Honestly, I’ve had mine for a few months and haven’t had to do much. The outside wipes down easy, and since the filter is inside, you don’t really deal with gunk building up on the head itself. It’s less hassle than a normal one for me.
I think it depends on where your closest broadcast towers are. I tried mine low first and got nothing, moved it up near the ceiling and it worked perfectly. If you don’t want to mess with the wall, try a few spots on the table first.