People Who Secretly Judge A Messy House Usually Look For These 11 Clues
They’re looking for opportunities to criticize.
Nicoleta Ionescu | Shutterstock Many people put a lot of effort into designing their homes, curating a specific aesthetic, and investing in pieces that serve as status symbols to guests and visitors. However, like a study from Today’s Homeowner suggests, the people who are going to notice these things and judge you based on them aren’t worried about the “stylishness” of your space, but rather the cleanliness.
Even if they don’t make them known, people who secretly judge a messy house usually look for these clues – from evidence suggesting people aren’t doing deep cleaning to odors they can’t even try to ignore. While a person’s home is their own business to maintain, recognizing gaps in cleanliness and maintenance not only protects against unnecessary judgment but also helps protect personal wellness and mental health.
People who secretly judge a messy house usually look for these 11 clues:
1. Dirty dishes
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People who secretly judge a messy house usually look for clues like dirty dishes or overflowing laundry hampers. Anything that clues them in on their cleaning habits and the regularity of their chores is key – they want to uplift their misguided sense of superiority, simply based on the fact that they have more time and energy to complete them in their own homes.
Outside of dirty dishes, a generally messy and unclean sink can be one of the other things people secretly judge in your home – from dirty sponges that harbor tons of bacteria to leftover food lingering in the drain. They not only contribute to an odor in your kitchen, but they also gross people out and encourage them to keep their distance, even if it’s subtle.
2. A bad smell
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While most people worry that their homes smell bad when their guests come over – more than 70% of people, according to a survey conducted by OnePoll – it’s also one of the first things a judgmental person will take note of when they enter someone’s place. So, yes – it is something that people notice, but if you’re a generally clean person who stays on top of your chores, you probably don’t have anything to worry about.
According to experts like Martha Stewart, if you’re worried before guests come over, consider making a “stovetop simmer” – a pot on your stove that simmers with scents, spices, and aromatics that cultivate a strong and pleasant smell in your living space.
3. Dirty floorboards
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According to a survey conducted by OnePoll, many people put off deep cleaning their homes for far longer than they should – even overlooking everyday chores and upkeep for up to a month before they’re impossible to ignore any longer.
While cleaning floorboards and mopping the floors might seem like your last concern amid the chaos of life, people who secretly judge a messy house are typically taking note of how dirty they are.
So, if you have a guest who’s checking their feet after walking around or inspecting the floorboards, they could be looking for an excuse to judge the cleanliness of your house. However, if you’re keeping up with cleaning routines and making an effort to deep clean your home a few times a year, you’re likely in the clear.
4. Expired food
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A person’s fridge and kitchen can tell you a lot about their daily habits, cleanliness, and even mental health or mood. When you look in someone’s fridge and see only comfort food, processed options, and expired food, chances are that tells you a lot about their daily routine, the kind of time they have in their life, or the eating habits they indulge in daily.
People who secretly judge a messy house usually look for expired food and old leftovers in a person’s kitchen. Whether they’re housesitting and snooping around or simply coming over for a meal, they can’t help but notice these things – from the smell of their fridge to produce left out on the counter.
5. An unmade bed
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Making your bed every day isn’t just a practice rooted in cleanliness; it also plays a role in mental health, productivity, and sleep quality for the person who makes it a habit. They know that no matter what happens during the day – even if everything goes wrong – they at least come home to a clean, made, and comfortable bed.
People who secretly judge a messy house usually look for these clues – judging people who don’t put in the effort to make their bed in the morning. Of course, these are the same people who feed their misguided ego and sense of superiority by bringing other people down and comparing themselves to others – a tendency that will deplete their energy, erode their relationships, and sabotage their well-being over and over again.
6. Hidden clutter
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Tucking clutter under your bed, into overflowing closets, and in junk drawers can sabotage the energy of your living space – draining your energy and sparking more chaos in your home.
Of course, according to psychology professor Joseph Ferrari, this kind of clutter in their living spaces can also spark more stress and overwhelm their mental health, especially considering the act of trying to hide it or tuck it away exacerbates that bad energy.
Even when it’s intentionally hidden, people who secretly judge a messy house usually look for these clues – even if it means evading someone’s privacy by looking in drawers and closets to justify their rudeness and judgmental thoughts.
7. Dead plants
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Having plants in your home or flowers on your dining room table can help with several things – from improving air quality and energy efficiency, to promoting better psychological well-being for homeowners, and even bringing a kind of calmness to a space.
However, when these plants are not taken care of or are regularly neglected by homeowners, they can sabotage the energy of a space. People who secretly judge a messy house usually look for these clues that someone isn’t cleaning or taking care of their space regularly, and keep it in the back of their mind, even if they don’t express it out loud.
8. Unkempt landscaping
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According to the Today’s Homeowners study, more than half of people argue that messy landscaping makes them think less of someone, before they even interact with them or step inside their home. That’s why people who secretly judge a messy house take note of the outside first – whether it’s the flowers growing outside or the length of their lawn.
Of course, having access to green space and a yard in general is a privilege in itself, but in our culture, taking care of it and being rigid with cultivating it perfectly is a standard that many people hold themselves and their neighbors to.
9. A dirty bathroom
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According to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive, over 30% of adults suggest they’d “never return” to a restaurant that has a dirty bathroom or unclean toilet, which is why it’s not surprising that people who secretly judge a messy house usually look for these clues in a person’s restroom, as well.
Whether it’s a bad odor, signs of bad hygiene, or a gross toilet, many things creep people out about other people’s bathrooms that they can’t help but silently judge. Of course, keeping up with a regular cleaning schedule and intentional habits can ensure your bathroom is clean enough for anyone to use, but take note that it’s also one of the things that everyone judges more harshly than other areas in your home.
10. Pet hair
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Similar to how dogs judge human competence, like a study from the Behavioral Processes journal argues, judgmental people judge their neighbors and friends for how well they take care of their animals – more specifically, how well they clean up after them. Whether it’s a bad pet odor in their home or pet hair on the furniture, they always take notice.
Of course, nobody loves to visit a friend or family member and leave with mounds of pet hair on their clothing. Still, in some cases, it’s completely unrealistic to keep up with all of the time when you’re working full-time or taking care of a million other responsibilities.
11. Dust on ceiling fans
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Similar to cleaning floorboards, regularly cleaning ceiling fans is one of the cleaning habits that often goes unrecognized and unappreciated in people’s homes. It’s so easy to ignore – you’re not ever looking at a ceiling fan unless you need to or getting on a ladder to check it out.
However, people who secretly judge a messy house usually look for these clues – taking note of the hard-to-reach places in people’s homes that they know are likely dirty to justify their mean thoughts.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
