As the sun shines in our windows and reveals just how much dust has accumulated over winter months, a lot of us are prioritising spring cleaning.
However, according to a new survey from Domestic & General, despite 44% of Brits finding household cleanliness important, their household appliances tell a very different story.
Domestic & General swabbed dishwashers, washing machines, ovens and hobs and then swabbed toilet seats, laundry baskets and kitchen bins to see how levels of infection in the household compare.
The results were, frankly, a bit gross.
The dirtiest household appliances
In their research, the Domestic & General team measured the hygiene on appliances and hygiene items throughout the home on a scale from 1-250, with 250 being the dirtiest.
Somewhat shockingly, the most unhygienic household item was found to be the dishwasher with a score of 135 out of 250. This may not sound too high but when you consider that kitchen bins were, on average, 66.5 out of 250, that’s pretty filthy.
Equally as concerning was the washing machine which was the second dirtiest item in the experiment, scoring 74 out of 250. Again, for perspective, the average toilet seat infection level was just 6.3. How filthy are our clothes, exactly?!
Bizarrely, the research also found that 45% of Brits expect their dishwasher to last a decade before needing to be replaced but a quarter of those surveyed had never cleaned theirs before. 10 years of dishwasher grime building up? Lovely.
Those aged 55 and above are five times less likely to clean their dishwasher after daily use compared to those aged 18-24, despite this age group being the most confident in their cleaning abilities (88%).
Hmmm.
How often should we be cleaning our appliances?
Appliance Repair Expert at Domestic & General, Ian Palmer-Smith said: “Your dishwasher can last up to 10 years, but only if you maintain the machine and clean it regularly enough. As a general rule of thumb, you should aim to clean the appliance on a daily basis - or after every use - to remove any excess food in and around the filter.
“As for a deeper clean using a hot cycle and white vinegar, this should be done once a month to keep the appliance running smoothly and reduce the need of a dishwasher repair or replacement.”
He added that washing machines should last somewhere between 7 and 12 years when looked after properly. He recommends a thorough clean once a month with a washing machine cleaning solution to prevent grime building up and reducing water flow in the machine.
Brb, off to make a maintenance calendar for my kitchen.