I learned how to keep my house permanently tidy when living in Iran with my grandma – the art of 'dido-baazdid’ permanently altered my brain chemistry

Warm bright living room with pale yellow walls, and red and green accents. There are multiple mismatched sofas and seats, with ornate metal coffee table and patterned curtains, cushions and rugs.

Iranians are incredibly hospitable, so much so that they have a name for their culture of being visited and quickly returning the visit – ‘dido-baazdid’.

I'm a second-generation Iranian who mostly grew up in the West, but I also lived in Iran with my grandma, and this social norm has shaped my tidying habits with one glorious benefit: my house is permanently tidy and always guest-ready.