Comparison of cleaning habits in Spain and Germany

The holidays will soon be upon us and one thing is clear: Germans eat well during this time. On Christmas Eve, they mostly enjoy sausages with potato salad, but roast meats and poultry are favored as well. The Spanish also dish up great quantities of food during the holidays: tapas, roast meats and fish are served with red wine. But after the big feast, it is time to wash the dishes. When it comes to cleaning all the various pans and casseroles, often caked with cooking residues, the Germans and Spanish have different approaches. Commissioned by Freudenberg, a study carried out by an independent market research institute has investigated the cleaning habits of the two nations and has turned up some interesting results from the kitchens:​

  • ​37% of Germans wash dishes by hand more often than once a day. The majority trust their dishwashers in most cases. By way of comparison, 76% of Spaniards have a date with their sink at least once a day.
  • Sponge scourers, such as the “Vileda Glitzi”, are very popular in Germany, where 84% of people use them regularly. On average, 2.2 Glitzis are in use at the same time in German households. In Spain, as many as 2.4 sponges are used simultaneously
  • In the case of stubborn dirt, such as burned-in cheese on the raclette grill, 72% of Germans tend to use steel scourers, whereas 48% of Spaniards use them for tough cases.
  • Gloves, on the other hand, are not very popular in Germany. Only 9% of Germans protect their hands with gloves when washing up. In Spain, at least 15% of people wear them while washing the dishes