New research revealed today supports the fact that there’s been a staggering 57% increase over the last forty years in the amount of time men spend on chores. This research conducted by Ariel Excel Gel also uncovers that the new ‘domestic god’ still has room for improvement and needs to clean up his act!
The survey has polled over one thousand people across Britain and, while it shows men are rolling up their sleeves and helping more with chores around the house, there’s still division between the genders - when it comes to laundry that is! Over two thirds of men (67%) describe it as ‘boring’ or ‘unpleasant’ and a tiny 5% of women say their partner does the laundry. No surprises then that eight out of ten women also say that when it comes to sorting the laundry, their men are nowhere to be seen. Only 4% of men cited that laundry would be their chore of choice.
As celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver have brought a masculine edge to the kitchen, so men seem to have followed in their footsteps. Today’s report also reveals that 38% of men do three to five hours of chores around the house per week - with the top chore voted by men being cooking, followed by taking the rubbish out and washing up. This rise in the amount of chores done in the home shows there really is substance behind the trend terms ‘metrosexual’ male, ‘new domestic god’ and now Modern Man.
Corinne Sweet, Psychologist, says: "The rise of Modern Man as a domestic god is an evolutionary step no-one would have believed possible in the 1960s. For women to continue to take their place in the world, as well as at home, it's great news that so many men have learned essential domestic skills. However, it does seem they need to follow suit and excel in the laundry department too!
"Traditionally men might have thought washing clothes was 'women's work', but the style-conscious Modern Man, who might be a lone father or independent dude, needs to know how to clean his clothes efficiently and ecologically. Men are more style-conscious than ever, so knowing how to look good now includes knowing how to clean their clothes effectively. Plus the women in their lives may not have the time or inclination to look after them domestically, so they need to know the A to Z of laundry care."