Figures just released have revealed that only 20 per cent of Chelmsford citizens will be taking part in a home spring clean this year.

The town’s cleaning habits have been uncovered thanks to research conducted by re-commerce specialists, musicMagpie, as part of National Spring Cleaning Week which runs from the 16th – 23rd March.

Results highlighted that residents spend an average of just three hours per week cleaning with 60% claiming to find the process unpleasant and unenjoyable.

Unsurprisingly, the kitchen was voted as the most cleaned room in the house taking up 50 per cent of total cleaning time, and worryingly the bedroom was voted the least cleaned room by an astonishing third of the town, despite it being a room that people spend most of their time.

Further analysis of musicMagpie’s research has revealed an unexpected similarity in cleaning habits amongst males and females contrary to stereotypes.

Females are only 4 per cent more likely to have an annual spring clean than males, who spend on average 4 hours cleaning to a female’s 5 hours.

Interestingly, a divide in which rooms males and females choose to spend the most time cleaning have been identified – with females selecting the kitchen and bathroom as top priority, and males focusing their cleaning on the bedroom and living room.

Dr. Elizabeth Forrester, Consultant Clinical Psychologist said, “Spring cleaning is a great opportunity to get rid of unwanted clutter that has accumulated over the year.

"Having too much clutter around us is not good for our psychological well-being.

"It is often the case that low mood and depression may have led to a problem with clutter, and it can keep that low mood going.

"It’s depressing living in a cluttered and untidy environment which if not careful can lead to isolation due to being too embarrassed by clutter to have visitors in our home.”

Further analysis of musicMagpie’s internal data has identified a spike in re-commerce over the spring cleaning period.

Liam Howley, Head of Online Marketing at musicMagpie said, “Spring is a very popular time for us and a great opportunity for people to earn a bit of cash whilst getting rid of their excess clutter.”

Dr. Elizabeth Forrester identifies the 6 common beliefs behind hoarding and clutter:

1. Poor memory – the fear of forgetting about something should it be out of sight

2. Adopting a ‘this may come in handy’ attitude

3. Fear of deprivation - worries that you won’t be able to obtain that item in the future

4. Heightened ‘sentimentality’ about possessions

5. Fears of making a mistake and regretting throwing an item away

6. Perfectionism – owning variations of the same product to have ‘the right thing for the right job’