Household Gender Divide Still Exists In Uk
A recent poll of 2,000 UK couples has found that the household gender divide is still alive and well - with men doing the DIY and mowing the lawn, and women doing the dusting and ironing.
The survey, published by online supermarket Ocado to mark the launch of household cleaning products (including anti-bacterial surface spray and washing-up liquid) within its growing own-brand grocery range, reveals that over four decades since Britain’s ‘sexual revolution’ men and women are still being associated with the same stereotypical household tasks. And those tasks remain a massive cause of arguments between couples.
- 93 per cent of men said they change the light bulb when it blows, 90 per cent do the DIY, 83 per cent mow the lawn and 79 per cent take out the rubbish.
- 88 per cent of women said they dust the house, 78 per cent iron the laundry, 77 per cent sweep the floor, 75 per cent cook ‘most meals’, and 70 per cent wash-up dirty plates.
Gender aside, over half of all respondents confessed to cleaning for an average of more than five hours per week - that’s at least 260 hours per year. An incredible 2 per cent admitted to putting in over 20 hours per week for routine chores.
Jason Gissing, Ocado co-founder says: "It’s rather depressing that gender stereotypes still pervade in 2011, and quite staggering that we spend so many hours each week tidying our homes."
The survey also identified the 'most hated' household chores - cleaning the oven came top with 45 per cent of votes, followed by cleaning the toilet (13 per cent) and ‘unclogging hair from plug and sink holes’ (9 per cent).
Other most hated household jobs included washing the dishes (6 per cent), doing the laundry (5 per cent), hoovering (5 per cent), making the bed (3 per cent) and dusting (3 per cent).
When asked to vote on their partners’ most annoying dirty habits respondents answered:
- Dirty plates in the sink - 39 per cent
- Dirty socks on the bedroom floor - 36 per cent
- Letting the bin overflow - 34 per cent
- Splashing toilet seat when peeing - 26 per cent
- Hair in the plughole - 24 per cent
- Leaving tea bags lying around - 20 per cent
- Nail clippings left lying around - 13 per cent
Another of the surveys’ findings related to chores and arguments. 43 per cent of those polled admitted to having five chore-related rows per week, 8 per cent admitted to 10 fights, while 3 per cent said household chores led to more than 20 arguments. A shocking one per cent said they squabbled about regular chores more than 50 times a week.
When quizzed if they had considered their partners' 'level of tidiness' before choosing them as a potential 'life partner', 22 per cent of respondents stated that their other half had to be tidy or they would leave them.
A total of 60 per cent said it 'might' make a difference, with just 18 per cent saying 'it didn't matter' if they were tidy or not.
Finally, when asked who did the most around the house, 66 per cent of all respondents took credit, with just 34 per cent nobly admitting partners did the lion's share.