The ironing pile has built up, the vacuuming needs doing, and the dishes are in desperate need of washing, but who will take on the challenge? Housework can be laborious and it’s not at the top of anyone’s list when it comes to fun activities. But are we sharing out chores equally? According to a recent study by the fitted furniture specialists, Hammonds, 54% of women believe all the household chores are completed by them and 22% even admit to arguing with their partner over their lack of help.
Historically household chores were perceived to be a women’s job, which surprisingly is a trend that seems to be continuing. With only 30% of men stating that they do all the household chores, women are clearly in the lead. Interestingly, there could be a reason behind this, with 15% of Brits stating their partner isn’t up to scratch when it comes to cleaning, admittingly taking over all the household chores themselves.
When it comes to cleaning tasks, some are more preferable to others, and seemingly there is a difference of opinion between genders. Claiming the top spot for the most enjoyable chore by males is vacuuming at 14%, with women voting for laundry (16%) as their number one. At the other end of the scale, men and women were in agreement, voting ironing as the most dreaded task (16% and 17%), closely followed by cleaning the oven (10% and 15%).
With household chores apparently never-ending, how much time do we dedicate to the cause? It’s easy to put off jobs that don’t inspire us, leaving them until last on the to-do list. However, it may seem that men are better at leaving the tasks undone, with only 4% of men committing over 7 hours a week to housework in contrast to 13% of women.
If you struggle to complete cleaning errands here are some helpful tips.
- Set yourself a timer – There’s nothing like working against the clock. Set yourself a timer for 15 mins and see if you can get the task done before it goes off.
- Music – Playing upbeat and lively music can help cut through the monotonousness of cleaning and boost your mood.
- Invite friends over – With the pressure of guests coming to visit, motivation will kick in and the desire not to be embarrassed by your home will push you to finish the chores.
- Make a to-do list – Thinking about all the jobs as a whole can become overwhelming. Breaking down the tasks into manageable segments will enable you to complete them in stages, ticking them off as you go.
With International Women’s Day just around the corner, will you be taking your half of the chores?
