Some People Really Hate Cleaning the House

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A new study reveals a dirty little secret: We’re not good at keeping things tidy.

One-third of homeowners can go more than three weeks without cleaning house, and a third also lie about it, according to Wakefield Research.

Cleaning is such a chore that 70 percent of those surveyed (1,001 people in total) say assigning tidy-up tasks causes more arguments than who controls the TV remote. So the shortcuts people take to eliminate smells or hide messiness shouldn’t be surprising…

  • Closing off a room from guests (46 percent)
  • Hiding clutter in closets (44 percent)
  • Replacing a rug or carpet (34 percent)
  • Dusting with their hand (28 percent)
  • Throwing something away instead of putting it back (27 percent)
  • Purchasing a new trash can (26 percent)
  • Replacing a couch or another piece of furniture (17 percent)

The survey was commissioned by 3M – yes, the Post-it and Scotch tape people – which wants you to buy its odor filters. But before you do that, check out our cleaning shortcuts, which can save you time and money. Warning: Some elbow grease required.