It’s April, which means it’s time for some spring cleaning! (Sorry, kids who may be reading this and shudder at the thought of your parents handing you a rag and bucket.)
According to the 2021 Census of Population, there were nearly 15 million private dwellings nationwide occupied by their usual residents. So, you can imagine what Canadians spend on keeping them clean.
Over $1 billion spent on cleaning supplies
In the second quarter of 2023, amid last year’s spring cleaning blitz, there were $1.4 billion in nationwide retail sales of household cleaning supplies. That figure was up from nearly $1.3 billion in the previous quarter.
This retail category includes bleaches, brooms, cleaning cloths and gloves, mops and buckets, disinfectants, and carpet and rug cleaning products.
To give you an idea of the magnitude of these expenditures: the $1.4 billion spent on cleaning supplies in the second quarter of 2023 was higher than the amounts spent on small home appliances ($1.1 billion), tableware, kitchenware, cookware and bakeware ($918.4 million) and infant disposable diapers ($201.1 million).
Other supplies for a spring-ready home
There were $1.6 billion in retail sales of miscellaneous household supplies in the second quarter of 2023, up from $1.5 billion in the previous quarter.
Products in this category include paper towels, toilet paper, garbage cans, paper and plastic bags, ironing boards, closet organizers, batteries, squeegees, flashlights, and fire extinguishers. A deep clean is also an opportunity to check what needs fixing or replacing.
Services for hire
Sometimes, the job is just too big and you want to hire a service. In December 2023, there were 1,506 business locations across Canada for carpet and upholstery cleaning services, as well as 1,977 for window cleaning. And don’t forget about the ducts and chimneys! There were 798 business locations offering those cleaning services.
In December 2023, there were 34,008 business locations in the janitorial services industry, a broad category which includes various cleaning services for both residential and industrial clients.
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Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).