Americans Spend Six Hours a Week on Cleaning

Six hours, 360 minutes or 21,600 seconds. No matter how you measure it, Americans spend a lot of time each week mopping, scrubbing, cleaning their homes, according to a new survey by the American Cleaning Institute. For some, all that time still isn't enough time as 28% of respondents spend more than seven hours on cleaning. Yet, roughly a third of Americans wonder if they should be cleaning more and if they're cleaning correctly in the first place! 

Some of the ACI survey findings include:
• 28% of respondents clean their homes more than seven hours per week; 26% clean between three and four hours per week; 10% clean less than one hour per week;
• 34% have concerns about if they are cleaning enough;
• 31% wonder if they are cleaning correctly;
• 74% perform light cleaning most often; and
• 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.
 
The 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. The most dreaded of cleaning tasks is cleaning the bathroom (52%), followed by kitchen cleaning (23%), dusting (21%), mopping (20%), and doing the laundry (17%). Sprays and wipes are the most commonly used products to clean household surfaces across all categories.

For as often as Americans clean and for as long as they've been doing it, consumers still have questions about how to clean, what to clean and when, according to ACI. What matters most is not how much time is spent cleaning but how effective the cleaning process. To that end, ACI 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 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.
 
For a peak at ACI Cleaning Survey stat sheet, click here.