Brits have shared the top 40 activities that “suck up” the most time in their day – with clearing up the kitchen after cooking a meal, coming top of the list.
Other frustrating activities that are a drain on their valuable time include sitting in traffic, queuing for a till at the supermarket, and waiting for the washing machine or tumble dryer to finish.
Meanwhile, others get fed up with the amount of time they spend cleaning up – either after their pets, their children, their partner, or even themselves.
The poll of 2,000 adults found that an average of 46 minutes a day is spent on “time-sucking” chores, like deleting Spam emails or waiting for a delivery to arrive – adding up to 12 days a year. And when it comes to cleaning up, this typically takes up 39 minutes each day – or 10 days a year.
In fact, to highlight just how much time in our lives is consumed by cleaning, a giant, animatronic “dog” has been built, measuring two metres tall and three metres long – and crafted entirely out of mop heads.
“Mop”, the Hungarian sheepdog, is made up of 300 old mop heads, and took over 2,000 hours to create – and can even move its head from side to side, and shake itself off.
And it was spotted taking a “stroll” through London's Battersea Park – accompanied by none other than TV star, Helen Skelton. The former Blue Peter presenter has teamed up with Bosch, which commissioned the research to mark the launch of the Unlimited 7 Aqua.
It also emerged that 26% of mums and dads dislike cleaning up the mess kids make, such as picking up food from the floor after meals, or wiping up muddy footprints. And the same percentage of dog and cat owners said the same of their pet.
TV presenter, Helen Skelton, said: “I’m no stranger to mud in the house – we absolutely love getting outside, but it’s either kids or dogs traipsing it through the house after a long walk. I hugely relate to the fact that Brits feel they are wasting time cleaning up after them – we love them dearly, but they are messy.
“I’m really pleased to be involved in this campaign to tackle some of these time-sucking activities, and give parents even just a little bit of time back for themselves.”
It also emerged 35% would like to spend less time dusting and polishing, while 29% want to cut back on the time they spend vacuuming – and one in five are eager to reduce their mopping.
Meanwhile, 61% of “dog parents” want to be able to clean as fast and as efficiently as possible – with a quarter admitting they sometimes avoid walking their pooch if it’s muddy, to save time cleaning up afterwards.
And these time-sucking tasks make 53% feel less productive than they’d like – with this rising to 62% of dog owners, and seven in 10 parents with kids under 18.
But the OnePoll.com data revealed that two-thirds (65%) would like to be more efficient with their time, with 37% attempting to do something productive when doing a time-sucking activity.
These include trying to get a few extra chores done while they wait for the kettle to boil, or using the opportunity for a bit of “thinking” time while waiting for the microwave to ping.
A spokesman for Bosch UK, which is sending Mop the Dog around the country this April, said: “We know there’s more to life than cleaning – that’s why we want to create products that make getting chores done a doddle.
“We believe that there should be less time spent scrubbing, and more time for us to spend however we want – whether that’s enjoying the company of our family, or playing with the pets.
“We’re so excited to take Mop on a walk up and down the country, not only to bring a smile to those who see him, but to demonstrate how easy it is to avoid daily time sucks.”
TOP 40 TIME-SUCKING ACTIVITIES:
- Clearing up the kitchen after cooking a meal
- Queuing for a till in a supermarket
- Sitting in traffic
- Putting away washed-up dishes
- Waiting for the kettle to boil
- Deleting Spam emails
- Waiting for the washing machine/tumble dryer to finish
- Waiting for a delivery to arrive
- Cleaning up after yourself
- Being on hold on the phone
- Waiting for the microwave to ping
- Scrolling through online streaming services, e.g. Netflix, trying to find something to watch
- Pairing up socks from a load of clean washing
- Waiting for software updates on devices
- Cleaning up after pets
- Packing the bags while food shopping
- Waiting at a bus stop
- Cleaning up after your partner
- Waiting for a cup of tea to brew
- Cleaning your glasses ineffectively on your shirt, instead of using lens cleaner
- Waiting for your alarm clock to go off, despite being awake
- Refreshing emails when waiting for a specific reply
- Waiting for the car to de-ice
- Waiting to use the bathroom in your home while someone else is in there
- Sending emails instead of picking up the phone to call
- Waiting at a train or underground station
- Cleaning up after children
- Waiting for children to get dressed
- Waiting on video calls for other people to join
- Waiting in the airport
- Waiting for children to go to sleep
- Waiting to use a public toilet
- Listening to voicemails or voice notes from friends or family
- Waiting for children to come out of school at the end of the day
- Queuing at the bank to speak to someone, rather than using a machine
- Waiting for your dog to calm down and settle after its walk
- Waiting at the garage for a car MOT or service
- Waiting for children at after-school activities
- Waiting in a virtual queue for online tickets
- Waiting for your dog to get bored of fetching a ball