Happy & Healthy

Dirty little secrets in your house

How clean is your house actually? Do you wipe the countertop and your dining table every day?

Cleaning is an art

Research among 1000 women in the Netherlands shows that cleaning (besides exercising) is one of the first things that gets neglected in a busy life. One in five Dutch people says they simply aren't good at it, so they just don't do it. Dutch people also don't all find the state of their house equally important. A third indicates they find their wardrobe more important and one in four finds the state of their desk at work of greater importance (okay, that's really not the case for me, you should see what a mess it is here now). And now comes the worst part: one in ten people in the Netherlands cleans their bathroom a maximum of once a year. I really hope they mean they hire a nice cleaner, but I'm afraid of something else.

And what about the bedroom?

Between the sheets, we are fortunately clean again, at least the 1000 Dutch people who were surveyed. The majority (45%) washes the bedding every two to three weeks. One in four does this once a week or even more often. One in fourteen shares a dirty little secret with the research team and admits to washing the sheets a maximum of once every six months or only when they start to smell. It's fun to ask this question to your colleagues at the lunch table. I'm curious if everyone is honest about it.

Even more dirty spots

From the same research, even more fun facts have emerged about dirty spots in the house. Even more fun conversation starters during the break. Are the points below recognizable to you?

– Using a hairdryer to blow away dust.

– Secretly wiping lipstick off a ‘clean’ wine glass with a finger.

– Only cleaning the rooms where the guests will be before their visit.

– Having your mother clean your house every week.

– Hiding all the clutter under the couch and in cabinets.

– Spraying around the house so it smells clean.