America's Dirtiest Cleaning Secrets and Habits Exposed

SKOKIE, IL, July 17, 2014 – Obsessed with cleaning? If so, you are not alone. According to a new survey commissioned by CLR, one-third of Americans consider themselves to be cleaning fanatics with the average American spending almost five hours a week cleaning and mothers with children under eight years old spending an average of nine hours a week cleaning. Additionally, more than half of Americans (52%) consider cleaning to be therapeutic.
 
The “CLR Cleaning Confessions” survey was conducted by TNS to examine the cleaning habits and pet peeves of U.S. adults as well as how the larger topic of cleanliness affects their behavior. Beginning with the flagship calcium, lime and rust remover (CLR) and expanding to include a Mold & Mildew remover and Stain Magnet stain remover, the CLR family of products has helped solve people’s toughest cleaning problems for more than 20 years.
 
“Of course we love to hear that people enjoy cleaning, but I’m sure there are many things they would rather be doing than scrubbing their bathroom or kitchen,” said Alison Gutterman, president of Jelmar. “We want to make the time people are spending cleaning as easy and effective as possible, so they are always ready for the unexpected guest, or have more time to spend with their family or even just spend more time treating themselves. This is why we continue to focus on making products that are easy to use and get the job done the first time.”
 
Additional survey highlights include:

• Confessions of a Cleaning Fanatic: Half of parents with younger kids consider themselves cleaning fanatics and many Americans avoid socializing when homes are dirty.
  • More than six in ten Americans (63 percent) are triggered to clean their homes when friends, family or significant others visit and over one-quarter (29 percent) of Americans have avoided having people over because their homes are too dirty.
  • One-third of Americans (33 percent) have avoided visiting a friend or family member’s home because it is too dirty.

• Bathrooms Considered “The Dirtiest”: Americans consider the bathroom to be the dirtiest room in the home, but do not clean it as frequently as other rooms.
  • One out of three Americans (35 percent) admit that their bathroom is the dirtiest room in their home, and one in five Americans (19 percent) only clean their bathrooms once a month.
  • More than half of Americans (55 percent) consider a dirty bathroom to be one of their biggest pet peeves when visiting other people’s homes. Strong odors, dirty dishes, overflowing garbage and clutter were other common pet peeves.

• Cleaning Trigger Points: When asked about what motivates them to clean, the majority of Americans said seeing dust and clutter gets them to get moving.
  • Additional triggers motivating Americans to clean include: feeling sticky, dirty surfaces (64%), seeing stains or residue on surfaces (62%), smelling unpleasant odors (52%) and seeing mold or mildew on surfaces (39%).

• Outside the Home: Americans are also focused on cleanliness outside of their home. When asked about additional cleaning pet peeves:
  • Half of Americans admit to flushing the toilet with their feet
  • Four out of ten Americans (42 percent) use paper towel to open public doors.
  • Over one-quarter of Americans wipe down silverware at restaurants and surfaces in hotel rooms.