WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Which room in American homes gets deep cleaned most often? Which cleaning activity do we dread the most? You might have guessed it – according to the American Cleaning Institute’s 2018 National Cleaning Survey, the answer to both questions is “the bathroom.” And, following suit, the one item in our homes that is cleaned most often is…the toilet.
2018 ACI National Cleaning Survey Bathroom Facts
- The area in our homes that is regularly cleaned most often is the toilet (88%).
- Cleaning the tub and toilet ranked #1 on the list of most dreaded cleaning tasks, by 52% of Americans.
- Bathrooms, cited by 46% of respondents, top the list of rooms that get deep cleaned most often.
“The bathroom. It’s number one on the list of the least favorite cleaning tasks,” said Brian Sansoni, ACI Vice President of Communication. “Our survey indicates that while people may despise cleaning the bathroom, it’s a job that has to be done. We’d like to suggest thinking of it as taking care of the space that takes care of you.”
Bathroom’s Many Surfaces
Ironically, what is often one of the smallest rooms in your home can have the widest variety of surfaces to clean. Even the tiniest of powder rooms has a countertop, sink, mirror, window, tile, chrome, fabric/curtains and flooring. And, they have unique things to clean, including soap film, rust stains, mildew and germs…among others.
“Your bathroom is probably one of the most visited rooms in your home and without regular cleaning can take even more time to clean when we finally get around to it,” says Sansoni. “Taking a few moments more frequently could save you time in the long run.”
Tips for Keeping Lavs Looking Lavish Longer
Here are some simple steps you can take to help keep maximize your cleaning routine:
- Use a daily shower cleaner to keep shower and tub surfaces free of soap scum, mildew stains and hard water deposits. When you mist surfaces right after showering while the walls are wet and warm, you won’t have to rinse, wipe or scrub them.
- Keep a variety of wipes in a basket under your sink or somewhere else hidden away and safe if you have small children. Pick up wipes for your windows and mirrors, toilet handles and faucets, and countertops.
- Grab a toilet wand or brush to tidy up as needed.
- Dry faucets and handles after use to prevent water, soap, and toothpaste spots and stains.
- Keep your shower doors and curtains open after a shower or bath to allow them to air dry to prevent mildew.
- Have an all-purpose cleaner or a foam-based cleaning pad handy for some of your tougher clean-ups.
ACI reminds consumers that these products are specially formulated with ingredients designed for safe and effective use when the products are used as directed.
“An incredible amount of research and development goes on before these products ever hit the shelves,” said ACI’s Brian Sansoni.
As a reminder, make sure you always follow product label safety and usage information. “Safe use is the best use,” added Sansoni.
Find additional cleaning tips and ideas year-round on ACI’s cleaning blog, Clean and Happy Nest, at cleanandhappynest.org.
For a breakout of more statistics from ACI’s National Cleaning Survey, please contact media@cleaninginstitute.org.
The ACI Cleaning Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults, ages 18+, 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 from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
The American Cleaning Institute® (ACI – www.cleaninginstitute.org) is the Home of the U.S. Cleaning Products Industry® and represents the $30 billion U.S. cleaning products market. ACI members include the 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 (www.cleaninginstitute.org) and its members are dedicated to improving health and the quality of life through sustainable cleaning products and practices.
