10 Cleaning Stats Every Melbourne Homeowner Should Know

Some of these are surprising. Some are a little gross. All of them shape how our residential crews build their cleaning checklists.

The numbers

• The average Australian home collects around 18kg of dust, dead skin and pet dander per year. • A kitchen sponge should be replaced every 1–2 weeks. Beyond that, it holds more bacteria than the average toilet handle. • 82% of house dust is made up of shed human skin cells and fibres. • Bathroom taps carry around 6,000 bacteria per square inch. • A vacuum should be run over high-traffic carpet at least twice a week to remove embedded grit before it damages the fibres. • Kitchen benchtops should be sanitised — not just wiped — after any raw meat contact. • 60% of allergens in the home are found in bedding. Wash sheets weekly at 60°C. • Cleaning glass with a squeegee (not paper towel) leaves 90% fewer streaks. • A fridge should be deep cleaned every 3 months. • A professional residential clean saves the average Melbourne household 3–4 hours per week.