If you’re like most Americans, you prefer to have an immaculate bathroom — you just don’t like cleaning it.
In fact, in a recent study by Kohler (conducted by independent research firm Vision Critical), 42 percent of consumers admitted cleaning the toilet is one of their most disliked chores.
That said, domestic guru Martha Stewart recommends scrubbing your tub/shower enclosure, toilet and drains at least weekly to maintain decent standards of cleanliness. And a study from researcher Mintel shows 49 percent of American adults place importance on doing their housecleaning right, though 27 percent would like to minimize the time they spend in such pursuits. That may be why 42 percent prefer to clean in small increments, though “most are not interested in compromising on effectiveness or results.”
“Americans are more likely to prefer to clean as they go, doing quick cleanups that fit into their busy schedules, as opposed to setting aside time to give the whole house thorough top-to-bottom cleanings,” notes Mintel Senior Analyst John Owen. “This preference for on-the-go cleaning has helped fuel the market for quick-cleanup products designed to tackle small messes quickly and efficiently, saving both time and effort.”
If cleaning the bathroom is on the bottom of your favorites list, consider some of these brilliant solutions technology has enabled that might make your bathroom sanitation a non-issue moving forward.
* No flubbing the scrubbing. No more must you aggravate your bad back and tennis elbow manually scrubbing soap scum off your shower walls, sinks and grout. Powerful rotating brush scrubbers that operate on batteries can now do the heavy lifting for you; one of the latest is made up of a set of attachments that cleverly fit onto a normal household drill.
* Go easy. Engineers at Kohler have developed a lower-maintenance toilet — the Corbelle with Revolution 360 flushing — that’s designed to remain cleaner, longer. Its CleanCoat surface repels bacteria, mildew and hard water buildup, its smooth design makes for easy surface maintenance and its powerful flushing motion flows at a 360-degree angle for thoroughness that minimizes the need for scrubbing.
* Dreamy steam cleaning. Sanitize your bathroom floors, counters, tub and shower enclosures and other surfaces without chemicals by using one of the efficient and easy-to-use handheld steam cleaners now on the market. Steam can work efficiently to kill bacteria, germs and dust mites including E. coli, staph bacteria, salmonella and other micro-organisms.
* Floored by cleanliness. For larger bathrooms, the new and nicely compact mopping robots can wet mop, damp sweep or dry sweep hard-surfaced floors. Internal navigation systems let them clean systematically while identifying rugs, drop-offs, spills and stains, the latter of which are tackled with jet sprays and vibrating cleaner heads.
* Suck it up. Several vendors now offer 3.2-gallon motion-sensor trash cans that keep their contents out of sight but automatically open (via battery) when you’re ready to deposit dirt and debris.
Life is too short to spend more time than you have to keeping your house clean — and that’s where technology comes in handy. Consider investing in the products that can free up your life for more meaningful activities.
