The Gtech survey of 2,000 homeowners and renters found that almost a quarter of Brits look forward to vacuuming the most out of all their domestic chores. This was followed by clothes washing and changing bedding.
Cleaning tasks Brits most look forward to:
1. Vacuuming (23%)
2. Clothes washing (19%)
3. Changing bedding (15%)
4. Washing up (13%)
5. Wiping down surfaces (13%)
6. Tidying bedroom (11%) 7. Mopping floors (10%)
The survey also found that while women are the most frequent cleaners (50 per cent clean everyday vs 34 per cent of men), 16 per cent of men said they most prefer to do the washing up out of all their jobs. For women, 23 per cent said washing the clothes was their favourite cleaning task.
Kitchens are the most frequently cleaned room in UK homes, being cleaned on average every 2.69 days. This was followed by living rooms (every 4.16 days) and bathrooms (every 4.26 days).
As for motivation to do certain cleaning tasks, 23 per cent of men reported they preferred jobs that offered the least disruption to the rest of the family. Women were more likely to choose the chores that brought them the greatest sense of satisfaction (63%).
A deeper dive into the psychology behind cleaning found that the majority of women (53%) clean because they don’t want to be judged by guests, friends, family, etc. compared to just 39 per cent of men. This suggests that women’s role as chief domestic cleaners is not primarily motivated by hygienic concerns, but by social pressures and presenteeism.
A Gtech spokesperson said, “Having a clean and tidy home has always been a badge of honour and has long been associated with social standing in Britain. It is the reason that social media is awash with #houseproud tags (125k tags on Instagram, 95.3k views on TikTok).
Beyond the basic practicalities of keeping bacteria at bay, we now know that cleaning is a pragmatic undertaking. As our survey has found, being proud of your house, being perceived as polite, and staving off judgement are just some of the top reasons we are a nation of frequent cleaners today."
Main reasons Brits clean up before guests arrive:
1. I like to be proud of my house (50%)
2. It is polite (47%)
3. Because it wouldn’t want guests to judge me (47%)
4. I think that it is expected (37%)
5. I would have cleaned regardless of whether people were coming over (33%)
6. To compete with them (11%) 7. Other reasons (2%)
Friends and family visits are most likely to get Brits cleaning. Surprisingly, nearly 1 in 4 people would clean up before a handyman arrived. However, it is women doing the majority of cleaning pre-arrival; 14% of men say they wouldn’t clean specifically for anyone/any occasion – and certainly not for a handyman.
Occasions most likely to get Brits cleaning:
1. Family arriving (68%).
2. Friends visiting (66%)
3. In-laws (42%)
4. Neighbours (38%)
5. Handyman (electrician, plumber, etc.) (38%)