Scrubbing surfaces, hoovering carpets, and changing bed sheets may leave your house feeling clean, but the dirtiest spots in the house are often forgotten, new research has revealed.

The study by Lightbulbs Direct shows the places in the home that Glaswegians have never cleaned, despite being magnets for germs.

Topping the list were:

  • Walls (14%)  
  • Doors (10%)
  • Keyboard (10%)

Parts of the home that we come into contact with most often, including doorknobs, keyboards and light switches, are hotspots for bacteria, and worryingly were some of the places that people cleaned the least in the study. Not quite making the top three was Glaswegian toilets, which 6% of the city has never cleaned!

Research by Which? found that some keyboards can be five times as dirty as a lavatory seat [1] - quite concerning when you consider that nearly a third (29%) of people in Glasgow clean their computer keys twice a year or less and one in ten (10%) have never cleaned them at all.

Dining tables and kitchen worktops were some of the top places that didn’t see the cleaning brush. Some 17% of Glaswegians admitted to cleaning these areas less than once a month and a shocking 3% only wash these areas annually, despite preparing food and eating on them nearly everyday.

Britain’s mucky millennials

When it comes to differences between the generations in the UK, over 35s come out on top for keeping their homes sparkling.

One in five (20%) 18-34s wash their bedsheets less than once a month, compared to just 10% of over 35s, despite dirty bedding having the potential to make health problems such as allergies and asthma worse. [2]

You also might want to think twice before stepping inside a millennial’s bathroom - a worrying 10% of 18-34 year olds clean their toilet twice a year or less with 3% admitting to never scrubbing their loo.

Battle of the sexes

It’s often a sticking point with couples that move in together for the first time, and the results of the study revealed the stereotypes are right - British men really are muckier than their female counterparts.

Women going round to their partner’s house for dinner might want to reconsider, as one in five men clean their table less than once a month, with 6% only getting round to washing it once a year.

Some 16% of men also admitted to have never cleaned the door handles in their home, compared to 6% of women - worrying when you consider that one door handle can contain 121 bacteria per square inch. [3]

David Tetlow, Ecommerce Manager, at Lightbulbs Direct said: “It is quite shocking to see how often we forget to clean some of the places we come into contact with the most in and around the home. Light switches could be hosting a number of different types of bacteria, so it’s quite surprising that one in four of us cleans them every six months or less!

“Obviously, some places around the home are easier to clean than others, and many spots we simply forget about. However, keeping on top of these chores is vital to keep your home looking fresh and sparkling.”