Over 80% Feel Stressed About Tidying Up: 'Unclear Pricing' and 'Privacy Concerns' Are Barriers to Using Cleaning Services

APPRECIATE PLUS Inc. (Headquarters: Arakawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Daishi Yaguchi) conducted a joint awareness survey on home tidying with Michi Inc. (Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka; Representative Director: Ayami Shimokata).

In recent years, against the backdrop of an increase in dual-income households and diversifying lifestyles, daily housework burdens have grown, and more people are struggling with home organization and tidying. On the other hand, consultations with tidying and cleaning services are often avoided due to psychological and economic hurdles such as 'embarrassment' and 'concerns about cost.'

This survey aimed to clarify the actual state of stress related to home tidying and the awareness and barriers regarding the use of cleaning services.

Over 80% feel stressed about tidying up – 80% also feel that 'rooms get messier during busy times'

When asked, 'How much stress do you usually feel about tidying your home?', 28.0% (84 people) answered 'a great deal,' and 53.7% (161 people) answered 'somewhat,' totaling 81.7% (245 people) who feel some level of stress about tidying. In contrast, only 17.3% (52 people) said 'not much,' and a mere 1.0% (3 people) said 'not at all.'

Furthermore, when asked, 'Do you feel that your room tends to get messier during busy times?', 39.0% (117 people) answered 'strongly agree,' and 43.0% (129 people) answered 'somewhat agree,' totaling 82.0% (246 people) who recognize a relationship between busyness and room disorder.

Stress about home tidying is a common concern for many people, and a pattern emerges where the state of the room tends to worsen particularly during busy periods.

The biggest cause of clutter is 'lack of energy and time' – over 60% say 'too tired to tidy'

When asked about the 'main reasons for a room becoming cluttered,' the most common answer was 'too tired to have the energy to tidy,' with 194 responses (64.7%), followed by 'too busy with work or housework to have time to tidy' with 151 responses (50.3%), and 'too many things, not enough storage space' with 127 responses (42.3%). Additionally, 'don't know where to start' received 88 responses (29.3%), indicating a high psychological barrier to beginning the tidying process.

Free-text responses included comments such as:

▼Examples of responses

'Because the kids play and don't clean up, I end up having to do it myself.'

'I can't throw away things I might use, so things are overflowing.'

'After working during the day, when I get home, I just want to relax.'

The results show that environmental and lifestyle factors such as fatigue, busyness, and lack of storage have a greater impact on room clutter than individual awareness or personality.

Feelings and real harm caused by a cluttered room – psychological impact is severe, including 'irritation and self-loathing'

Regarding 'feelings when the room is messy,' the most common response was 'feel irritated' at 29.7% (89 people), followed by 'feel self-loathing' at 28.0% (84 people), and 'feel resigned' at 17.7% (53 people). While nearly 80% of people experience negative feelings, only 14.3% (43 people) said their 'feelings don't particularly change.'

Regarding actual problems experienced, 'cleaning and housework became even more troublesome' topped the list with 194 responses (64.7%), followed by 'can't find necessary items immediately' with 164 responses (54.7%), and 'couldn't invite people over' with 100 responses (33.3%).

Free-text responses included comments such as:

▼Examples of responses

'I stepped on something and hurt myself.'

'I bought something thinking I didn't have it, even though I had it in stock at home.'

'I couldn't invite my partner over.'

Room disorder has a cascading negative impact on both psychological and daily life aspects, deeply affecting the quality of daily life (QOL).

Concerns about cost and privacy deter usage – over 50% 'don't want strangers in the house'

When asked, 'Do you feel that room disorder affects your mental state or life comfort?', 32.0% (96 people) answered 'strongly feel,' and 51.0% (153 people) answered 'somewhat feel,' totaling 83.0% (249 people) who acknowledge an impact.

Despite this, the most common reason for hesitating to consult a tidying/cleaning service was 'it seems expensive' with 200 responses (66.7%), followed by 'I'm uneasy about letting strangers into my house' with 152 responses (50.7%), and 'it's embarrassing' with 98 responses (32.7%). 'Worried about additional charges' and 'don't know where to ask' each received 72 responses (24.0%).

Free-text responses included comments such as:

▼Examples of responses

'It's hard to tell if a company is legitimate.'

'I've heard bad rumors about plumbing companies, so I feel the same about cleaning companies.'

'My wife is there, so it's hard to consult a service.'

The reality is that while people are aware of the impact on their mental state, they are unable to use services due to a combination of anxieties about cost, privacy, and trust in the service provider.

The key to reassurance is 'pricing transparency' and 'confidentiality' – 'reviews and track record' also important

When asked about 'things that would be reassuring when using a tidying/cleaning service,' 'clear pricing' received overwhelming support with 257 responses (85.7%), followed by 'no additional charges' with 187 responses (62.3%), 'track record and reviews' with 134 responses (44.7%), and 'confidentiality' with 128 responses (42.7%).

Furthermore, 'online pre-estimation available' received 107 responses (35.7%), and 'female staff available' received 98 responses (32.7%), highlighting a demand for online pre-visit support and consideration regarding the staff assigned.

Free-text responses regarding reassurance included comments such as:

▼Examples of responses

'I want them to come to the actual site beforehand, provide an estimate, and explain what costs what.'

'Pricing clarity is important, but I think having an easy-to-understand contract is the most important thing.'

'Whether the staff looks clean and tidy.'

Additionally, when asked, 'If you could consult without others knowing, would you like to use a tidying/cleaning service?', 9.3% (28 people) answered 'very much,' and 38.3% (115 people) answered 'somewhat,' totaling 47.6% (143 people) showing potential interest in using such services.

Efforts to resolve the main barriers of 'unclear pricing' and 'privacy concerns' are likely directly linked to encouraging potential users to take action.

■ Summary

This survey has revealed that concerns about home tidying are a common life issue for many people. 83.0% answered that 'room disorder affects their mental state or life comfort,' indicating that the problem of tidying is a serious issue related to the quality of life itself.

On the other hand, the fact that 47.6% of respondents said they 'would like to use a service if they could consult without others knowing' indicates a significant potential market need.