Written on: March 28, 2019 by SprayTM
The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) reports 77% of households will spring clean this year, more than previous years. The study, conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of ACI, revealed that 41% of heads of household can’t remember the last time they cleaned their refrigerators, 23% can’t remember the last time they cleaned their bed linens, 16% can’t remember the last time they cleaned their guest bathroom toilet, 47% can’t remember the last time they cleaned their oven, and 20% have never cleaned their washing machines. When they do clean, 1 out of 4 people do not believe they clean everything properly, and 1 in 3 do not believe they clean everything in their home often enough.
Spring Cleaning Timing and Priorities
While the average time it takes to spring clean is six days, some early birds do catch the worm. Twenty-nine percent finish in one to two days, and 31% finish in three to four days. This year’s top priority for spring cleaning is windows, named by 49% of respondents. Other items at the top of the list include clothes, closets and drawers (42%), ceiling fans (36%), curtains/blinds (36%), carpets (32%), hardwood/tile floors (25%), bed linens (17%), and home offices (15%).
Spring Cleaning Outcomes
The three product qualities spring cleaning consumers look for are effectiveness, cost, and multi-purpose use. The entire spring-cleaning process makes people feel accomplished (36%), satisfied (29%), safe (18%), and happy (18%).
“Clearing out the clutter, getting rid of dust and adding some shine – that’s why spring cleaning is such an intuitive activity for so many Americans,” said Brian Sansoni, ACI Senior VP of Communications. “We clean things that might not otherwise get cleaned all year long, and we feel happy and satisfied with the results.”
2019 ACI National Cleaning Survey Topline Results:
