FAMILIES URGED
TO DO THEIR SHARE OF THE CLEANING
Housework report launched to celebrate National Cleaning Day – 19 March, 2014
Parents and children are being encouraged to share out the household chores equally, as a new report reveals it’s often just one person who ends up doing the lion’s share.
For example the average mum spends a staggering 12 hours a week cleaning up after her children, according to the research.
Naturally, these hours reduce as children grow older, but even in households where the youngest child is 17 or over, mums still spend more than seven hours a week picking up their children’s mess.
Age of youngest child Hours per week mum spends cleaning
0-3 12
4-6 10
7-10 8
11-13 8.5
14-16 9
17+ 7
Researchers found that after a gruelling day, 74% of mums spend a huge chunk of their evening putting toys away, wiping down the kitchen, washing up dishes and sorting out clothes which have been left on the floor. Time-consuming chores such as emptying the bath and sink of toys before wiping the porcelain clean also added to their labour.
The report was commissioned by Vileda to launch the UK’s first ever ‘National Cleaning Day’ on 19th March, a day on which the brand is encouraging everyone around the country to pick up their mops, brooms and cloths and help out a little around the home. After all, the report found that 83% of mums said they regularly feel like they are the only member of the family to clean up after everyone.
Stains from drinks or dirty marks on walls or floors are also a regular bug-bear for the nation’s mums, according to the report. 85% of mums said they have days where they feel like all they do is clean up after the kids, with 70% admitting they regularly row with their children about it.
Yesterday Vileda spokesperson Lindsey Taylor said: “National Cleaning Day is about everyone putting a little sparkle into their home and sharing the workload. It would be understandable if it was just mums of very young children who have to spend the majority of their evenings cleaning, but the report shows it carries on even when the kids are old enough to be helping out.”
But it’s not just children mums have to clean up after as they will also spend two hours a week tidying up their partner’s mess, whether it’s washing clothes or cleaning dishes and the majority (64%) admitted this has often led to arguments.
Eight in ten mums said they wish their partner made more effort to help out with chores around the home. Only 6% of mums said their partner did more housework than them, 37% said it is split 50/50, while 57% said their partner made little or no contribution to keeping the house clean and tidy.
Top cleaning jobs mums spend their time on:
- Washing clothes (71%)
- Washing dishes (63%)
- Cleaning the kitchen (55%)
- Putting toys away (53%)
- Making the beds (52%)
- Picking up clothes from bedroom floor (48%)
- Tidying bedrooms (48%)
- Cleaning carpets or floors (48%)
- Cleaning dirty marks from the sink or bath (42%)
- Wiping dirty marks from the walls (32%)
Lindsey added: “On the 19th March we’d like everyone to pick at least one job and offer to help out. This could be vacuuming the whole house, or even just washing up after dinner – but it will give mum or whoever normally does the cleaning, a little break.”
“Vileda has devised a whole host of cleaning tips and advice aimed at making cleaning easier, not just for National Cleaning Day, but throughout the year. Visit our Facebook, Twitter or Blog for further information and keep an eye out for some great competitions throughout the day.”
The Vileda twitter account (@ViledaUK) will be hosting a 24-hour tweet-line where anyone can tweet a cleaning related question and receive help and advice.
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hahaha, I didn’t even know national cleaning day existed. I didn’t clean on the 19…I did lots of cleaning yesterday!
ha ha I didnt even know such a day existed. Will be quite helpful for lazybums like me. I might not clean the whole year but I might juz its cleaning day.Wish they make it international!
this reminds me that i need to clean my flat and do the chores
Hi, Agata. THanks for sharing this. I didn’t even know there’s a day for this. I don’t do my share in household chores since we have helpers to do that, but I sometimes organize stuff in my room. I hope it counts
It’s this day every day in my home! I have started trying to delegate the jobs though!
Had no idea that there was such a day! Im sad I missed it but now i feel like cleaning my room!
great post and i agree why should mom’s do all the household chores why cant men and children help the mom …
this national cleaning day is such a great idea i never heard of this before 🙂
Such a great cause ! Children do need to learn to do house chores.. 🙂
giglove, http://www.smallnhot.com
hahhahah i am the lazy one when come to cleaning….
Awww!! Such interesting post. I def am going to teach discipline my future children to do some house chores 😉 Thanks for sharing xx
Definitely an interesting concept. I could definitely more cleaning in my house – I can’t lie!
If I asked the rest of the family to do it, it would never get done… but then as a SATM it’s my job, they work all day so I don’t mind.
hahaha will keep this in mind for when i have kids..thanks for the post 🙂 http://www.carolinefashionstyling.com/
there is something like this? thanks for sharing.. if i will have my own kiddos in the future, i will teach them household chores 🙂
-from gig
Swirls and Scribbles
I didn’t now such day existed. To be honest, I used to not help much in cleaning. I only clean my room. OTL Great post!
I love this! Such an organized way to approach it – This makes me happy! <3 GIGLove
Wow! This is like news to me! Seriously! I mean, people now really need a national cleaning day 🙁 I don’t know why I am feeling sad to hear this 🙁
Oh I definitely don’t spend 12 hours a day cleaning! x
This numbers are per week 🙂
Sorry I meant per week x
I didn’t know this, thank you for sharing
Travel and Fashion Tips
Wow that is such a good thing to do! I wish we had that here 🙂 gig
These are interesting statistics. There’s no reason though why older children can’t help doing the dishes, cleaning their rooms, tidying up after themselves etc.
I didnt realize a day like this existed, if I knew I wouldve celebrated it with much joy since my OCD compells me to perform some sort of cleaning every hour!
That’s a lot of work. I didn’t actually knew about this day – I wish I did.
I didn’t know there’s this kind of day. Hope to help my mom with house chores!! =)) gig
Shame I’ve only just read this Agata – all of my offspring are in bed! I can’t believe this national day passed me by, we own a commercial cleaning company!
Mark it in the calendar for the next year 🙂
I hate housework with a passion, and no-one could accuse me of having a pristine home (I tidy and clean, but with three young children, including 2 toddlers, nothing stays tidy for long!). My 8 year old has recently taken it upon himself to make the beds and he likes to hoover, so he does that several times a week instead of me.
Wow, what a great little boy. You must be very proud. Such a help and he is only 8 🙂
I would assume the older the child the more time you spent pipcking up after them, maybe that is just me 🙂
not a case in our home… older kids can join in sharing chores
My kids and husband do not help out much, so I have treated myself to a cleaner each week – she is a massive help!
Oh yes Anna! I like your thinking!
Problem is… I tried it… I cleaned the house before cleaner arrived… I was shame of all the mess…
This is so true, I have 4 children from 7-14 and i seem to spend most of my time cleaning, this is especialy true on the weekend, if everyone pulled their weight a bit more it would give us all more time to spend as a family.
Time to put your foot down Sarah 🙂
I wish someone else would help out with the cleaning in our house!! I constantly seem to be washing up, wiping down and putting toys away. It’s crazy {‘;’}
Louise x
Confessions of a Secret Shopper | An Undomestic Goddess
I am with you on this one… I feel the same way…
My Mark doesn’t even know what hoover is for 🙁 or he pretends not to know
I always try to get the kids to help – and they will if you make it clear you expect that cleanliness is the whole family’s responsibility!
I find that most of the time they do it wrong and I only have to re-do it again
Do you clean after your kids cleaned something already or just leave it, or asked them to do it again?
it’s also National Afternoon Tea day so I urge mums to step away from the kitchen sink and enjoy a cup of tea and a scone 😉
ooo, I didn’t know that!
I love nice cuppa