New research shows that spring cleaning can burn off even more calories than running a marathon.
Houseproud homeowners typically burn up 3,655 calories each year just by cleaning and tidying their homes in time for the summer.
That’s about the same as 30 large glasses of white wine or 20 chocolate eclairs – or a little more than one marathon run.
Over a lifetime this amounts to almost a quarter of a million calories or 783 bacon sandwiches.
The study was carried out with a group of home owners who were asked to monitor the amount of time they spent spring cleaning and the tasks carried out.
Popular tasks included dusting and vacuuming, emptying and cleaning cupboards, scrubbing floors, cleaning windows and moving furniture.
Cleaning cupboards burnt the most calories with those taking part spending on average four hours on this task alone, using up 952 calories. This involved emptying, cleaning out and repacking the cupboards.
Dusting was the least strenuous task burning off just 170 calories per hour. Those being monitored spent two hours doing this gentle task.
The average spring clean took the home owners 16 hours and 20 minutes spread over four days.
At 3,655 calories it was well ahead of a marathon run which typically burns between 2,500 and 3,500 calories depending on the runner’s height, weight and build.
One woman who took part said: “I’m surprised at how many calories I use just by giving the house a thorough clean. There is a lot of stretching and lifting involved so great for the upper body, and walking up and down the stairs and the ladder to get into the loft are great for my legs.
New research shows that spring cleaning can burn off even more calories than running a marathon
“I’m almost tempted to clean up more often now I know how beneficial it is!”
Another added: “I often ache after spring cleaning – now I know why! It is incredibly rewarding to see the house de-cluttered and gleaming, even better when I know I can indulge in a few of my favorite treats without feeling guilty afterwards.”
A spokesperson for PromotionalCodes.org.uk, who conducted the study said: “Housework is a great way to exercise and knowing how many calories it burns makes it much less of a chore. After all, as well as a lovely clean house, we’re also toning, firming and making ourselves much fitter.
“There are lots of time saving devices now which means our spring clean takes less time than it did years ago. But regardless of the help we have, we’re still stretching, lifting, walking and bending – all great for getting our hearts pumping and body working hard.”
Vacuuming (1 hour) 238 calories
Dusting (2 hours) 340 calories (170calories/hour)
Emptying, cleaning, repacking cupboards (4 hours) 952 calories (238 calories/hour)
Scrubbing the floor (1 hour) 258 calories
Climbing up and down loft (20 mins) 181 calories (544calories/hour)
Turning mattresses and making beds (1 hour) 136 calories
Moving heavy furniture (2 hours) 476 calories (238calories/hour)
Cleaning windows (3 hours) 612 calories (204calories/hour)
Cleaning external doors (1 hour) 204 calories
Deep clean bathrooms (1hour) 258 calories
Total: 3,655 calories
Thirteen deputy fire chiefs in Boston are calling for their boss to be fired over his handling of the Marathon bombing, saying that he did not take control of the situation.
Thirteen of the city’s fourteen deputy fire chiefs co-signed a letter telling that they have no confidence in Fire Chief Steve Abraira.
The Boston Globe obtained the letter that they wrote to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino on April 26, just 11 days after the bombings at the finish line of the marathon killed three people and injured more than 250 others.
They argue that he did not take ownership of the chaotic scene when he arrived, choosing instead to allow the various deputies to lead and did not take charge himself.
“His justification for failing to take action is indefensible,” they wrote.
Thirteen of Boston’s fourteen deputy fire chiefs co-signed a letter telling that they have no confidence in Fire Chief Steve Abraira
The Boston Globe spoke with Steve Abraira who defended his actions, saying that is a “nationally accepted practice” for the top chief to continue to allow his deputies to handle the situation if everything seems to be working, rather than insert themselves into a situation that is already being controlled.
“When I got there I was comfortable with what was going on,” Steve Abraira told The Globe.
“You only take command [as chief] if there’s something going wrong or if you can strengthen the command position or if it’s overwhelming for the incident commander, and none of those things were in fact happening.”
The deputies- with the exception of one who did not sign the no-confidence letter- said that this is not the first time they have been disappointed by Steve Abraira’s actions.
They even mention an instance where there was a six-alarm fire in a Boston building and after he allegedly cleared the scene of being under control by the deputies, Steve Abraira went to the roof of the building next door to take a picture of himself with the flames in the background for his scrapbook.
Steve Abraira vehemently denied the story to The Globe, saying that it never happened.
One thing he doesn’t deny is that he changed the department’s protocol when he came into office in November 2011, making it so that he would not automatically become the so-called “incident commander” at a fire as soon as he arrived.
He justified the move saying that before changing the operating procedure, he polled 29 other city fire departments around the country and the only one that still made the Fire Chief the incident commander was in New Haven, Connecticut.
His deputies don’t see the move as one out of public safety but more out of self-preservation.
“[Steve Abraira] shields himself from immediate accountability while setting the stage for undermining the confidence and authority of his command staff. While acknowledging his ultimate accountability for department operations, he avoids on-the-scene responsibility,” they wrote in the letter.
So far, Boston higher powers have been supportive of Steve Abraira, who made history by being the city’s first Hispanic fire chief.
Fire commissioner Roderick Fraser told The Globe that he had “the utmost confidence in my entire staff, my entire command staff, including Chief Abraira”, and a spokesman for Mayor Menino said that he had “full confidence” in Fraser.
