#The average American hasn’t cleaned their desktop in 3 years

Half of Americans would rather clean their house than their desktop, according to new research.

A poll of 2,000 Americans found 50 percent of respondents would rather clean their entire house than have to sit through nearly an hour of cleaning up and organizing their digital devices.

And the average American surveyed hasn’t even cleaned or organized their desktops in over three years.

The study, conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Western Digital, discovered 62 percent said their desktops are “very” cluttered across all their digital devices.

So why are Americans so reticent when it comes to cleansing their desktops? Turns out, over half (51 percent) worry they’ll lose their photos and videos in the process.

Another 49 percent worry they’ll lose all their passwords if they attempt a desktop cleanse while 47 percent don’t want to delete any apps off their devices.

The worry among respondents is very real when it comes to organizing their digital devices. And the top worry was found to be the fear of deleting things they’ll need later on.

Other big reasons people said they’re avoiding giving their desktop a proper clean is because they know where everything is right now (36 percent), it’s time-consuming (31 percent) and it’s such a mess; there’s no hope for it (26 percent).

But 61 percent wish they were more organized when it comes to their digital desktops.

One in seven said they receive a “low storage” or “storage full” warning on at least one of their devices daily — while another 28 percent receive these notifications weekly.

“With devices at our fingertips, we have the ability to create and capture an enormous amount of content,” said Anthony Morquecho, director, product marketing, Western Digital.

“We are now accustomed to accumulating digital content, however, when it comes to managing it all, it is definitely a challenge for many.”

Still, a cluttered desktop can wreak havoc on peoples’ lives. Having a messy desktop stresses out 71 percent of respondents.

Unfortunately, Americans are also clueless about all the files and documents they have stored on their devices. Sixty-seven percent revealed they currently have files stored on their devices they’ve completely forgotten about.

However, over half (51 percent) don’t understand how to properly back-up all their files.

“As a digital storage company, our mission is to help consumers find the best solution to combat digital chaos,” Morquecho added. “We work hard to make it so easy that it doesn’t have to feel like a chore.”

Top five reasons Americans avoid cleaning their digital desktops

1. Worry about deleting things they’ll need later: 46 percent
2. Knowing where everything is right now: 36 percent
3. It’s time-consuming: 31 percent
4. Having a large amount of storage capacity: 29 percent
5. It’s such a mess; there’s no hope for it: 26 percent