Americans Air Dirty Laundry; Express Dissatisfaction With Current Cleaning Tools
New Survey Results Reveal House Cleaning Trends, Show that Americans are No Strangers to Taking Shortcuts to Get the Job Done
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., April 8 -- With warmer weather comes the annual ritual of spring cleaning, and many Americans report that cleaning their home is one of their most dreaded activities - second only to public speaking, according to a new national survey of American consumers.
Eighty-four percent of those polled wish there were options to make household cleaning easier, while more than six in 10 Americans admit they tend to take short cuts in cleaning because it is too difficult to clean hard-to-reach places, and the majority report they just clean what they see.
The 2010 spring cleaning survey was developed to determine how Americans approach house cleaning. Key findings from the survey, commissioned by LG Electronics USA, include:
-- Out of sight, out of mind: More than half (54 percent) of Americans
admit they typically clean only what can be seen because it is too
difficult to get to the hard-to-reach places. However, nearly
three-quarters of respondents (72 percent) reported that it is
difficult to feel like the house is clean when there are so many
hard-to-reach places to clean.
-- Down and dirty: Alarmingly, Americans report that mattresses and
drapes/curtains top the list of items that rarely get cleaned, with
more than half cleaning these items once a year or less often. And,
drapes topped the list of areas Americans dislike cleaning most. Those
surveyed also reported they seldom clean staircases and pillows, with
44 percent stating that they clean the stairs once a year or less
often and 34 percent saying their clean their pillows at the same
rate.
-- Love it or leave it: While Americans report they can't live without
their washer/dryer (70 percent) and their vacuum cleaner (46 percent),
four in 10 Americans (39 percent) believe that one of their household
appliances is ready for the dump.
-- Suck it up: The top two features Americans are looking for in a vacuum
cleaner are greater suction power (69 percent) and easier pick up of
all dirt and debris, including from hard-to-reach places (64 percent).
Half of Americans (50 percent) are looking for a vacuum cleaner that
makes it easier to clean areas like stairs and upholstery.
-- Green is king: The top features Americans want in a washer/dryer pair
are energy- and water-efficiency (74 percent).
-- Lighten the load: Half of consumers surveyed reported they are
interested in a washer/dryer pair that is able to wash more clothes in
fewer loads (51 percent), offers better cleaning performance (51
percent), is flexible enough to accommodate a variety of washing needs
such as gentle fabrics and deep cleaning (50 percent), and makes less
noise and vibration (50 percent).
"According to this fresh research, 84 percent of those polled wish there were options to make household cleaning easier," said Peter Reiner, senior vice president, marketing, LG Electronics USA. "From our ultra-efficient front- and top-load washers to our new line of vacuum cleaners with superior performance, LG offers consumers 'something better' to help take care of their homes and families - and at the same time, make tasks like this seem like less of a chore."
LG's new line of vacuums, available at retailers nationwide this spring, is designed to clean effectively, provide ease of use and reduce allergens in the home environment by incorporating innovative solutions such as DualForce(TM) suction, Kompressor® technology and a larger bin. These advanced features pick up dirt and debris across a wide suction area, compact the bin contents to hold more, and allow for easy disposal of compacted dust.
The top-of-the-line model, the LuV300B, includes LG's Click N' Go(TM) wand, which allows users to control the unit remotely from the wand when it is removed from the base making it easier to clean hard-to-reach areas like upholstery, drapes and staircases.
The introduction of LG's new top- and front-load washers this spring further helps fill consumers' request for laundry appliances that are both more energy- and water efficient; in fact, LG's new front-load washer is one of the most efficient models available. Exclusive technologies like LG's ColdWash(TM), 6Motion(TM) and WaveForce(TM) contribute to the reduction of the products' impact on the environment, allowing for a 51 percent reduction in energy use and 40 percent less water use than conventional top-load machines, making it easier to keep a clean household.
LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances and business solutions, all under LG's "Life's Good" marketing theme. For more information, please visit http://www.LGusa.com.
METHODOLOGY
An online survey was conducted using the field services of TNS. The study reached a national sample of 1,000 American adults ages 18 and older. The margin of error for the total sample is +/-3.1% at the 95% confidence level. This means that if we were to replicate the study, we would expect to get the same results (within 3.1 percentage points) 95 times out of 100.
Source: LG Electronics USA, Inc.
CONTACT: Clara Chang +1-201-816-2011, clarachang@lge.com, or Katy
Donnelly, +1-704-846-1864, Katy.Donnelly@lg-one.com, both of LG Electronics
USA, Inc.