The ‘little jobs’ - 12 household chores queuing up for Brits
A staggering 316 million ‘little household jobs’ currently need attention in Britain’s homes, it has been revealed. Research shows that hectic lifestyles have led to the nightmare situation of endless ‘when I get around to it’ tasks, including cleaning the oven, removing hair from plugholes and sorting through the fridge.
Other jobs falling down the to-do list are cleaning the toilet, hoovering the stairs and scouring the bath.
Defrosting freezers, wiping the windows and skirting boards and mowing the lawn also ranked highly on the list.
The average home- of which there are 26.4 million- has 12 jobs currently awaiting attention, according to the research commissioned by Oven Pride.
In fact, it’s the dreaded task of cleaning the oven that emerged as the most hated chore of all.
Half of the 2,000 people studied admit they struggle with the nightmare of maintaining a modern home while balancing work and family life.
The same number have a job they know they should tackle, but have tried to forget it completely rather than attempt it.
A spokesperson for Oven Pride commented on the findings: “We all lead such hectic modern lives that it’s sometimes hard to keep on top of everything.
“Of course the longer you leave a job, the worse it usually is when you finally get round to facing it, but making sure you have the right tools for the job can make household chores less of a nightmare.
“When it comes down to it, the thought of doing a job you’ve put off is usually a lot worse than actually getting it done.”
Cleaning cooker hoods, descaling the kettle and dusting all made the list of jobs that are most commonly avoided.
While the prospect of having to iron shirts dampens the spirit for many and features inside the top twenty most disliked chores.
A defeated 55% of people have attempted a chore but found it so daunting or difficult that they’ve abandoned it mid-way.
Incredibly, a tenth of people have a job at home that they’ve put off doing for over five years, while a still impressive three in ten have put a job off for at least a year or two.
A cheeky 48% even admit they’ll actively avoid doing a job in the hopes their partner will do it for them.
45% of people admit to being kept awake at night over a job that they haven’t been able to cross off the to-do list.
But a visit from the mother-in-law spurs one in ten to conquer their cleaning, while one in four can no longer put it off if it starts ruining the look of a room.
And an all or nothing one in five say their approach is to let things mount up for a few weeks before tackling it all in one massive spruce up.
The Oven Pride spokesperson added: “The results show it’s not uncommon to put off a job even for years at a time.
“What’s important to consider though is whether leaving these things will impact the quality of your lifestyle or bring about long term damage that might cost you in the long run.”
Top 20 most disliked chores
1. Cleaning the oven
2. Cleaning the windows
3. Hoovering the stairs
4. Cleaning the toilet
5. Dusting
6. Scrubbing the roasting tin
7. Removing hair from plug
8. Defrosting the freezer
9. Ironing shirts
10. Unblocking the sink or plug hole
11. Cleaning cooker hoods
12. Cleaning the skirting boards
13. Hoovering under the sofa cushions
14. Scouring the bath
15. Cleaning the bathroom
16. Moving furniture to clean behind
17. Cleaning out the fridge
18. De-scaling the kettle
19. Fixing a leaky tap
20. Mowing the lawn
Top 20 most avoided chores
1. Cleaning the oven
2. Cleaning the windows
3. Painting walls – touching up scratches/marks
4. Dusting
5. Hoovering the stairs
6. Sorting out a bedroom cupboard
7. Defrosting the freezer
8. Cleaning the skirting boards
9. Moving furniture to clean behind
10. Hoovering under the sofa cushions
11. Cleaning cooker hoods
12. Organising the garage
13. Mowing the lawn
14. De-scaling the kettle
15. Cleaning the bathroom
16. Cleaning out the fridge
17. Painting a fence
18. Ironing shirts
19. Cleaning the toilet
20. Scouring the bath