Stanley Steemer Survey Reveals Spring Cleaning could be a Thing of the Past

COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The first-ever Stanley Steemer Spring Cleaning survey found that nearly half of all Americans predict they will spend less than four hours total on this year's spring cleaning, with nearly two in 10 (18%) Americans saying they will spend less than one hour or no time at all. In fact, almost three in four (74%) can name at least one less-than-enjoyable task they would rather do than this annual rite; 8% of these people would prefer 48 hours of sleep deprivation and an amazing 9% would even endure the physical pain of a root canal rather than do spring cleaning.

The national consumer survey, conducted by Kelton for Stanley Steemer, the nation's largest deep cleaning service, revealed that more than one in four (27%) Americans who have done 'spring cleaning' procrastinate to the point where their annual cleaning actually happens well past the traditional March through May window and runs into summer, fall and even winter. The survey also reveals that almost two-thirds (62%) of Americans only clean their home when it is noticeably dirty, instead of using a set cleaning schedule or have the primary goal of improving the health of their home.

"When talking about spring cleaning, there's more than meets the eye – dirt never quits. It hurts your investment, threatens the health of your family and pets and impacts the value of your home," said Justin Bates, President, Stanley Steemer. "Spring is an important time for homeowners to remove the dirt that has been accumulating – both what they see and especially what they can't see."

A family owned business, Stanley Steemer has more than 60 years of experience in cleaning homes around the country and last year alone, removed in excess of 200 tons of dirt from American homes.  

The survey also showed that despite their best efforts, or perhaps due in part to the fact that they admittedly could be spending more time cleaning, more than half (55%) of Americans feel that they are never able to truly vanquish dirt or germs. However, most still rely on their own home cleaning skills while less than one in five (19%) report having ever turned to a professional cleaning service.

Those who have enlisted a professional cleaning service are more interested in making their home healthier (49% vs. 41%) which, as it turns out, is good thinking in preparation for this spring. Allergy experts across the country are predicting that spring of 2012 could be the worst allergy season in 10 years due to a relatively mild winter; impacting what the CDC is estimating at more than 50 million people in the U.S. that suffer from allergies.

"Home health is like dental health…we recommend the routine, regular cleaning Americans do on their own be combined with a professional deep cleaning every six months to remove dirt, dust mites, and other pollutants from your carpets and upholstered furniture to minimize allergic reactions," added Bates.

The Stanley Steemer Spring Cleaning survey also showed additional insights related to dirt and spring cleaning:

Look Better, Feel Better

The younger Americans are the more likely they are to clean to help eliminate stress; 18-34 year olds in particular are most likely to clean for this reason (34% vs. 23% among those 35 and older). 

Finders Keepers

Nearly half (47%) of Americans have found cash when cleaning and more than one in four (27%) have found lost jewelry. People with children are more likely than those without children to find money while cleaning (55% vs. 43%).

What's Past is Past

The cleanliness of the house in which Americans grew up does not predict their future homes' cleanliness–in fact…three in five (60%) of those who grew up in households cleaned less than half the time believe that their current home is cleaner or much cleaner than the one in which they grew up.

South Committed to Cleaning

Those in the South anticipate spending the most time cleaning this spring (12.5 hours mean vs. 8.5 hours in the Northeast, 8.0 hours in the Midwest, and 10.5 hours in the West). Those in the Midwest and West are most likely to spend less than one hour spring cleaning this year (14% in Midwest and 13% in West vs. 7% in Northeast and South, respectively).

Roots of Cleaning

Seventy-nine percent of Americans describe the home they grew up in as clean or extremely clean, but only 36% feel that their current home is cleaner or much cleaner than the home in which they grew up. Sixty-nine percent say they get their personal home cleaning habits from their mothers and only 6% from dads.

About Stanley Steemer

For more than 60 years, Stanley Steemer has been providing cleaning and restoration services for both residential and business environments. They offer multiple services, including carpet cleaning, tile and grout cleaning, upholstery cleaning and air duct cleaning. They also provide water damage restoration services and carpet sales and installation. The company has more than 300 locations throughout the United States and is based in Dublin, Ohio. For more information, visit www.stanleysteemer.com or call 1-800-STEEMER.

SOURCE Stanley Steemer