One’s bedroom is a glimpse into his or her lifestyle, interests, hobbies and personality. When looking past simply just the decorations on the walls, the typical state one leaves their room reflects how one functions on a daily basis. While some proceed with their regular schedules and ignore the task of cleaning their rooms every day, others feel as though they must fit cleaning their rooms into their daily routines.

Having a clean room enhances an individual’s productivity.

Gianna: Agree
As a person who regularly maintains the cleanliness of my room, the organized state I leave my room in makes me more motivated to complete my everyday tasks, such as homework and laundry, and overall, makes me feel more productive. Similar to how some prefer to complete their homework in a library for a quiet, less distracting setting, I prefer to have a clean room because it boosts my performance in all areas of my life. The constant visual of an orderly room influences me to replicate that level of organization and tidiness into my life outside of my room, and overall, boosts my productivity.

Becca: Disagree
I do not believe that a clean room enhances productivity. For me, my productivity is not dependent on whether my room is clean or not: I still have to do the same amount of schoolwork. When my room has been clean, I have never noticed a notable increase in productivity. Quite frankly, sometimes it is the other way around and having a messier room increases my productivity. When I’m studying, I tend to have materials I need spread everywhere around my room: things to fidget with, whiteboards, extra paper, textbooks, notes. Even though my room is somewhat in disarray, it benefits my productivity to have all my materials out and in reach to assist me with my homework. I find that my room becomes an extension of my thoughts; thus, the ability to see everything that I need or am thinking about increases my productivity as I can instantly follow any creative tangent I’m on. For example, if I want to start reading, my room is littered with books with bookmarks, allowing me to pick up and start any story I am thinking of, instead of maybe getting sidetracked. Therefore, I find I am able to accomplish more.

Having a messy room inhibits one from functioning efficiently.

Gianna: Agree
When my room is a mess, I find it very hard to stay focused on my tasks at hand. I tend to feel overwhelmed and distracted by the things around me, and I get an urge to stop doing my tasks and begin to clean up the discrepancies. For example, if I am studying for an upcoming test in my room and I have a cluttered desk, I begin to prioritize de-cluttering over my studies. Having clean surfaces around me allows me to focus and lessens my anxieties when trying to study for tests or complete homework assignments.

Becca: Disagree
For starters, there is a point where a messy room can become a dirty room, or even an unlivable room. However, a generally messy room does not inhibit one from functioning efficiently. Having your things out can actually help you function efficiently. I find that I get ready so much quicker in the morning if all the stuff I need is out, like my products and clothes. It allows me to function more efficiently than if I had to go into all my drawers and makeup bags and cabinets to find everything.

Cleaning one’s room daily is tedious, time consuming and disrupts one’s schedule.

Becca: Agree
Unless you keep your room pristinely clean, the act of cleaning your room is tedious. Cleaning for hours on end without much progress and no end in sight feels monotonous and pointless. If you have other things to do, it is not the most efficient use of time. For example, if you have around four to five hours of homework a day, and sports, cleaning your room takes away from time you could be sleeping or relaxing. With the amount of activities teenagers have today, there is little to no time for daily cleaning. While picking up maybe once a week or deep cleaning every month or so is important for hygiene and to keep the mess from piling up, cleaning everyday and having an impeccably clean room is not realistic for everybody. Additionally, everybody needs some rest in a day, and for some, cleaning might be that form of rest and relaxation. However, if cleaning your room causes more stress and exhaustion, it is not so easily implemented into an already exhausting day. It ends up just feeling tedious and taking up time that could be spent studying, spending time with family, or sleeping.

Gianna: Disagree
Although many view cleaning their rooms as a chore, I think of cleaning my room as a stress-reliever and a crucial piece of my daily routine. Almost every morning before school, I fix the blankets on my bed, and, every night, I make sure all of my dirty laundry is in my hamper. Simple maintenance like these take anywhere from 5-10 minutes and can easily fit into one’s schedule—even if it means doing it right before bed. For me, coming home from a long day at school to a nicely organized room provides me with a sense of relaxation and almost feels like a reward. However, because I regularly clean and organize my room, it may be easier for me to maintain the cleanliness of my room since there is less of a mess for me to deal with each day. When focusing beyond the surface level of a bedroom, yes, organizing things like interior desk drawers may seem pointless because it is hidden away for people to see; however, it certainly sets an individual up for success when it comes to keeping track of his or her items. Having certain drawers dedicated to specific aspects of people’s daily lives, such as their haircare essentials or important papers, allows for easy and accessible use, and prevents disruptions to one’s schedule in the future when he or she cannot locate a certain item.

Making your bed in the morning sets you up for a productive day

Gianna: Agree
As it can be hard to simply just get out of bed in the morning, making the bed may seem even more difficult and rather unnecessary. However, taking a brief moment to fix the blankets on one’s bed is a simple task that can provide an individual with a sense of productivity early in the morning—a boost that is often needed before a long day of work or school. In my own experience, making my bed before school gives me a sense of accomplishment that translates into how I carry myself throughout the day. Feeling put together even before I begin to change my clothes or pack my things for school adds an extra layer of confidence for the day ahead of me. Although making the bed is a very simple task, it still makes me feel like I got at least something done that day. Even better, when I return home from a long day, I have a nice, made bed to come home to.

Becca: Disagree
Making one’s bed and productivity are not necessarily linked. I find that my productivity does not depend on making my bed or any other cleaning I do to set me up for the day; I am just as productive when I don’t make my bed. There are other factors to my productivity, like how much work I have to do or how tired I am. I find that I feel most productive when I get all ready for the day and eat a good breakfast, not when I make my bed. Most of the time, when I come home, I end up taking a nap in my bed anyway. Additionally, I do not do my homework in my room, so it doesn’t influence my productivity. My dog sleeps in my bed most of the day too, and he messes up the blankets and pillows. Thus, I find that making my bed doesn’t even matter most of the time. However, I do like to keep my sheets and blankets tucked in, so they stay in relatively the same place. Still, making my bed has never made me feel more productive.

Essentially, there is no right answer for how people should maintain their bedrooms. It’s all up to preference and what works best. Additionally, many people can find a happy medium that works for them; it’s not all or nothing.