Cleaning is essential for maintaining a safe and hygienic
living environment. Despite this, many do not find the prospect of cleaning
appealing. So much so that 30% of Brits would prefer a professional cleaner for
a day then getting a day off work (9%), according to research by leading
supermarket ‘Lidl’.
With a lack of time limiting a lot of Brits' cleaning efforts, 33% admit to spending just an hour or two a week on housework per statistics from appliances giant ‘Beko’.
Interested in property cleanliness, end-of-tenancy-london.co.uk surveyed 1,748 British home owners/renters to identify the parts of the home they ‘rarely’ (once every three to six months) as well as ‘never’ consider cleaning.
The end of tenancy cleaning company found that ‘lighting fixtures’ (77%) is the primary aspect in the home that Brits rarely clean. Thereafter, 72% very occasionally wipe down their shoe rack/shelf. In third place, 68% infrequently wash their curtains and/or dust their blinds every few months.
Interestingly, given the unpleasant odours and stains that can manifest from open/spilled food and drinks, a high proportion of Brits (60%) clean the inside and outside of their fridge/refrigerator only once every three to six months.
Surprisingly, 41% do not regularly vacuum or mop underneath and/or behind heavy furniture (e.g. sofa, drawers, cupboards etc.). Slightly above, 44% leave months apart when trying to make the inside and outside of their microwave spotless – worrying when factoring in the many stains which could accumulate overtime from food splashing/spilling whilst in the microwave.
Focusing on what Brits neglect to clean, 82% state they never bother to clean their air vents. Subsequently, given the prevalent build-up of dirt and discolouring on the grouting of tiles – 75% fail to ever give their grouting a good scrub.
With the remote undoubtedly being used every day as individuals unwind in front of the TV at the end of a busy day – 71% have not once thought to wipe their remote controls down with a cloth. Door handles/knobs is another feature of the home we touch on daily bases – yet 67% confess to never cleaning them.
Moreover, bins see a lot of household waste each day. If unattended for a significant period of time, there will not only be foul smells but could create the perfect breeding ground for a whole host of bacteria (e.g. salmonella, e.coli etc.). Despite this, 44% shockingly never keep in mind bins in their home as a household object they should consistently be washing with hot water and soap.
Fascinatingly, 28% admit to buying at least one new cleaning product each month that they end up hardly using.
Additionally, end-of-tenancy-london.co.uk sought to identify the biggest reasons why Brits do not make an active effort to plan and clean all areas of their home regularly (e.g. weekly schedule).
From this, it was discovered that these were the most apparent barriers preventing the British public from taking a more active approach towards cleaning are:
Long/hectic working hours (30%), children taking-up spare time (26%), find cleaning tedious/unappealing (19%), too many social commitments (17%) and relying/hoping someone else will do the cleaning (8%).
Ivan Ivanov, the Managing Director of End of Tenancy Cleaning London commented:
“We all know cleaning is an integral part of the home owning
and renting experience. Yet, it seems to daunt many of us. Particularly, due to
the time and effort required. Many of us end up putting it off or are occupied
by a ton of other responsibilities.
"This research carefully highlights the aspects of the home that Brits either rarely or never clean. Whilst some may come as no shock, others are highly surprising – given how frequently they are used every day. Brits certainly need to take a more proactive approach towards cleaning all sections of the house rather than just the essentials. Doing so, will enhance the aesthetics of the home and facilitate a more organised living environment”.