Few Americans Will Clean House Before Date Arrives, According to Kärcher Survey
Global cleaning company dishes the dirt on differences between sexes and dreams of celebrity help
DENVER, Aug. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- People are picky when it comes to who they will clean their house for, according to a new survey from Kärcher, the global leader in cleaning technology.
With Americans already spending on average 3 hours, 20 minutes a week cleaning their house without help, they are less inclined to do more for potential house guests. Americans would spend more time cleaning their house for visiting friends (34 percent) than parents (24 percent). Surprisingly, only one in ten (9 percent) would clean their house before a date arrives – a fact which may suggest a desire for transparency around living habits in a romantic relationship, or a call for help with household chores.
Celebrities that Could Lend a Helping Hand
One person Americans wouldn't mind getting a helping hand from with cleaning duties – Ellen DeGeneres. A quarter of people (24 percent) would trust the talk show host to clean their homes – especially older generations ages 55 to 65 (38 percent). Coming in second, one in five Americans (21 percent) would trust chef Gordon Ramsay to get the job done – again, led by females (25 percent).
Men tended to favor younger female pop artists, with four in ten (44 percent) trusting either Beyoncé, Rihanna, Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift to clean their homes.
Who wouldn't be of much use around the house? Kanye West. Only 2 percent of Americans would trust the rapper to clean their home properly.
Men Versus Women: Time Spent and Standards for Cleanliness
Household cleaning is still largely a solo job, with the majority of Americans (71 percent) stating they do it all by themselves. The privileged few delegate this responsibility to others (4 percent), while a quarter share this responsibility with someone else (26 percent).
When it comes to getting the job done, women spend more time cleaning than men – over an hour a week (3 hours, 57 minutes for women versus 2 hours, 41 minutes for men).
Despite this, men in the U.S. have a higher expectations than women do when it comes to the standards of household hygiene – three in four males (74 percent) find it "very important" for their home to be clean, compared to only 64 percent of females.
For some men, the favored option is to hire help. A quarter of U.S. males (24 percent) pay someone to clean their home – versus only 8 percent of females. Still, as a whole more men in the U.S. claim responsibility for cleaning their homes (68 percent) than men in other countries like Poland (43 percent) or Germany (57 percent).
Millennials Flip from Cleaning Passives to Cleaning Powerhouses
Cleaning habits change slightly generation to generation, but the real dramatic differences are within one demographic – millennials. Young millennials (18 to 24) spend the least time cleaning, with an average time of 2 hours, 39 minutes a week. Furthermore, 44 percent claim to spend less than an hour every week cleaning. Conversely, older millennials (defined as 25 to 34) spend the most time cleaning, with a weekly average time of 4 hours, 34 minutes.
Across all ages, Americans rely on useful tools to simplify housework, with seven in ten (77%) depending on electric cleaning appliances like vacuums cleaners.
"Our survey finds Americans take on a lot of responsibility cleaning up their homes, spending hours upon hours cleaning every week without much help from others," according to Dan Hayes, Retail Director at Kärcher North America. "At Kärcher, we pride ourselves on creating innovative products – from outdoor pressure washers to indoor floor and window cleaners – that make it easier for people to tackle their household cleaning chores more quickly and thoroughly."
Survey Methodology
The online survey was conducted in July 2017 by Research Now on behalf of Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. among a representative sample of 6,075 individuals in key markets worldwide (1,004 of which were in the U.S.) 18 years and older. The margin of error is +/- 3.09 percent.
About Kärcher North America
Kärcher North America is one of the largest subsidiaries of Alfred Kärcher, GmbH & Co. KG In North America, Kärcher produces and distributes products and services under the brands Kärcher, Windsor Kärcher Group, Prochem Kärcher Group, Landa Kärcher Group, Hotsy, Water Maze, Graco, Spraymart, Cuda, and Shark. The company's solutions serve customers' cleaning needs in an economical and environmentally-friendly manner. Visit www.karcher.com/us for more information.
SOURCE Karcher North America
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