Engaged MIC stars James & Maeva sign ‘Clean Up Pre-nup’ to split household chores evenly, officiated by none other than Rob Rinder

Whether it’s leaving the toilet seat up or not putting away the dishes, 39% of couples living together say most of their arguments arise from a cleaning or household chore disagreement. Over 1 in 2 (59%) said such domestic disputes either have, or have the potential, to lead to the complete breakdown of the relationship.

New research from cleaning brand, method [include campaign page hyperlink] who wants to bring to joy to the chore war, reveals that a quarter (25%) of cohabiting couples argue about cleaning or housework responsibilities on a weekly basis and for 13%, it’s daily. Worse yet, it seems gender stereotypes are far from a thing of the past, as the majority (54%) of women are still doing the significant lion’s share of the housework.

Demonstrating a clear gender spray gap, another 45% of women who cohabit with a male partner say household tasks are ‘disproportionately split’, compared to just over a third (34%) of men. Meanwhile, almost two fifths (39%) of women who found this imbalance increased during the pandemic, reported that it has not rebalanced since adapting to post-lockdown life. But it’s not just male/female couples experiencing domestic disruption: 41% of same sex cohabiting couples say there is a notable imbalance in how their housework is split too.

The domestic disparity doesn’t stop there, as those doing the bulk of the housework say that when their partner does manage to complete a task, half (49%) of them then expect to be praised or thanked for it, while over a quarter (26%) believe they are doing ‘a favour and 17% believe they are ‘helping out’.

Rather surprisingly, a third (33%) of cohabiting couples admit that if they’d been fully aware of the division of housework prior to living together, they may well have reconsidered taking that next step in their relationship.

To help ease such arguments, method has worked with leading legal service, Lawrence Stephens, to launch the UK’s first ‘Clean Up Pre-nup’, a way to commit to the division of household tasks. The agreement coincides with the launch of method’s new multi-surface concentrated cleaner – a mini, mighty multi-tasker available in four scent-sational new fragrances.

The Clean Up Pre-nup means that each signing party will have mutually decided set tasks, roles and responsibilities within the home to ensure an equal splitting, so no one party is taking a larger majority. To encourage people to adhere to the terms, each party must mark off completed tasks on a weekly rota.

method spokesperson, said: “We’re on a mission to challenge cleaning stereotypes and make the world a more fun, fabulous and inclusive place. It’s shocking that in 2022 we’re still seeing such disparities in the way cleaning and housework are shared. Our ‘Clean Up Pre-nup’ hopes to challenge these traditional gender stereotypes whilst also alleviating chore wars so households – no matter what their make-up – can live together in bliss and find the joy in keeping their home looking and smelling amazing!”

But whilst 24% feel frustrated by the inequality, it’s not because they don’t enjoy cleaning. More than two fifths say it has a positive impact on their mental health (41%) or they enjoy it as a form of exercise (42%). Over one in 10 find cleaning a form of meditation (11%). For 41%, the frustration comes from it being a matter of fairness.

Raphaela Kohs, Solicitor at Lawrence Stephens, said: “Whilst cleaning and housework may appear like trivial things to argue about on the surface, they represent something much bigger – inequality. The simplest way to solve issues and avoid conflict arising is by addressing these issues when you begin cohabiting and by fairly and transparently divvying out domestic duties.”

method and the Fawcett Society are working together to challenge and tackle gender stereotypes, to ensure a more equal share of household labour and promote equality at home.

Jemima Olchawski, CEO of gender equality charity, the Fawcett Society, said: “We need to shake up and challenge gender norms that see women left responsible for household work – that means more men taking on their fair share. Whether in the workplace or at home, women carry the burden of unpaid domestic labour, and this has a significant impact on achieving gender equality. A re-balancing of household chores and care would unlock the potential of thousands of women.”

The top 10 most common household arguments amongst cohabiting couples are:

1. Leaving lights on around the home (32%)
2. Leaving the toilet seat up (28%)
3. Not putting dishes away (27%)
4. Starting but not completing the housework (24%)
5. Whose turn it is to clean the floor (21%)
6. Not squeegeeing the shower screen after showering (17%)
7. Leaving dirty clothes on the floor (16%)
8. Dropping crumbs in the bed (15%)
9. Not dusting properly (15%)
10. Not making the bed (14%)

The ‘Clean Up Pre-nup’, which is not only relevant to cohabiting romantic couples, but also for flat shares, families and friends, can be customised and downloaded for free from the method hub methodproducts.co.uk/cleanup-prenup