the next revolutionary lifestyle trend probably isn’t far away.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/110217/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Stiff does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research suggests tidying really can make you happier, but it comes with a warning.Chris Stiff, Senior lecturer in Psychology, Keele UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.