It’s well known that clean facilities have a positive impact on physical health, but as it turns out, the act of cleaning itself can benefit a person’s mental health, too. By cleaning an area, a person gains a greater sense of their control over an environment, which in turn makes them feel better. The attention afforded to the act of cleaning also serves as a distraction that calls the mind. The issue of anxiety is pervasive in today’s society. Fortunately, cleaning can help reduce the worry. A study by the academic journal “Mindfulness,” which discovered that by taking care of a smell or mess in their surroundings, participants reported nearly a 30 percent reduction in nervousness.

Much of the research cited in the article seemed to pertain to the cleaning of the home, but that doesn’t mean the findings do not translate to the commercial cleaning industry. While the impact cleaning has on the mental health of janitorial workers might not be as significant, like homeowners, employees are made more happy when they operate in a clean space. A survey found that safe, clean facilities enhance the happiness of workers, which in turn leads to an improvement in production.