Answer: Cleaning
Clues: “Gathering” and “Sweep”
According to a new report, holiday hosts spend an average of 20 hours cleaning before and after a gathering. That’s more than two full work days.
About half of hosts say they spend more time cleaning than actually enjoying their guests’ company.
35% of people say they find hosting to be a stressful experience, especially when it comes to cooking (37%) and cleaning (25%) before guests arrive.
When hosts were asked how they could alleviate some of this chaos, the top responses were: “Be better at asking their family for help” (37%) and “planning ahead to split the cleaning and prep into different days” (31%).
(Hosts: Make a checklist of tasks ahead of time, and don’t refuse help just to be “polite.” Especially from immediate family. And make sure you block out time to spend with guests.)