Twenty percoent of Americans deep clean their homes only every six months, anew national survey finds. .
One in three (30%) admit to not cleaning in areas out of arm’s reach (e.g. high ceilings, tops of kitchen cabinets) where unwanted dust and dander can settle and have an adverse effect the quality of the air inside a home.
Additionally, a majority of those surveyed (54%) believe indoor air quality is about the same or better than outdoor air quality, failing to realize indoor air can contain more pollutants than outdoor air.
This survey of 3,008 U.S. adults was conducted online in October by Atomik Research on behalf of Filtrete Brand.
The new survey found on average, about 1 in 4 (24%) people vacuum one hour prior to someone visiting their home, while another 18% vacuum 30 minutes prior. What they fail to realize is vacuuming may kick up dirt and dust particles into the air, which can take more than two hours to settle. When planning for company, make sure you allow enough time for the dust to settle before your guests arrive.
Whether you’re whipping up a gourmet meal for two or a few dozen cupcakes for the school bake sale, cooking may not only be one of your favorite pastimes—it may also invite some unwanted culprits into your home.
Thanks to common kitchen outputs such as smoke, grease and gas, your indoor air quality could be compromised. A majority of people surveyed (67 percent) do not always use ventilation while cooking. Of those, more than quarter of parents surveyed (26%) say that when cooking at home, their kitchen very often or always gets smoky.
The moist, warm environment of the bathroom makes it a prime breeding ground for mold and mildew, which can result in a moldy – and smelly – space Some 38 percent of respondents said they consider their bathroom to be the dirtiest room in the home. Yet only about one-third (34%) of those surveyed said they always use the bathroom exhaust fan, typically running it for 5 minutes or less (39%) after taking a shower or bath. Make sure you run your bathroom exhaust fan while you’re in the shower and for at least 20 minutes afterward to clear out the moisture buildup that attracts mold and mildew.
According to the survey, nearly half (46%) of pet owners are still shocked or grossed out by the amount of pet hair vacuumed up every time they clean at home. While respondents were correct in believing dogs can affect indoor air quality (59), followed closely by cats (57 %) and small rodents (51), less than half (43) of Americans know cockroaches can affect indoor air quality.
SOURCE Filtrete Brand by 3M, Dana Metz, dmetz@webershandwick, 312-988-2378