Sweeping through spring: Exploring America's spring cleaning customs and community ties
Each year as early as February, me and seemingly the majority of Americans gear up for the tradition of spring cleaning.
My personal battlefield? A wilderness of books and vinyl records. After all, why wait for spring if you can start breathing a fresh sigh of life into your home right away?
Insights from consumer surveys conducted by the Nextdoor Customer Insights and Analytics team shed light on the motivations, preferences, and community aspirations that accompany this age-old ritual.
Here’s what we found.
The big spring clean: An American quirk
According to the survey conducted in January 2024, a whopping 86% of adults in the United States plan to participate in spring cleaning this year.
March emerges as the favored month for the cleaning frenzy, with about half of all efforts starting then. Nearly 1 in 4 have actually already started or will begin in February.
Motivations behind cleaning go beyond physical cleanliness
Spring cleaning isn't just a routine clean-up; 68% of adults express a willingness to put in more effort than their regular deep clean.
In fact, the majority will dedicate at least an entire day to the process, emphasizing the thoroughness and commitment adults invest in sprucing up their homes. 79% say their top motivation behind this endeavor is to remove clutter and free up space, followed closely by the desire to make their home feel and smell fresh (75%).
These motivations for spring cleaning may be rooted in improving one’s mental wellbeing, as 94% report being in a better mood after cleaning.
Furthermore, 87% feel stressed when their home is messy or cluttered. Our study found that messy environments appear to disproportionately affect the mood of women, who are much more likely to be responsible for the spring cleaning in their home (71% women vs. 58% men).
From clutter to cleanliness: Managing and maximizing space
Top plans for these items include:
- Donating to charities (68%)
- Giving to friends or relatives (46%)
- Listing items on an online marketplace (38%)
We’re even able to validate this data in real-time. In 2023, Nextdoor’s For Sale and Free, where Neighbors can buy and sell goods, saw 10% more listings per month last spring compared to the rest of the year.
Drilling down into what the main focus areas for cleaning: Closets take the top spot as the area of focus during spring cleaning (24%), closely followed by the bedroom (21%). Interestingly, men are twice as likely to focus on the garage, while women are 28% more likely to prioritize the bedroom.
The most common activities during spring cleaning include organizing closets, cleaning cabinets, vacuuming, and cleaning the fridge. While these types of activities have been shown to make us feel better once they’re finished, many adults, unsurprisingly, don’t enjoy the act of doing them.
Specifically, scrubbing the toilet/shower, cleaning the oven and organizing the garage - the most disliked cleaning activities among adults.
Spring cleaning: A pathway to community engagement and happier homes
As American homes across the nation undergo a refreshing transformation, it's evident that spring cleaning is more than just a chore—it's a collective practice to create a cleaner, more organized, and happier living space.
To do so, many of our Neighbors (41%) have turned to Nextdoor to get advice on cleaning products and services.
For advertisers looking to take advantage of this seasonal moment, here’s a couple takeaways from our team:
-
Conduct targeted ‘cleaning campaigns’ during February and March when most people begin their spring cleaning. Use insights about which rooms (above) are cleaned the most to focus this advertisement.
-
Promote cleaning products or home organization solutions through Nextdoor's For Sale and Free platform as it's evidently popular during the spring cleaning season.
-
Create gender-specific ads, by acknowledging that women seem to be more affected by clutter or that men focus more on areas like the garage.
-
Utilize the findings that mental wellbeing is linked to cleanliness in ad campaigns to position products as not just cleaning solutions, but as tools for a happier, stress-free living environment.
- Collaborate with local charities or community services for a donation drive during this period considering that most people plan on donating their decluttered items.
For additional insights on Spring cleaning, visit our Insights Hub and learn more about how Nextdoor helps businesses convert neighbors into customers here: business.nextdoor.com/enterprise.
Source: Nextdoor Survey, US (01/2024)
