The cleaner you are, the better the chances of your luck in bed. Yes, it turns out a messy home can have a negative effect on a relationship and your sex life, a psychologist has revealed.
Research also shows that 63 percent of Brits refuse to have sex in a dirty or messy house, especially the bedroom and living room. Of the biggest passion killers, horrible smells were crowned the worst offender, with 62 percent of the respondents saying it was the biggest turn-off from a messy home.
Temporarily stashing your mess away to please your lover won't work either.
"Research has shown that even that out-of-sight clutter has a profound effect on our mood and self-esteem," behavioural psychologist Jo Hemmings told The Daily Mail.
Hemmings explains how:
The bedroom
This is a place for both sleep and normally sex, and both activities require a lack of distraction to be fulfilling. Studies prove that people who sleep in a messy room have more sleep disturbances and are at a higher risk of becoming hoarders.
Hemmings suggests making up your bed in the morning, as a made-up bed creates some order, exposes the clutter and helps you see what shouldn't be there.
The living room
If you like it in the living room, it turns out clutter there also competes for your attention, resulting in decreased concentration and increased stress – say neuroscientists from Princeton University.
Clutter in the living room also has an impact on our relationships, as this is the place we're most likely to relax and enjoy time as a couple or a family.
The solution? Clean it up. Clear magazines and books gathering dust off the floor or coffee table and remove unappreciated ornaments off ledges and shelves.
Bathroom
A space meant for cleanliness is the worst place to keep clutter. Hemmings contends that it's nearly impossible to enjoy a good shower surrounded by clutter. Even a basic daily routine of washing, cleaning our teeth or shaving becomes more stressful if we are distracted by all the mess in a bathroom.
The solution? Check the shower caddy for old bottles of shampoo, conditioner or shower gel that you'll never use again and tackle the bathroom cabinet. You'll find that least 50 per cent of the cabinet's contents will be past their best.
And just in case you were curious, here are the top 10 most offending passion killers from the Brit survey:
1. Horrible smells
2. A kitchen overflowing with clutter and dirty plates
3. Pictures of ex-partners on the walls
4. Floors covered in clothes, and wardrobes and cupboards bursting at the seams
5. Freaky collections – like: porcelain dolls, stuffed animals or teddy bears
6. Evidence of past parties or nights out – like old empty drinks bottles or traffic cones in rooms
7. Weird memorabilia, like life-sized celebrity cardboard cut-outs
8. Dust
9. Children's clothes and toys everywhere
10. Bikes and other sports equipment everywhere