NEWS COPY
The average American can expect to shell out $138,866 on chores and tasks in their lifetime, and spend 30 long days every year carrying them out, new research shows.
Cleaning and organizing takes most of the time, as Americans spend two hours and sixteen minutes every week on cleaning and organizing alone.
Researchers examined the time and cost of doing basic daily chores of 2,000 Americans and projected how much time and money adults spend on such tasks.
The survey discovered people generally spend twice as long on tasks and chores than they do going out with friends, spending time with family, and even relaxing in front of the television.
More than one in five say chores have taken time away from their family or friends. One in 25 even say it has affected their relationship with their significant other. One in 12 confess it has made life difficult for them.
The research, conducted by Taskrabbit.com, shows two hours and 12 minutes each week is spent on washing, laundry and ironing. Running errands outside of the home also takes up nearly the same amount of time (two hours and two minutes).
As the average American spends 14 hours on chores and tasks each week, but only spends four hours each week relaxing at home, an hour and 38 minutes doing some of active activity, and an hour and 50 minutes relaxing outdoors.
“Though chores are a part of everyday life, getting through your entire to-do list can be time-consuming and stressful,” said Rob Willey, VP of Marketing at TaskRabbit. “While it’s important to take care of your cleaning, errands, and other household responsibilities, it’s equally as important to feel productive knowing that your life is in order.”
The study found scrubbing the toilet on hands and knees is the most hated chore of all time. High on the list also include washing dishes, doing laundry and cleaning the tub.
Nearly a quarter are frustrated with their daily chores. The frustration is understandable; as the time it takes to accomplish weekly chores each week vastly supersedes anytime for pleasure.
With so little time to relax, it makes sense why chores are usually delayed for three days before getting done. On average, Americans are doing some kind of chore 17 days each month.
More than 60 percent of the survey participants say they receive no help from their partner or spouse when it comes to doing chores. It’s even worse for those with roommates, as 89 percent of those with roommates don’t receive any help.
Parents don’t receive as much aid from their children either -- eight of 10 say their kids don’t lift a finger for chores. Forty percent does some kind of deep cleaning every three months or more often. If finances weren’t an issue, 58 percent would hire someone to do their chores for them.
“We need to make room in our daily lives to focus on the things that are important to us – going to yoga, dinner with friends/family, an extra hour at the dog park with the pooch, or even to stay at the office longer (if you must),” said Rob Willey. “But there’s no reason why you need to take all the responsibility on by yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for a little help”.
