Calories Burned While Cleaning Calculator

Cleaning burns between 100-300 calories per hour depending on the type of activity, your body weight, and how vigorously you work. General housework like vacuuming or mopping burns approximately 150-200 calories per hour for most adults, while more intense tasks like scrubbing floors or moving furniture can burn 250-350 calories per hour.

Household chores are an often-overlooked form of physical activity that contributes to your daily energy expenditure. While cleaning may not replace structured exercise, it adds to your overall activity level and can help you stay active throughout the day.

Key factors that affect cleaning calorie burn:

• Activity type: Heavy tasks like moving furniture burn 2-3x more than light dusting
• Body weight: Heavier individuals burn more calories at the same effort level
• Duration: Longer cleaning sessions naturally burn more total calories
• Intensity: Working faster or with more effort increases calorie burn
• Movement patterns: Tasks involving bending, reaching, and walking burn more

The Science Behind Cleaning Calorie Calculation

This calculator uses the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) system, which measures energy expenditure relative to resting metabolism. MET values for cleaning activities come from the Compendium of Physical Activities, the gold standard for activity energy expenditure research.

The calculator applies an effort level multiplier to account for variations in how vigorously you clean, providing more personalized estimates.

Different cleaning activities require varying levels of effort and burn different amounts of calories. Here’s a breakdown of common household chores and their approximate calorie burn for a 70kg (154 lb) person.

Note: These values assume continuous activity. Actual calorie burn may be lower if you take frequent breaks or work at a slower pace.

How Cleaning Compares to Traditional Exercise

While cleaning isn’t a substitute for dedicated exercise, it does contribute to your daily activity level. Here’s how common cleaning tasks compare to traditional exercises:

• Vacuuming (3.5 MET): Similar to slow walking at 3 mph
• Mopping floors (3.8 MET): Comparable to light cycling
• Scrubbing floors (4.0 MET): Similar to water aerobics
• Moving furniture (5.0 MET): Comparable to moderate weight training
• Deep cleaning (5.5 MET): Similar to brisk walking at 4 mph

An hour of active housework can burn as many calories as 30 minutes of moderate exercise, making regular cleaning a meaningful contributor to overall fitness.