We all have that one chore we secretly enjoy doing. Maybe it’s folding laundry and the zen state you can enter when you do it or pulling a vacuum across a carpet and hearing all the bits of debris you just sucked up. But most chores don’t fall into this category. Not even close. Most chores are, well… a chore. A recent Yelp survey shows which of these tasks irk us Americans the most. Did your most despised activity make the list?
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10. Cleaning Carpets
From muddy paw prints to food spills, carpets can be a headache to clean — which is why many Americans hire a professional rather than deal with it themselves. For those up for the challenge, consider this portable carpet cleaner from Bissell. It tackles tough stains with relative ease and makes this undesirable duty a little less annoying.
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9. Cleaning Upholstery
Part of what makes getting old stains out of the sofa a difficult task is that you may end up causing more damage if you don’t use the right supplies. While it doesn’t make it any more fun to tackle the problem, there are quality fabric cleaners that can help penetrate deep stains and make removal a breeze. Follow the cleaning instructions on the bottle to avoid causing any further damage to the upholstery.
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8. Washing the Windows
Window washing poses several headaches depending on the type of home you live in. Cleaning windows can be both difficult and dangerous, and whether you live in a high rise or a single-story home, unsightly streaking is an annoyance. If you can clean your windows on your own, the right product can make this chore much easier — such as this solution by Windex, which promises “streak-free shine” and crystal clear glass for outdoor windows.
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7. Cleaning the Pool
Not all Americans have a pool, but those who do are all too familiar with the headache of removing loose leaves, cleaning the filter, and dealing with all of the other integral components of pool maintenance. But things don’t have to be so difficult — you can outsource the job of keeping your pool fresh to this robotic pool cleaner. This handy, cordless robot easily cleans pools with up to 860-square-feet in area.
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6. Cleaning Mattress Stains
Mattresses suffer from some of the worst staining of any piece of furniture in the home. The good news is that you can buy products that prevent stains before they even happen, such as a waterproof mattress protector. This product shields your bed from the wear, tear, and stains of everyday life, and unlike your mattress, you can throw it into the washing machine when it gets too dirty.
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5. Decluttering the Garage
We all make an effort to cut back on junk and simplify our living spaces, but it’s never that easy. We often find that the mess is redirected to easy storage spaces, like attics and, more commonly, the garage. There are simple ways you can cut down on clutter on your own, however. Buying stackable plastic storage bins will help organize the mess and protect items from being exposed to the harsh climate of an uninsulated garage.
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4. Organizing
Professional organizers are in high demand for a good reason. While professional organizing was ranked fourth in terms of chores that Americans would prefer to avoid themselves, not every person has the financial means to afford someone who can help them organize their closet. There’s no easy fix to this problem, but you can take baby steps to clean things up on your own. You can also use products to help declutter one room at a time — such as by installing magnetic storage racks to organize all of those loose spices and utensils in your kitchen.
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3. Cleaning the Oven
No one likes getting down on their hands and knees to scrub their oven. While some ovens have made kitchen clean-up easy with self-cleaning options, products like Easy-Off are also designed to help you quickly deal with grime.
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2. Cleaning in an Eco-Friendly Way
Eco-cleaning is a catch-all term for using products that contain environmentally-friendly ingredients. While this is idyllic in concept, finding those cleaning supplies can be more hassle than it’s worth if you’re not sure of what to look for, thus making it the second most-hated chore among Americans. Sure, you can always hire a cleaning service that claims to use environmentally-friendly materials, but that’s likely going to cost you a pretty penny. Instead, there are plenty of green products that you can easily purchase on Amazon, such as this eco-friendly toilet bowl cleaner from Ecover.
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1. Cleaning Tiles and Grout
The number one most-hated chore in the country is cleaning tile and grout. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who likes scrubbing away at that moldy bathroom tile for hours on end, as it leaves you sweaty and exhausted. While so many Americans would rather pay any price for someone who can keep their bathroom in tip top shape, hiring a professional service is more of a luxury than a need. Products such as the Rubbermaid Power Scrubber help make cleaning tile and grout easier than ever, and will help remove those unsightly dark stains in a matter of minutes.
Bennett Kleinman Staff Writer
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Optimism Media. He is also a freelance comedy writer, devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
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