Visits from friends and family are most likely to get Brits household cleaning, according to new research from Mintel.
The research company reports that for 23 million people (56%), the arrival of visitors is the biggest prompt to clean the home.
There is nothing more likely to send the nation’s dusters in to a tizzy than an unexpected visitor, says Mintel and as many as a third of the population admit to being embarrassed when a guest arrives without warning.
Competition for cleanliness is tense among Britain’s house-proud households too, reports Mintel. More than a quarter – 26% – of women is sensitive to the fact other people’s homes always seem to be cleaner and tidier than their own.
The research found that more than 46m Brits have at least one household chore they hate doing, and some 10m loathe any form of housework.
“While the lived in look is sufficient for our immediate family, there is no doubt that many Brits are intent on keeping up appearances for friends and neighbours,” said Alexandra Richmond, senior analyst, beauty & personal care.
“There is a definite element of competition among women in terms of the cleanliness of the home, and for many, there is nothing worse than an unexpected visit when their house is in less than perfect shape.”
The top three most hated tasks for Brits are cleaning the oven, almost two thirds (64%) dread this task; ironing (56%) and cleaning the windows (39%).
“Non-daily jobs are among the nation’s most loathed chores. With just one in seven (15%) having a cleaning routine, for many, the jobs build up to such a degree they become totally unpleasant and overwhelming. There is no doubt that preventing the back-log or sharing the chore would make these tasks seem less daunting,” said Richmond.
While almost half of women go out to work, the role of housework is still more likely to fall to them, reports Mintel and 47% of all women are resigned to the fact that keeping their home clean and tidy is their responsibility.
However, almost four in 10 (37%) women are overwhelmed by the housework, compared to just over a quarter (26%) of men. While only a minority (4%) believes that cleaning is a woman’s job, men are far more likely than women to leave the cleaning to someone else to do.
“The fact that men take on a more relaxed attitude towards household cleaning may not necessarily be due to laziness, it may be simply down to the fact that women find it harder to relax in messier surroundings,” said Richmond.
The UK market for household cleaning products is valued at nearly £4.4bn and has seen steady growth (17%) since 2003.
However, some sectors have performed more strongly than others. Aircare, for example, has grown by 38%, driven by the crossover into ambience creation. In contrast, detergents increased just 6% over the same five-year period, while hand dishwashing detergents have been overtaken in value by dishwasher products.