Professional cleaning services can straighten up your home, remove dirt and debris, and get your house physically clean. But if your house is dark, doesn’t get enough light, or is decorated in dark colors, it’s not going to look as clean.

This has to do with the qualities people associate with the concept of “clean”.

A Tale of Two Rooms

Imagine there are two rooms: One has walls with dark-colored paint, has windows that are hung with heavy draperies that prevent light from getting in, and has thick, elaborately designed carpets and heavy furniture.

The second room has white walls, large open windows that allow light to pass through, and high ceilings.

Even if the first room was recently cleaned by a professional cleaning service and the second has been left untouched for weeks, most people would consider the second room cleaner than the first. That’s just human nature.

Decorating and Perception

So if you want your home to “look” clean as well as be clean, you may want to consider some of your decorating choices.

First of all, fresh air and sunshine are two of nature’s best natural disinfectants. Enclosed rooms with little ventilation are going to trap odors and hold onto them longer. Darkness allows bacteria, mold, and harmful substances to reproduce more quickly.

So to keep your rooms as clean as possible between visits from your professional cleaning service, make sure they get plenty of light and fresh air.

White Equals Clean

White and light colors are another way to make your home appear cleaner. Dark paint, densely decorated wallpaper, and paneling made of dark woods will  naturally make your home appear less airy. This has the psychological effect of causing people to think of it as less clean, even if this isn’t actually the case.

When decorating your home, use light, color, and fresh air to make your home appear as clean as possible.