Are messy homes better for a child's health?

This is a subject that always rattles me, I have always believed that to a degree we should have germs about. Being too clean is not the best way for a child. I used to live next door to a girl who was my best friend, we both had children of the same age she was a clean freak. I was clean but not to the degree that she was, her children were always ill and having to go to the doctors, mine were never ill. My son used to drag his dummy on everything and then stick it in his mouth, they were always allowed to get dirty, my friends kids never had a spot of dirt on them. I am clean but do not get the hoover out with every crumb. I do not get ants in the house so I do not have to worry about that.

it depends on your kids' health.. my son has a weak resistance, so i make sure our bedroom is the safest place among other part of the house.. garage stinks because of the dogs, my aunt-in-law owns them, i can't even have a touch of them or they will bite me.. so i make sure my son is always inside the room and we go out very often :) maintaining the house clean is not bad, avoid ants for the kids :)

I'd object to this for reasons that the house should be clean. the child goes out often to play outside and the child comes across such dirty or germs talked about. if the house is left filty, it isn't going to give some healthy conditions to the child as claimed but it may affect others who co-live with the child and in the long run be harmful to all. i think the child have enough contact with germs or unhealthy things outside when he plays outside the house. i'd not let my house be in a mess.

I live in Florida and if I'm not very careful with food type messes we would either get ants or roaches. EEEWWWW! I'm not a neat freak but I am so paranoid of roaches. I had them when I first moved down here ( the house had them when I moved in) and I found out that in a badly infested home they will bite people. If the baby falls asleep with a sticky spot you missed the next morning there will be a sore there it's from roaches eating whatever was on the kid and getting the kid with it. I moved and left nearly everything behind. So I don't dust every day but I clean up food messes a.s.a.p and keep up the dirty clothes because it draws them in. As for whether it healthier for kids to live in a steril home or not I don't know but I do know that it's a happier home when Mom isn't constantly freaking out over every little mess.

Depending on the child's condition before he is introduced to a new environment;;; It is best to just have an average home. Too clean is just as bad as too dirty. Have an average home. This will give the child's immune system time to build up. Of course crumbs need to be picked up, ants have no place in a home. But, turning the house into some no germ zone would definitely be going to far.

You can't keep a kid in any germ free house, couse it isn't healthy at all. Messy house isn't good too. You should keep balance and really watcg out for those ants. Cheers and happy myloting.

Well I would like to live in a barn alright but like you, I am OK with the little bits and pieces of mess around the house. Allowing a pile-up is not only time-consuming, its too much of physical activity over a short period of time, which I don’t like. I like to do the cleaning in a spaced-up manner. Having some time, doing the dusting, cleaning the kitchen cabinets, scrubbing the floors and such. I would not exactly say that a messy home is better for children, but clinical sanitation is not preferred either. Dealing with germs and dust from childhood helps our natural immunity to develop. Also a lived-in house has to have some mess in it otherwise there wont be much difference between a hospital and the home. Regarding crumbs…I wipe them off the moment they land! Summer time is the favourite of ants and I am not amused

I agree that super clean isn't good either, we use all of these anti bacterial products, then we can't build immunities to bacteria. But I also think a dirty house isn't safe either. It sounds like you have the right idea. I just try to keep food put away, things wiped down, and floors done. You want to keep the bugs and critters out! My one crazy thing is, I have to wash doorknobs and light switches. I used to have a day care n my house and kids have the dirtiest hands!

I don't ever sweep up crumbs and stuff. I just wipe them off the counter and into the dogs' waiting mouths! They clean up faster than I could anyway. As far as germs, I do sanitize a few things, but not much. I really think that being exposed to germs is healthy and necessary. I honestly think that's one of the big reasons that my toddler has only been sick twice during his life.

I try to keep our house clean for the most part but with a five year old causing havoc as well as his father LOL it isn't always clean. I do what I can and if I can be really bothered I clean up the mess right away. At the moment our place is a mess and I've just got back from my walk and am going to do some house cleaning.

I don't think "germ-free" homes are even possible, but even if they try and make their home "germ free" it wouldn't be good for the child because they wouldn't develop immunities. I'm not say you shouldn't use some cleaner on the counter afetr you spilled raw chicken juice on it, use comment sense, but I don't believ everything should be scrubbed and sanitized constantly.

I am not super super clean but I don't like loads of dirt, I think some germs are ok as it is suppose to make your immune system stronger or something. I don't agree with houses like those shown on the programme 'How clean is your home' but I don't spend hours on end cleaning. My biggest hate is dirty stairs . . strange but true! I also think there is a difference between messy and dirty, my house is not dirty but is slightly messy - mainly my sons room LOL!

I think clean environment is the best and safer for children especially infants. My niece had been hospitalized because of filthy surrounddings. Ijust realized that we have to clean up everything for preventing certain dieases. I do sweep any dirt i see on the floor. And i hate ants. germs and messes are definetely not alright. Clean up! before it's too late.

i dont think so.. germs is always the component of bacteria and it cause unhealthy lifestyle. but i consider the fact that there is a good bacteria but i dont understand why is there good and bad bacteria i just watch it on a commercial of pro-biotics drink..

Children do need to be exposed to germs, it helps them build up an immunity to them. Children that play outside are also exposed to germs and they also fair better than children that don't get to play outside. I don't think children need to live in germ ridden homes, or homes that are disinfected every couple minutes, they just need to be exposed to the normal germs so they're not constantly getting sick.

My house looks lived in.You can tell that I have kids.It's not super clean because the toys are in the corner in a basket.When food spills on the floor I sweep it up right a way or the dog will eat up what spilled.My kids are around germs at school and at home.And my boys are healthy.Kids can't live in a bubble.So messes and germs are fine.I hope that your ants go away soon.

The theory of it is that if children are exposed to germs at a young age then it makes their immune system stronger, but if a house is too messy this can have health problems of their own. I think you have time find the balance. I live in England and we don't have ants invading our home, so crumbs don't have to be cleared up instantly, I tend to do it when I am finished doing what I am doing eg making a sandwich etc.

My house looks lived in. I do try to sweep up crumbs to avoid ants, but with a 12 year old in the house it happens. I use Terro for the ants and it works great. I like things clean, but not overly so. I think when we sanitize everything with anti-bacterial cleaners and soap we kill the germs that kids need to build a good immune system. I think it's a middle of the road deal, not too clean, not too dirty. I have anti-microbial hand wash in my house because I have animals including two dogs, a rat and four sugar gliders. We use the hand wash after handling any of the animals. Other than that I stick to regular soaps and cleansers. I use bleach to clean some things every so often, but I am not fanatical.

I have a 5 month old daughter and she picks up anything and everything to put in her mouth for a taste test. I am not an insane house cleaner, but I don't really like for there to be a lot of messes. I never know she will find and put in her mouth. Yes, I do clean up crumbs and food as soon as it happens, but we eat in the dining room so that is the only place it ever goes. We don't eat all over the house so that way we can avoid picking up all over the house. And we don't get that many ants. We have the Orkin man come when there is even the slightest hint of an ant anywhere.

I heard that if a child was raised in a house with pet (specificially frog) in their house they are less likely to get allergy or asthma. Because of the germs that's already in the home. Now I am a bit on the neat freak. I take time to straighten things out, I always stay on top of things as soon as i'm able to. I do agree that a cluttered house appears lived in and could be cosy. But up to a point.