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'Dirty Work' Still Left to Women

February 6, 2012 2:26 am

The role men play inside the home has certainly started to evolve compared to 30 years ago, and most men seem to be stepping up to help with household chores. But is it enough and are they given credit for their efforts by their female counterparts? Apparently not. The makers of Scrubbing Bubbles® recently released the second annual Dirty Work Index™ survey, and found when it comes to cleaning, women still play the dominant role and in fact, may not be ready to share the spotlight even though they want more help.

According to the survey, when it comes to cleaning, women think they do it all. In fact, 58 percent of women say it's their "job" to clean, and a quarter (25 percent) of all women feels as if they are the cleaning "leader" in their homes. Conversely, more than half of women confided that they want more overall help from their partner or spouse, but 38 percent don't trust them to meet their standards of cleanliness.

However, the survey revealed that men are helping around the house—they just aren't receiving credit where credit's due. Forty-five percent of men surveyed say it's their job to clean and contribute to the household accordingly. More surprisingly, nearly 75 percent of men claim to clean to make their spouse or partner happy – demonstrating they do care about helping out and are picking up the slack.

From February 2012 through June 2012, author and speaker John Gray will be offering tips and advice to couples on how to conquer household chores and create more harmony at home on the Scubbing Bubble Facebook page. In the meantime, he offers this advice for creating the best atmosphere at home:
  • Define the roles: It's important to identify all the household chores and discuss who will have ownership of each.
  • Discuss expectations: The results showed that women don't trust men to meet their standards of clean. Gray recommends that women actually show men how they want the house cleaned and that couples discuss what clean means to each of them.
  • Look for time-saving cleaning tools: Stock your home with cleaning products that are easy to use and efficient.
  • Remember to say thank you: Whether or not the bathroom shines the way you want, don't forget to say thank you for making the effort.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

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