The expression, “cleanliness is next to godliness” stuck around for a reason — 87% of surveyed women feel that a clean home reflects upon them in a positive way. Despite appearances, many households don’t receive the regular cleaning necessary to truly call a home “clean.” Those families that clean daily spend an accumulated 30 days of every year cleaning. With 894,920 maids working in the United States, many homeowners and businesses have made the switch to a custom cleaning service to get more of their year back!
How Often Should One Clean?
In order to have a cleaner, healthier home, the EPA has several recommendations for how often one should clean. Since they can harbor dead skin cells, bed sheets should be changed every two weeks and carpets ought to be deep cleaned every six months or so. Appliances that are in regular contact with food, like refrigerators, should be cleaned every two or three weeks with frequently replaced sponges — due to the substance’s porous nature it can become a breeding ground for bacteria when food particles get trapped in the sponge. Maid services recommend that bathroom exhaust fans or windows remain open and running for at least ten minutes after a shower to help deter mold buildup.
What Lurks Inside Chemical Cleaners?
Cleanliness isn’t just a matter of how often you clean, but also what you use to clean. There are an average of more than 150 toxic substances that link to cancer in our homes from chemical cleaners; estimates suggest that one out of every three cleaning products contain potentially harmful ingredients. Research by the Environmental Protection Agency found that toxic chemicals found in cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than the air outside; this explains why sales of green, natural cleaning products have seen a 35% increase in recent years.
The Real Dangers of Dirty Environments
Chemical cleaners are a health risk, but so is a dirty environment. Studies have found that exposure to dust can decrease the cognitive reasoning of employees by 2-6%. Research also shows that employees that work in a clean office reduced their probability of catching the cold and flu by 80%. Companies that are regularly cleaned by office cleaning services reduce call-offs by 46%. Whether at work or at home, custom cleaning services can help create a healthier, cleaner environment.
