The American Cleaning Institute (ACI)

2011 National Spring Cleaning Survey Findings

03/16/2011

The following questions were asked of 1,015 Generation Y adults (501 men and 514 women ages 18-29). The independent consumer research study was completed by Echo Research March 2-6, 2011, on behalf of the American Cleaning Institute (ACI). The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.

Which of the following best describes your current living arrangements?

  • Live with at least one other person (76%)
  • Spouse or significant other (28%)
  • Parents (19%)
  • Roommates – not in college (18%)
  • Children (4%)
  • Live alone (16%)
  • Live part-time at home and school (3%)
  • Other/Don’t Know (5%)

How long have you been living at your current location?

  • Less than 6 months (13%)
  • 6 months – 1 year (19%)
  • 1-2 years (22%)
  • More than 2 years (44%)
  • Mean (18 months)

How important is having a clean home/living space to you?

  • Very or somewhat important (96%)
  • Not very or not at all important (4%)

How likely are you to spring clean this year?

  • Very or somewhat likely (82%), including 85% of women and 78% of men
  • Not very or not at all likely (15%)

What are your spring cleaning “hot spots? This question was asked only of the 833 Generation Y respondents likely to spring clean in 2011 (393 men and 440 women).

  • Bedroom (73%)
  • Kitchen (65%)
  • Bathrooms (65%)
  • Closets/clothes (60%)
  • Floors (58%)
  • Windows (49%)
  • Desks/workstations/home office space (46%)
  • Furnishings (45%)
  • Garage (34%) 

Which of the following best describes your spring cleaning habits?

  • I use spring cleaning as my time to clean my home from head-to-toe (26%)
  • I clean regularly, do I don’t need to spring clean (25%)
  • I spend a little more time cleaning this time of year than usual (20%)
  • I clean from head-to-toe often, but not necessarily in spring (14%)

To what extent do you agree with the following: Spring cleaning is a tradition worth carrying on.

  • Strongly or somewhat agree (74%)
  • Somewhat or strongly disagree (21%)

To what extent do you agree with the following: Spring cleaning news reminds me to clean up my living space.

  • Strongly or somewhat agree (63%)
  • Somewhat or strongly disagree (32%)

To what extent do you agree with the following: If it wasn’t for spring cleaning, I would probably never clean.

  • Strongly or somewhat agree (23%), including 30% of men
  • Somewhat or strongly disagree (75%)

How likely are you to do each of the following when cleaning your home/living space? (Total, Men, Women)

  • Donate old clothes to charity (76%, 68%, 84%)
  • Clean/disinfect countertops (91%, 86%, 96%)
  • Clean underneath/behind furnishings (78%, 75%, 81%)
  • Clean floors/carpet (92%, 88%, 86%)
  • Clean/wash windows (72%, 69%, 74%)
  • Reorganize (88%, 84%, 93%)
  • Swap out seasonal clothes (67%, 63%, 71%)
  • Declutter (88%, 84%, 93%)
  • Clean your cell phones/smart phone/computer keyboard (74%, 73%, 74%)

What motivates you to clean? (Total, Men, Women)

  • Space looking dirty/messy (71%, 64%, 79%)
  • A visitor arriving (67%, 58%, 76%)Fed up with dirt and mess (62%, 56%, 69%)
  • Having free time (61%, 57%, 66%)
  • Being disorganized (58%, 50%, 66%)
  • Spring cleaning season (37%, 29%
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