Brits spend greater than two years of their lives cleansing their residence, examine finds

Brits are spending the equivalent of over two years of their lives dedicated to cleaning their homes.

A study involving 2,000 adults revealed that they spend an average of 54 minutes a week doing laundry, 25 minutes mopping floors, 35 minutes vacuuming and 45 minutes washing up.

However, the most dreaded chores include cleaning toilets and windows or dusting, with 19% loathing mopping the floors.

This all adds up to six hours and 16 minutes spent cleaning their home each week, equating to more than 13 full days a year.

Over the course of an average adult lifetime, this totals a staggering 20,530 hours or 855 full days – spent scrubbing, mopping, vacuuming and dusting.

A spokesperson for Flash, who commissioned the study to launch its new Power Spray Mop with a washable microfibre pad, commented: “If you’re going to spend this much time cleaning, you may as well do a proper job of it.”

“But when you see just how long people will spend over their lifetime cleaning, it does make you wonder if there’s a more efficient way.”

“A combined 28 months of your life devoted to scrubbing, washing, mopping and tidying seems like an awful lot.”

“But on the other hand, most people are probably much happier in a clean home, so are in need of tools that get impeccable results and save us time.”

The research also revealed that 21% of adults have simply accepted the amount of time they need to dedicate each week to home maintenance. However, 20% attempt to delegate tasks they’d rather not do themselves.

Spouses are often the ones who end up doing this literal dirty work (63%), while 19% try to get their children involved. Only 21% of those surveyed maintain a regular cleaning schedule, with 60% just tackling chores as necessary.

Yet, 82% admit they’re more likely to give their home a thorough clean if they’re expecting visitors. The study also found that only 22% would rate their cleaning skills as ‘very good’, with one in 20 openly admitting they’re ‘bad’ at it.

Despite this, 74% of respondents, polled via OnePoll, believe having the right tools makes the job much easier. While many chores are met with a sigh, 15% confessed to actually enjoying vacuuming, and 10% find satisfaction in organising their wardrobes.

A spokesperson for Flash commented: “Cleaning often feels like a thankless task. You spend hours tidying up, only for it to become messy again quickly, so it’s easy to feel demotivated when the results don’t last. For many, cleaning equates to a loss of precious free time. Instead of relaxing or pursuing hobbies, they’re stuck scrubbing floors or dusting shelves.”

If you’re going to spend this much time cleaning, you may as well do a proper job of it.

“But as the results show, if you have the right tools for the job, some cleaning jobs can be actively enjoyable and leave you more time for doing the things you love not just the results.”

TIME SPENT ON CLEANING WEEKLY:.

* Vacuuming 35 minutes.

* Sweeping 24 minutes.

* Washing up 45 minutes.

* Cleaning surfaces 33 minutes.

* Mopping floors 25 minutes.

* Dusting 26 minutes.

* Cleaning the toilet 24 minutes.

* Organising closets and cupboards 27 minutes.

* Washing laundry 54 minutes.

* Emptying bins 20 minutes.

* Cleaning windows 27 minutes.

* Loading/unloading dishwasher 36 minutes.