Shoes On Or Off? Survey Finds More Than Half Of Americans Leave Shoes On When Entering Their Homes Yet Would Still Eat Food That Had Dropped On Carpet

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- During the course of the day, Americans and their pets pick up dirt, germs, bacteria and other microbes on the soles of their shoes and paws and track it into their homes. Yet three in five (62 percent) of us don't always wipe our shoes off after coming inside, according to a new survey released today by BISSELL Homecare, Inc. What's more, 52 percent of us would eat food that had dropped on carpet or a rug, and around 49 percent wouldn't think to clean a baby pacifier or bottle after dropping it on carpet.

"For the 90 percent of Americans with carpets and rugs in our homes, most of us regularly vacuum and think we're getting them clean," said Erin Reed, Brand Manager at BISSELL Homecare, Inc. "However, tracked in mud, spills and pet messes seep beyond the surface trapping stains and odor-causing bacteria that is both unsightly and potentially unhealthy. These surfaces quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria yet for most of us, carpet cleaning isn't always a priority. In fact, 36 percent of Americans give their carpets or rugs a deep cleaning less often than once a year, if ever."

The survey was conducted as BISSELL introduces the new ProHeat 2X^® Revolution™ Pet, which makes deep cleaning carpet as easy as vacuuming so users can rest assured that their carpets are clean and odor-causing bacteria is controlled, when using BISSELL Deep Clean + Antibacterial formula.

Survey Finding Highlights

Items that frequently touch our mouths aren't always cleaned after being dropped on the carpet.

• One in five (20 percent) Americans say that food dropped would have to be on the carpet 30 seconds or longer for them to get rid of it instead of eating it
• More men than women (57 percent vs. 48 percent) and more parents than non-parents (60 percent vs. 48 percent) would be open to eating something that fell on a carpet or rug
• Around 47 percent of us wouldn't think to clean a mug or drinking glass or a utensil (35 percent) shortly after dropping it on carpet

We don't connect the dots between tracked in messes, dirty carpet and odors in the home.

• Around 57 percent of us tend to leave our shoes on while at home at least some of the time, and almost nine in 10 (87 percent) of us don't always ask visitors to take off their shoes before coming into our homes
• Most (59 percent) Americans have never cleaned more than usual because of a bad odor in their home—and almost eight in 10 (78 percent) don't believe odors are the result of dirt and bacteria tracked into their homes from the soles of their shoes
  • Fifty-four percent think what they do to clean their carpets is enough to rid them of all dirt and bacteria

While Americans desire cleaner carpets, deep cleaning seems too big of a hassle.

• Over four in five (84 percent) confess they aren't always satisfied with the state of their carpets. The same amount (85 percent) wishes their carpets were cleaner at least sometimes, if not more often
• Eighty-two percent can think of at least one reason not to deep clean their carpets, with the hefty cost (45 percent) and inconvenience of moving furniture around (45 percent) topping the list

Pet owners worry the cleaning they do isn't enough to take care of pet messes.

• More than four in five (84 percent) pet owners don't always clean their pets' paws before letting them enter their homes yet almost a third (32 percent) believe their pets regularly track odors into the home via their paws
• On average, pet owners typically need to spend an extra 19 minutes on their standard cleaning routine to deal with pet messes
• Almost six in 10 (58 percent) pet owners would happily give up at least one thing in exchange for never cleaning up after any pet messes at home—an hour of sleep every night for three months (44 percent) and this holiday's gifts (32 percent) would top this list of sacrifices

New BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Takes The Hassle Out Of Deep Cleaning

When it comes to tackling everyday messes and tracked-in dirt, people are often challenged with choosing between a quick refresh or a deep clean based on the time they have at their disposal. The BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet offers multiple cleaning modes, combining dual DirtLifter brushes with heated cleaning and powerful suction for a deep-down clean. It also comes with BISSELL Deep Clean + Antibacterial formula, which deep cleans and controls odor-causing bacteria in carpet*, providing peace of mind and convenience.

Key product benefits:

• Lightweight Design and Low-Profile Foot – Weighing 18 pounds, with a low-profile foot, the ProHeat 2x Revolution allows for easy maneuverability around and under furniture
• Deep Cleaning Formulas – BISSELL Deep Clean + Antibacterial and BISSELL 2X Professional Deep Cleaning Formulas refresh carpets
• Detachable Hose – For upholstery and spot cleaning
• Dual Powerbrushes – Feature 12 total cleaning rows for a deep down clean
• Adjustable Cleaning Mode – The ProHeat 2X Revolution features two different cleaning modes
  • Express Clean Mode offers great cleaning that dries in around an hour
  • Deep Clean Mode delivers professional-style results when used with BISSELL Professional Formula

To learn more about the BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet, consumers can visit bissell.com.

About BISSELL Homecare, Inc. 
For 139 years and counting, Michigan-based BISSELL Homecare, Inc. has developed innovative floor care solutions that make cleaning easier. As the top-selling brand in floor care appliances**, BISSELL understands that fuller lives often mean more messes, and that convenient cleaning tools help us embrace life's messier moments. Now in its fourth generation of family leadership, the company supplies households across the globe with vacuums, sweepers, deep-cleaning machines, hard floor cleaners and cleaning formulas. For more on the complete line of BISSELL floor care products, visit www.bissell.com.

About the Survey
The survey was conducted by Kelton Global between October 5 and October 12, 2015, among 1,044 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and over, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the entire U.S. population ages 18 and over and the margin of error is +/- 3 percent. For specific details, please contact BISSELL per the information above.

*Not for use on Polypropylenes/olefin or wool fibers
**NPD Unit Sales Data

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151111/286475

SOURCE BISSELL Homecare, Inc.

Related Links

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