Yahoo Finance Gen Z Brits spend more money cleaning than any other generation
Generation Z Brits spend more money on cleaning products than any other age group in the UK, research suggests.
Brits now spend about £12.61 ($16.30) a month on cleaning products — £151.32 a year — while 16% even spend over £20, according to a survey of by Currys PC World.
However, Generation Z — 16 to 24-year olds — spend above average, and more than any other age group on their cleaning routine, at about £14.73 a month. This comes to about £50 a year more than over-55s, the research found.
The younger generations are more eco-conscious in their cleaning habits, with Generation Z being the most likely to make their own eco-friendly cleaning products, while those aged 25 to 34-year olds are the most likely to buy eco-friendly cleaning products.
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However, youngsters are also the most likely to throw away a dirty, old appliance away to avoid cleaning it — with one in five Generation Z admitting they have or would do this — thus contributing to harmful landfills.
Across the UK, people in London are the most likely to fork out more cash for a clean home, spending about £14.54 a month, while people in Northern Ireland follow closely behind, spending about £14.02 a month.
On the other hand, those in the South West spend the least, at about £11.71, the research found.
The study also found Brits are spending more time cleaning in 2020, dedicating 6.5 hours a week to keeping the home tidy. This is an increase of about 23 minutes since 2019 — likely as a result of people spending more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent national and local lockdowns.
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While generation Z are spending the most on cleaning products, generation X — specifically those aged 45 to 54 — are actually the most likely to have upped the time they spend cleaning in 2020, the data shows.
Britons spend more time cleaning the kitchen than any other room, adding up to an average of 2 hours a week. They clean their fridges almost four times more often than they did in 2019, and mop the floor twice as often. However, one in 10 Brits admitted they would rather throw away a dirty towel than clean it.
This said, as Brits now spend more time at home, many confessed to wearing things such as gym wear, socks and underwear more times before washing them now than in 2019. Men are most guilty of this, with two in five wearing their underwear twice before washing it, and one in 10 even wearing it three times.
