College Students’ Cleaning Confidence Fails to Make the Grade

According to recent survey data from the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) and Wakefield Research, almost three in four students (72%) are less than completely prepared to do their own cleaning when first arriving to college.

Nearly all college students surveyed (92%) recognize that being in a clean room improves their mental mood as well as their physical well-being, but they lack the motivation (53%) and the time (50%) to get the job done.

They also feel void of the proper tools and know-how, with more than 1 in 5 saying that a lack of either cleaning supplies or cleaning knowledge prevents them from keeping their spaces tidy.

Moreover, the students are dealing with the personal consequences of not having a clean environment. According to the survey, 71% of respondents with roommates argue over how to clean their living space, and nearly half (49%) say they would walk out on a date if they saw that their date’s room was messy.

“There’s so much to learn when you hit the college campus. Cleaning on your own is often one of those lessons,” said Brian Sansoni, ACI senior vice president of communications, outreach, and membership.

To combat the challenges college students face surrounding their cleaning uncertainties, ACI created Class of Clean: A College Student’s Guide to Cleaning—a free online toolkit with resources designed to teach them the basics. Topics include proper cleaning techniques, doing laundry, and maintaining good overall hygiene.

Within the resources, college students can find:

• A move-in checklist
• A guide on stain removal
• Instructions on how to clean when a roommate is sick
• An introduction to doing laundry
• A checklist on how to be a good roommate by being clean

ACI introduced the Class of Clean toolkit as part of its Cleaning Is Caring initiative, created to further communicate the connection of cleaning with health and safety.