For most American families, the kitchen is the room that takes the longest to clean, at least according to a new survey commissioned by Maid Brigade and conducted by OnePoll. Although the room that takes the longest to get to is likely the bathroom – as 36% polled say it’s their least favorite room to clean.
There is something peaceful about a clean home, and, according to the research, people in Idaho and Maine are the most meticulous when it comes to having a clean home.
The poll of 100 Americans from each of the 50 states into cleaning habits found, on average, respondents in Idaho and Maine spend the most time per session cleaning their homes, about an hour. New Yorkers spend the least amount of time, on average, per cleaning session and will knock off their chores after 45 minutes.
The survey found the average American cleans their home once per week and declutters their house three times per year. Despite their own struggles, more than a quarter of Americans judge others for having messy homes.
“Whether or not the cleanliness of someone’s home influences your opinion of them, the state of your own living space can affect your personal well-being,” points out Raychel Leong-Sullins, President of Maid Brigade.
People from Minnesota, Montana, and South Carolina are most likely to be the clutter police — taking extra care to make sure their space is clean.
Cleaning Habits
The poll also looked at the least favorite cleaning tasks of Americans and found that cleaning the shower, wiping down the bathroom, mopping, and cleaning windows and glass doors are all the chores respondents would rather not do.
For the best results, most respondents emphasized a routine. Turn on the tunes. Pace yourself. Clean one room at a time. Take regular breaks. It’s okay to get distracted while cleaning. But always remember to shower after you’re done.
More than three in five say it’s important to use natural cleaning supplies when cleaning their homes, but surprisingly, almost seven in ten say they’re likely to use the same cleaning materials, like mops and cloths, across different rooms in the home.
Bedrooms often need a little more love when it comes to tidying up, as one of the least-cleaned rooms. And many don’t even look at the garage until they have to. It’s much easier to shut the doors to these rooms and never show guests what’s lurking on the other side.
More than half of respondents believe their homes are cleaner than others.
“A clean and uncluttered space tends to be more calming, whereas an untidy area tends to feel more chaotic. With all our commitments related to work, family, and social events, it can be difficult to find time to keep the house orderly unless we have some help. It can be very stressful trying to ‘do it all,’ and that stress can take a toll on how we interact with others,” Leong-Sullins adds.
See No Clutter
According to the study, three-quarters of the people interviewed admit clutter in their home increases their own mental clutter. Twenty-seven percent agree having a clean home improves their overall mental health.
Studies confirm clutter can make people feel overwhelmed by their surroundings and it can make it hard to do daily tasks around your home.
Having a clean home is so important that one in ten respondents say they’d trade a member of their household in exchange for having their homes regularly cleaned by a professional. Nearly half believe they’d have more time for the things they love doing if they didn’t spend as much time cleaning.
“While the majority of women in relationships are the primary decision-makers regarding housekeeping, let’s not forget about those [men and women] that are single — they have the same burden of keeping their homes clean,” explains Leong-Sullins. “If we could wave a magic wand and have our homes transformed into neat and comfortable living spaces, I think most of us would be wielding that wand daily!”
Cleaning can be a burden, but a necessary one. Many hands make for light work. If you can, get the entire family to pitch in and help. Chores for children of all ages helps reduce the burden off the adults in the home. It’s also a wonderful way to teach the little ones important life lessons about responsibilities and tidiness.
