Merry Maids Father's Day Survey Reveals Majority of Dads Share Home Cleaning Responsibilities

MEMPHIS, TN--(Marketwired - June 15, 2015) - When it comes to handling household cleaning activities, most people look to Mom; however, according to a new online survey conducted by Merry Maids, the nation's leading home cleaning company and a business unit of ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV), nearly all dads surveyed (96 percent) say moms and dads share the home cleaning responsibilities.

According to a new Merry Maids Father's Day Survey, Americans seem to agree that mom is not the only one helping out around the house, but unfortunately when it comes to how much, dads may not be getting the credit they are due. This is one reason company officials believe Father's Day is the perfect time to recognize dads for all that they do to help keep their homes neat and clean.

For example, nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of those surveyed agree that dads share the home cleaning responsibilities with moms, while less than two-thirds (64 percent) of moms polled said the same. Slightly more than two-thirds (69 percent) of moms claim they need to prompt dads to get them to clean the house.

Even so, more than one-in-five (22 percent) dads surveyed say "no way" to the myth that they are messier than moms. And dads certainly have some tricks up their sleeves when it comes to tackling home cleaning chores, whether indoor or outdoor. Respondents said they learned a lot from their dads about cleaning, with reminders to keep outdoor spaces clean and organized (40 percent) and to clean as you cook (39 percent) being the top-rated tips.

"This Father's Day, we're excited to be able to give dads some of the credit they deserve when it comes to home cleaning," said Rob Mascari, Merry Maids franchise owner in Maryland and father of three. "While men may have favorite areas to clean differing from mom, such as the backyard or garage, it's important to recognize them for their contributions to the home."

In honor of Father's Day, four Merry Maids owners, cleaning experts and fathers have shared their favorite "dad-approved" cleaning tricks:

• "Don't let yourself get distracted while cleaning. It's easy to be distracted by the phone ringing, dog barking or the kids asking for help. Try setting a reasonable goal of cleaning one or two rooms at a time and keep working until that goal is accomplished to minimize distractions," said Mascari.

• "Make it a race and encourage your kids to be superhero cleaners. Sometimes I will time my kids to inspire some friendly competition and see how fast they can get something accomplished. Kids love to hear how fast they were," said Jeff Skadburg, Merry Maids owner in California and father of two.

• "Always vacuum the room last while you are walking out of it so you don't leave footprints," said Garret Weigel, Merry Maids franchise owner in Alabama and Florida and father of two.

• "Give your kids a choice of two things when it comes to cleaning, and have them pick the one they want to tackle. Giving them a choice makes them feel part of the process, and in my experience, they actually do it," said Ron Williams, Merry Maids franchise owner in Oregon and Washington and father of four.

To celebrate the roles dads play in our homes and all the fatherly cleaning advice they impart, Merry Maids is hosting giveaways throughout the entire month of June on Facebook. Consumers can visit the Merry Maids page to share their dads' best cleaning tips and enter for a chance to win a Merry Maids cleaning and a tool kit.

Although dads are excited to get some credit for their work around the house, over a quarter of dads surveyed (27 percent) admit the top cleaning tip they learned from their own fathers was to hire a professional cleaning service. To help dads honor this sage advice, local Merry Maids teams are ready to provide the gift of clean by creating customized cleaning plans for every homes' needs to ensure a consistent, reliable and thorough cleaning process every time. To find the nearest Merry Maids location, visit merrymaids.com. For more information and to stay up-to-date on the latest home cleaning and organizing tips, "like" the company's Facebook page or follow Merry Maids on Twitter.

About Merry Maids
Merry Maids is the largest home cleaning franchise network in the United States. Merry Maids provides services in 48 states and the District of Columbia through approximately 450 company-owned locations and franchised outlets. The company also provides home cleaning services in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom and has licensing arrangements whereby licensees provide these services in Hong Kong, Japan, South America, South Korea, Southeast Asia and Australia. Through its company-owned and franchise locations, Merry Maids employs more than 8,000 home cleaning professionals that service homes on four continents, including more than 200,000 homes in North America every month. Merry Maids is a business unit of ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV), a leading provider of essential residential and commercial services. Go to www.merrymaids.com for more information about Merry Maids or follow us at twitter.com/MerryMaids and facebook.com/MerryMaids.

About ServiceMaster
ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV) is a leading provider of essential residential and commercial services, operating through an extensive service network of more than 8,000 company-owned, franchised and licensed locations. The company's portfolio of well-recognized brands includes Terminix (termite and pest control), American Home Shield (home warranties), ServiceMaster Restore (disaster restoration), ServiceMaster Clean (janitorial), Merry Maids (residential cleaning), Furniture Medic (furniture repair) and AmeriSpec (home inspections). We serve residential and commercial customers through an employee base of approximately 13,000 company associates and a franchise network that independently employs an estimated 33,000 additional people. The company is headquartered in Memphis, Tenn. Go to www.servicemaster.com for more information about ServiceMaster or follow the company at twitter.com/ServiceMaster or facebook.com/TheServiceMasterCo.

About the Survey
The Merry Maids Father's Day Survey presents the findings of an online survey conducted by Toluna from May 27-29, 2015 among a sample of 1,026 American adults, comprising 471 men and 555 women 18 years of age and older. The margin of error for a sample of this size is ± 3% at a 95% level of confidence.

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