Australians think vacuuming sucks: report

February 22nd, 2012

It is the second most despised household chore after dusting and 14 per cent of Australian women would “do anything” to avoid it, reveals a report commissioned by a robotic vacuum company.

In fact, some women would rather skip a meal, clean up dog poo or run 10 kilometers than vacuum, says the report. Over two thirds of women admitted they were responsible for the apparently odious chore.

State by state it seems Tasmanians are the least likely to do a thorough job, with 70 per cent saying they avoid moving furniture to vacuum the dust underneath.

Other sucking stats:

35 per cent vacuum once a fortnight
Australians spend 68 days (or 1,635 hours) vacuuming over a lifetime
11 per cent don’t vacuum under the bed for years
25 per cent vacuum under the bed every few months
13 per cent of women say they’ve hurt themselves while hoovering
79 per cent of Aussies say a happy home is a clean home

Why does vacuuming suck?

Well, maybe it doesn’t. While the commissioners of the report would prefer people to by a robotic vacuum, other research has suggested that the automatic appliance is not as popular as one might imagine.

How to make vacuuming easier

Get a decent vacuum! A quality vacuum does all the hard work for you
Make sure the bag in your vacuum is empty
Look around and pick up clothes, shoes or toys that might be in the way before you vacuum
Mentally prepare yourself and just get on with it

Keri Algar

Having once had to sit on the washing machine to stop it from bouncing into oblivion, Keri is today delighted with the new (smoother running) technologies that make housework easier every day. A self-confessed lazy-bones, Keri seeks out quirky inventions that ease the human workload, such as the robotic vacuum cleaner (wow). And as soon as someone figures out a Jetsons-like self-cleaning house, she will happily lay her pen to rest and retire from appliance journalism. Until then, her pick is a fridge that will tell her smartphone when it's time to pick up more beer on the way home. Magic.