IMN Content - Lifestyle and Consumer Content

Festive Waste Causes Domestic Disputes as Cleaning Commences Across the UK

As 3 million tonnes of waste was generated over the Christmas period causing mass cleaning and de-cluttering across the UK, domestic disputes are expected to come to head
Home - 14 January 2011   Download IconContent available for download:  
Audio | Interview with Patrick Colclough| Login to Download

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

  News Hooks:

With over 3 million tonnes of waste generated over the Christmas period, January sees more British homes than ever in need of a good clean up. Figures suggest that there are £650 million worth of unwanted presents left idle in homes at the close of the festive season adding mountains of wrapping paper and countless empty boxes to already cluttered homes up and down the country.

More than three-quarters of adults care about their houses being clean – but one in five only clean at weekends. Cleaning is the cause of many domestic disputes, with research suggesting that the average couple argues about household chores for 40 minutes every day. The biggest bugbear, polling 35%, was partners leaving their clothes lying around the house, closely followed by delayed DIY (28%) and that age-old argument; the washing up (25%).

In light of the fact that January sees more British homes than ever in need of a clear out, research shows that surprisingly only 17% of women see their home as the most important part of their lives. More than half of women feel depressed if their house is messy and seven out of 10 could not leave an untidy home without worrying about it.

. Introduction:

As the festive season fades into distant memory, January is the time for normal life to resume. This month is of course synonymous with resolutions and life changes, starting with a good clean up – especially given that over 3 million tonnes of waste is generated over the Christmas period. However, research has revealed that cleaning is the cause of many domestic disputes; with couples spending 40 minutes arguing about ‘who’ does ‘what’ every single day. The figures show that more than three quarters of adults care about their houses being clean, but only 17% of women see their home as the most important part of their lives.

So, just how clean is your house?

Joining us to discuss this further is Patrick Colclough, a cleaning expert from Bizzy Bee.

. Suggested Questions:

What does the research show us about cleaning habits in our area?

Why does cleaning become a priority in January?

And why is cleaning such a bone of contention for couples?

Why is a sparkling home more important to some than others?

How can our listeners make cleaning fun?

Where can listeners find out more information?