This Is the #1 Most Hated Chore in America

published Mar 7, 2024
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Basket with dirty laundry on floor in bathroom
Credit: Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

Doing household chores like cleaning the toilet is just one of those things that you have to get done, even though it’s not fun at all. You may actually enjoy the satisfaction of vacuuming a dirty rug or dusting a forgotten shelf, but there are always going to be a few chores that are more difficult (and dreaded) than others. 

There’s no shame in procrastinating the chore to a point where you’d prefer hiring a cleaning service, especially if it’s one that makes you get on your hands and knees. And according to a recent study by Yelp, you’re not the only one. 

According to the study, cleaning tile and grout is the most hated household chore — and you’ll understand why if you’ve ever done it. Scrubbing tiles in your bathroom is a humbling experience  (especially for your knees) but scrubbing anything clean seems to be commonly disliked.

To get their data, Yelp tracked specific cleaning-related keywords from January 2022 to December 2023 to find the most common household chores that people hire professionals to do, assuming that people hire out for the things they just cannot deal with on their own.

So, what other tasks are people searching out hired help for? The nine other dreaded chores include:

  • 2. Eco-friendly and green cleaning
  • 3. Cleaning the oven
  • 4. Professional organizing
  • 5. Garage decluttering
  • 6. Mattress stain removal
  • 7. Pool cleaning
  • 8. Window washing
  • 9. Upholstery cleaning
  • 10. Carpet cleaning

If you’ve convinced yourself to complete your chores without hiring a professional, it might be worth it to learn more about body doubling, a productivity strategy that may help you become more efficient with every minor task.