It’s official: cleaning the oven is Britain’s least favourite kitchen chore – and by quite some margin. This is according to the latest research from furniture fittings and architectural ironmongery specialists Häfele.
The survey, which canvassed the opinions of over 2000 respondents in the UK, revealed that nearly two thirds (62%) ranked the task as the worst of all the kitchen duties.
Cleaning the hob and washing the floor came in at second and third place, trailing behind with just 24% and 22% of the vote respectively, while loading the dishwasher was the least-hated kitchen chore, chosen by just four percent of respondents.
A saintly six percent of those polled claimed to enjoy all kitchen chores.
The survey also polled respondents on how often they perform various cleaning tasks and the results made for interesting reading.
Despite the fact that experts say ovens should be cleaned every six months, a fifth of those polled (19%) admit to doing so less frequently (with a shocking six percent admitting they never bother with the hated kitchen task!)
At the other end of the scale, a squeaky clean three percent claim to clean their oven every day.
Expert advice also suggests floors should be mopped once a week- and swept every day- yet a quarter of respondents (24%) admit to doing it just once a month-or less.
Most worryingly, a fifth of respondents (19%) claim to only clean the fridge, a potential breeding ground for harmful bacteria including Salmonella, every six months or less.
Chloë Thacker, Marketing Director, Häfele UK, comments: “As our lives are getting busier, time is becoming increasingly precious so it’s no surprise that some kitchen tasks are taking a back seat.
“That’s why we’re seeing rising demand for innovative solutions that can help keep homes hygienic with less time and effort, such as self-cleaning, pyrolitic ovens or plinth-mounted vacuum cleaners, which suck up swept debris, eliminating the need for dustpans and brushes.”
