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Are You a "Clean Extreme" or a "Dirt Dodger?"

The Five Cleaning Personality Profiles

The SDA study reveals that today's women differ significantly in their attitudes and behavior toward cleaning. One in four women (25%) are "Clean Extremes." Like "Mess Busters," "Clean Extremes" strongly agree that "it's important that my home be clean even where people don't see." A clean home gives this group a sense of pride and personal satisfaction, contributing to an overall feeling of well-being. However, these women take their attitude toward cleaning several steps further, and are more likely to say they can't relax unless their home is spotless. Most agree that they would rather clean than do almost anything else.

While it wouldn't be uncommon for "Strugglers" to let the bathtub go unscrubbed for lack of time, "Mess Busters," which comprise 24% of women, like their home to be clean even in areas where others are unlikely to look. "Overall, these women are hardworking, efficient and energetic, which is reflected in the way they keep their homes," explained Donahue. "They don't fret about housecleaning; they just do it."

Twenty-one percent of survey respondents, considered "Strugglers," do not consider housework to be an important part of their day-to-day lives. Ironically, "Strugglers" spend more time each week on cleaning than any other group, yet only 10% have a high level of satisfaction with how clean their home is. This can be attributed to the fact that "Strugglers," who tend to be married (73%) and have the largest households, simply have more to do at home than their counterparts with other cleaning personalities.

"Our research suggests that "Strugglers," who typically have two children, feel overburdened by the number of commitments in their lives, such as work, family and friends," commented Donahue. "Often for these women the housework just builds up faster than they can take care of it."

Eighteen percent (18%) of women fall into the category of "Dirt Dodgers," with the pervading attitude that they clean only when they absolutely have to. "`Dirt Dodgers' find it difficult to keep their home neat and organized. They're also much more likely than others to have a hard time working up the energy to clean," added Donahue. "Their level of satisfaction with the cleanliness of their home is also lower than that of many other women."

The smallest segment of women (11%) are "Mop Passers." This group has a strong sense of pride in having a home that's clean and clutter-free. They just don't do the job alone. Sixty-one percent (61%) get help from a spouse and one in five (20%) have a housekeeper. "Keeping house is definitely not a priority for this group," noted Donahue. "Overall, these women devote the least time to cleaning, spending an average of six hours each week, and 89% report having some type of help with the work."

The SDA study also revealed several situational and demographic factors that are key in influencing women's attitudes toward housecleaning. For example, "Mop Passers" tend to have higher incomes, enabling them to afford outside help. They are also more likely to be homeowners than women in other groups. "However," added Donahue, "we also found other groups of women whose attitudes toward cleaning are more reflective of their inner psyches than their lifestyle."

Whatever their personality, most women agree that the problem with cleaning is that the house just gets dirty again. The challenge, says The Soap and Detergent Association, can be made easier by following these tips: 1) Assign top priority to cleaning first where it's most important. That usually means getting rid of kitchen and bathroom soils and bacteria; 2) Make a schedule to handle "tidy up" jobs and try to involve the whole family in helping out; and 3) Read product labels to select the right cleaner for the job and follow all instructions carefully.