New Survey Lists Most Common Reasons For Household Arguments In The UK

If you live with others, whether family members or friends, it’s likely that you have had arguments at some point or another. But what are the most common culprits of household tension?

To better understand the reasons behind household-related arguments in the UK, Domestic & General, appliance repair company, carried out a 2,000 respondent survey. Interestingly, a surprising amount of household arguments were related to appliance use. To help settle these heated discussions, Ian Palmer-Smith, appliance expert at Domestic & General shares the right way to use these household appliances.

Clashing couples

The survey found that 62% of people living with their partner have household-related arguments. The top cause of argument in this household type is not cleaning the kitchen after cooking (22%), closely followed by putting the heating on (18%). Whilst these are perhaps more predictable, almost one in ten living with their partner argue about leaving the fridge door open. But who is in the right here?

Ian says:
“Whilst leaving the fridge door open quickly shouldn’t impact its functionality, if you leave the door open for too long this will start to reduce its overall lifespan. As fridges and fridge freezers alike need specific temperatures to work effectively, if the door is open for an extended period of time, this will cause the fridge freezer to work harder to maintain the required temperature.

“This ultimately puts unnecessary added load and pressure on the appliance, which could result in needing a fridge freezer repair. As a general rule, never leave the fridge freezer door open for longer than five minutes.”

Housemate hassle

Living with housemates can come with many perks, but household-related bickering is common with 84% having arguments. The most popular source of conflict between housemates is taking the bins out, with one in four arguing about this task (24%). This household type also sees a lot of dispute when it comes to appliances.

Interestingly, 14% of housemates have argued about how to load the washing machine correctly. So what is the right way?

Ian advises:
“When it comes to using appliances, we’re always wanting to use them as efficiently as possible. However, there is a balance between this and putting too much strain on our appliances. With washing machines, I’d suggest aiming to fill your machine so it is around 80% full.

“If you stuff the machine too much, you’ll likely notice clothes still have visible marks which can be frustrating. Not only that, but the need for a washing machine repair becomes much more likely.”

Family feuds

For those living with family, 71% find themselves having household-related disputes. For this household type, more than one quarter argue about not turning lights off when exiting a room (27%). Family households are also likely to argue about not cleaning the kitchen after preparing food, with more than one in five clashing over this (22%).

Another popular culprit behind family household disagreements is dish washing duty. 15% of respondents felt this was a top cause of bickering, but actually could using a dishwasher be a simple solution to this?

Ian reveals:
“Not only do dishwashers save us a lot of time compared to hand washing, but they actually save water as well. One of the biggest dishwasher myths is that you need to rinse items before loading them. In reality, this uses extra unnecessary hot water and typically won’t improve the results.

“On average, a dishwasher uses water four times more efficiently than washing by hand. So next time you argue about who is on dish washing duty, consider relying on your appliance more.”

Student squabbles

Out of all the household types, student accommodation had the highest rate of arguments with a whopping 91% answering that they frequently bicker. Not cleaning the kitchen after cooking was the most voted-for reason (29%) whilst one in five argue about how to load the dishwasher. So what do appliance experts have to say on this controversial topic?

Ian explains:
“There is an apparent debate on how to correctly load your dishwasher with many people thinking that cutlery should face upwards for a better clean. However, facing downwards can actually result in a more effective clean as this positions your cutlery closer to the jets, helping to dislodge any excess food with more power.

“When it comes to stacking, also ensure there is enough space between each item - they should not be touching one another. Keep smaller items on the top rack and place large items on the bottom to maximise space.”