Spring cleaning: Join the crowd
If you're not that great at spring cleaning, don't worry because you've got plenty of company.
While 77 percent of households plan to do spring cleaning this year, one in three don't believe they clean things in their home enough and one in four don't believe they clean everthing properly. Those figures are from the National Cleaning Survey by the American Cleaning Institute (ACI).
Here's what else that ACI's survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, conducted by Wakefield Research between March 7 and 14, found:
- 47 percent can't remember the last time they cleaned their ovens
- 41 percent can't remember the last time they cleaned their refrigerators
- 23 percent can't remember the last time the cleaned their bed linens
- 20 percent have never cleaned their washing machines
The average time it takes to do spring cleaning is six days, with 31 percent done in three to four days and 29 percent in one to two days. The top priority is windows (49 percent), with clothes, closets and drawers (42 percent) next.
To help save on energy use, DTE Energy suggests you check in spring to see if your roof has adequate ventilation to reduce heat buildup. Also, have an annual inspection done on your air conditioner to ensure its efficiency; and make sure it is free of any obstructions.
Other spring things to do, according to Consumers Energy, include vacuuming refrigerator coils, sealing windows while cleaning them, dusting light bulbs or replacing them with high-efficiency LEDs, wiping down vents, and checking sliding doors for dirt buildup.
