Washington, D.C. – November 13, 2018 – On average, Americans spend approximately six hours per week cleaning their homes, with more than a quarter (28 percent) spending over seven hours straightening up. However, roughly a third of us are concerned if it’s enough and if we’re cleaning correctly, according to survey results compiled by the American Cleaning Institute.
2018 ACI National Cleaning Survey Stats on Cleaning Habits:
- 28 percent clean their homes more than seven hours per week; 26% clean between three and four hours per week; 10 percent clean less than one hour per week
- 34 percent have concerns about if they are cleaning enough; 31 percent wonder if they are cleaning correctly
- 74% perform light cleaning most often; 26% deep clean most frequently
"Whether we deep-clean periodically or do more frequent light cleaning, what’s most important is that we keep our families safer and healthier by removing germs, dirt and allergens that can build up," said ACI’s Vice President of Communication Brian Sansoni.
O
ur most regularly cleaned fixtures are toilets and floors, particularly by those who have three or more persons living under the same roof. Appliances, faucets, carpets, and rugs round out the list of routinely cleaned areas of the home, and cell phones, computers, and tablets, not surprisingly, ranked higher in the survey among Gen Xers.
Our most dreaded of cleaning tasks is cleaning the bathroom (52 percent), followed by kitchen cleaning (23 percent), dusting (21 percent), mopping (20 percent), and doing the laundry (17 percent). Sprays and wipes are the most commonly used products to clean household surfaces across all categories.
When is Enough, Enough and Other Cleaning Questions
As often as we clean and for as long as we’ve been doing it, we still have questions about how to clean, what to clean and when. What matters most is not how long we spend cleaning but how effective we are. To that end, ACI always reminds consumers to seek out professionally-formulated products which are researched and tested for efficacy and convenience. After reading the product safety and usage information, prioritize your cleaning tasks:
- Bathroom: Disinfecting toilet bowls, sinks, tubs and showers
- Kitchen: Cleaning cutting boards, countertops and dishes
- Laundry: Washing sheets, towels and bathmats weekly
- Floors: Vacuuming carpets and mopping floors, reducing asthma and allergy triggers
In addition, overall cleaning time can be reduced without sacrificing cleanliness by practicing prevention. Here are some habits that can help keep a household ahead of the mess:
- Keep clutter to a minimum. That allows for fewer places for dust and allergens to accumulate.
- Avoid spreading dirt and germs around the house by washing hands regularly and wiping shoes on entryway rugs or mats.
- Keep bathroom and kitchen surfaces clean and dry to reduce mold and mildew.
- Promptly clean up crumbs and wipe up spills.
- Treat spots and stains on clothing as soon as they occur.
There are lots of ways to save time and still maintain a safe and clean home! ACI’s blog, Clean and Happy Nest, offers tips for simplifying your cleaning routine so you can move on to some of the more fun things in your life! Check it out and subscribe to receive our monthly tips.
For a peak at our Cleaning Survey stat sheet, click here.
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The ACI Cleaning Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults, ages 18+, with an oversample of 500 Millennials, between March 7 and March 14, 2018, using an email invitation and an online survey. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points for the nationally representative sample and 4.4 percentage points for the Millennial oversample, from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the samples.
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The American Cleaning Institute® (ACI – www.cleaninginstitute.org) is the Home of the U.S. Cleaning Products Industry® and represents the $60 billion U.S. cleaning product supply chain. ACI members include the manufacturers and formulators of soaps, detergents, and general cleaning products used in household, commercial, industrial and institutional settings; companies that supply ingredients and finished packaging for these products; and chemical distributors. ACI serves the growth and innovation of the U.S. cleaning products industry by advancing the health and quality of life of people and protecting our planet. ACI achieves this through a continuous commitment to sound science and being a credible voice for the cleaning products industry.