Washing up, dusting, taking the bins out – we’re really not short of household chores to dislike, let’s be honest.
Doing the chores is, well, a chore… or is it? Surprisingly though, a new YouGov poll says different, as it’s been revealed that there are only a few household tasks that large numbers of Britons actively loathe, with many more liked that disliked, in fact.
While it probably has to be said that most chores and household tasks are not exactly what we’d choose to spend our time doing, the reality is they have to be done whether we like it or not.
The new survey, however, has revealed the some of us do actually ‘like’ it though.
YouGov asked a total of 2287 British adults for their opinions on a selection of chores in a bid to find out what the best and worst household task is.
ADVERTISEMENT
/ Credit: Pixahive | Haberdoedas II (via Unsplash)
Cooking came out on top as the most popular chore of those polled, with a clear majority of Brits (57%) saying they like rustling up a meal, alongside a further 21% who neither like nor dislike it, and only 18% saying it’s a task they openly dislike.
Nearly half of Brits (46%) say they enjoy decluttering or clearing out their house, alongside 24% who are not bothered either way. Similarly, 40% say they like tidying up, with nearly as many (35%) neither liking nor disliking it.
ADVERTISEMENT
In both cases, only roughly a quarter (22-27%) actively dislike making things neat and tidy.
On the other end of the spectrum, the chore that takes the top spot for being the most disliked across the board is ironing.
Taking the bins out is the chore that most divides men and women, with women nearly twice as likely to dislike doing it
Cleaning bathroom: 49% women vs 42% men Ironing: 48% vs 37% Dusting: 43% vs 38% Taking bins out: 42% vs 22% Washing up: 38% vs 24% Cleaning kitchen: 32% vs 28%… pic.twitter.com/Obfk89yhqp
Four housework staples stand out as having the fewest outright fans – ironing, cleaning the bathroom, dusting, and taking the bins out, with just one in six Brits (16-18%) claiming to like doing any of them.
ADVERTISEMENT
Although similar numbers of survey respondents dislike dusting, ironing, or cleaning the bathroom (41-45%), it’s ironing that has the strongest claim to being the most-hated chore overall, as not only do a higher proportion say they dislike it a lot (25% vs 16-18% for the other two chores), roughly three times as many Brits avoid doing the ironing altogether (20% vs 7%).
This makes it the only chore where the number of dislikers (43%) outnumber the combined total of those with a positive or neutral opinion of the chore (37%).
How does gender come into the conversation? Well, taking the bins out is the chore polled with the biggest gender divide.
According to YouGov, while men are equally likely to say they like (24%) and dislike taking the bins out (22%), only 9% of women say they relish the task, which is relative to 42% of them who dislike having to do it.
Featured Image – Pexels (@cottonbro studio)
Trending
John Cooper Clarke announces latest UK headline tour along with new book
Danny Jones
The ‘Bard of Salford’ himself, Dr John Cooper Clarke, is back with another UK headline tour in 2026, plus a brand-new book to boot.
Now 76 and still as fiery as ever, ‘The Godfather of Punk Poetry’s career spans more than half a century, and as a Greater Manchester native and cultural icon, he’s still just as worth celebrating as ever with each passing year.
Becoming the first poet to ever headline a UK arena with his landmark Co-op Live back in March, it’s been another milestone 12 months for local legend, and he clearly has absolutely no intentions of slowing down next year either.
Revealing a raft of new tour dates on Monday, 1 December, John Cooper Clarke will be bringing his spoken word stylings and latest collection – satsifyingly titled Have It – to crowds all over the country.
Confirming a total of 20 new live shows, JCC will be kicking off his next tour in October 2026 in time for the launch of his latest title.
Following on from last year’s release, ‘WHAT‘, which became an instant Sunday Times bestseller, and his memoir (published back in 2020), this will be his fifth book to date.
2025 also saw him receive the prestigious Northern Music Award (NMAs) in recognition of his phenomenal influence in the music world and art as a whole.
As for us here at Audio North, we recently also had the incredible privilege of sitting down to chat with Cooper Clarke ourselves ahead of the announcement, so keep your eyes peeled for that one…
You can see John Cooper Clarke’s list of live shows in full down below.
JCC UK headline tour dates 2026
We’ve kindly italicised all the Northern dates for you as well.
Tickets for Dr John Cooper Clarke in October 2026 will be available from this Friday, 5 December at 10am via Gigs and Tours as well as his official website.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied)/The Manc Group
Trending
Stockport County’s Christmas dinner in a cup returns for 2025 as part of new festive food range
Danny Jones
We can’t believe it’s rolled around again already, but with the festive period well underway and the big day just a few weeks away, Stockport County have brought back their viral ‘Xmas dinner in a cup’for 2025.
Better still, the County Courtyard has seen some new Christmas specials added to its food menu, too.
The local football club are absolutely flying in League One at the moment, having spent plenty of time at the top of the table already and still well and truly contesting those promotion/play-off spots.
If you’re a Stopfordian, that’s plenty of cause for celebration right there, but with the Christmas dinner in a cup also up for grabs once more, the holiday season literally couldn’t taste any better right now.
For those who’ve never seen it before, it’s exactly what it says on the tin – well, cup: a little Sunday dinner in a County-branded takeaway coffee cup, complete with a healthy pour of gravy and pretty much all the trimmings you could hope for.
Yes, including sprouts, because all of you who still don’t touch them need to grow up already.
Currently priced at just £4.50, not only does it contain virtually all the major food groups (barring the customary matchday pints, of course), it might just be one of the healthiest and best value-for-money bits of footy scran around – certainly in Greater Manchester, anyway.
But, as mentioned, that’s not all this year; Stockport are also serving up the new festive hot dog and even a ‘leftover Christmas curry’ in a bowl, which might even be more warming on a cold night at Edgeley Park than the Xmas dinner in a cup or clinging onto a flask of Bovril.
Anyone else craving that curry with a cheeky bit of bubble and squeak now?
It’s also worth noting that you’ll only be able to get one of those on Boxing Day, by the way, when the Hatters host Lincoln City in the league.
As for the rest of it, County fans can get their hands on this seasonal scran for the first time this year at the weekend when Dave Challinor’s side take on Barnsley at 12:30pm, and two of the three specials will then be served at home every game over the holiday period.
Speaking of random Christmas food creations, there’s another limited-time-only and potentially divisive example that we’ll also be sampling this December…
Emily Sergeant -
16th October 2025 
