Anita Butterworth
What chore do you think Aussie mums hate the most? Cleaning the loo? Scrubbing the shower? What about stacking the dishwasher?
After analysing thousands of comments from the Mouths of Mums’ community, we’re able to reveal the most-hated household chore in the nation … and it’s not dealing with dunnies or dishes.
It’s laundry. More specifically, folding and putting away clean washing.
According to an analysis of more than 3,800 Facebook comments from the Mouths of Mums community, laundry is the household chore Australian mums dislike most. Folding and putting away clean clothes attracted more complaints than washing, hanging or drying, making laundry the clear winner ahead of bathroom cleaning, dishes and oven cleaning.
And our research also revealed there’s one household chore that’s headed for the extinct list!
Australian Mums' Most Hated Household Chores
Around 23% of all comments mentioned laundry, making it the clear winner as Australia's most hated household chore.
Folding and putting away washing attracted more complaints than almost any other single household task.
Around 13% of mums nominated bathrooms, showers or toilets as their least favourite chore.
Nearly 10% of comments mentioned dishes, with many describing them as "never ending".
Oven cleaning attracted almost as many complaints as dusting and floor cleaning combined.
More than 13% of mums skipped choosing a specific chore altogether and simply answered: "Everything."
One of the strongest themes wasn't cleaning at all. It was the mental load of deciding what's for dinner every night.
Ironing may be becoming a dying chore, with dozens of mums admitting they've simply stopped doing it altogether.
Australia’s Most Hated Household Chore, As Voted By Mums
Around 23% of all comments mentioned some aspect of laundry, making it the runaway winner in our unofficial ranking of household chore misery.
Hundreds of mums mentioned laundry-related chores, with folding and putting away clean clothes generating more complaints than washing, hanging or drying combined.
It seems laundry exists in a strange state where it’s actually clean but somehow never quite makes it into drawers and wardrobes. Instead, it lives on dining tables, couches, spare beds and ‘that chair’ in the bedroom for days, weeks or, if we’re being completely honest, until it’s worn again.
The Real Problem? Chores That Never Stay Done
The more we read through the comments, the more one theme became impossible to ignore.
The chores mums hate most aren’t necessarily the hardest. They’re the ones that never feel finished.
Laundry topped the list. Bathrooms featured heavily. Dishes weren’t far behind. Floors got plenty of mentions too.
They’re all jobs that can take up to an hour or more, only to look like they were never done in the first place just minutes later.
Bathrooms – The Energy Drainers
Bathrooms, showers and toilets came in as one of the most disliked categories overall, attracting around 13% of responses.
Showers were singled out again and again, with many mums describing bathroom cleaning as exhausting, awkward and deeply unrewarding.
We get it.
Few things are more frustrating than spending half an hour making a bathroom sparkle only for someone to leave toothpaste in the sink, wet towels on the floor and mysterious puddles around the toilet five minutes later.
By the numbers
🚿 Around 300 mums nominated bathrooms, showers or toilets as their least favourite household chore.
🚿 Showers were one of the most frequently mentioned individual tasks.
The Other Chores Mums Can’t Stand
Dusting, floor cleaning and oven cleaning also featured heavily throughout the responses, proving that mums aren’t particularly fond of chores that involve scrubbing, bending or repeating the same task over and over.
Nearly one in 10 comments mentioned dishes, washing up or unloading the dishwasher.
Unlike cleaning out a cupboard or tackling a messy garage, dishes are never truly finished. You can clear the sink, wipe the bench and turn around, only to find another dirty cup waiting for you. Especially if you have toddlers or teenagers.
By the numbers
Oven cleaning also attracted a remarkable amount of hatred.
In fact, it was mentioned almost as often as dusting and floor cleaning.
Australian Mums Have Quietly Declared War On Ironing
There was one household chore that sparked a surprising trend: many mums appear to have simply stopped doing it.
While plenty of mums admitted they hated it, many others revealed they’d quietly stopped doing ironing altogether. Some even avoided buying certain clothes so they don’t have to iron. Genius.
The Chore Nobody Thinks About
Another interesting finding was not actually cleaning related. It was that mums are exhausted from the mental load of deciding what to cook every day.
More than 100 mums nominated cooking or meal planning as their most hated household responsibility.
The responses highlight something many parents know all too well. Sometimes the hardest jobs aren’t the physical ones.
They’re the endless decisions that come with running a household.
The shopping, the meal planning, he remembering, answering, ‘what’s for dinner?’ every single day.
What Australian Mums Really Hate
After analysing thousands of comments, one thing became clear. Most mums aren’t complaining about hard work. They’re complaining about repetition.
Laundry. Bathrooms. Dishes. Oven cleaning. Ironing. Floors.
They all have one thing in common – you can do them today and tomorrow you’re right back where you started. The strongest theme wasn’t actually cleaning, it was the feeling that the work never ends.
🧹POLL: What is your most-hated household chore?
The washing needs folding (again), the dishes need doing (again), the bathroom needs cleaning (again).
Someone (usually mum) needs to figure out what’s for dinner (Every. Single. Day)
Our survey suggests Australian mums don’t necessarily hate difficult chores. Instead, they dislike repetitive tasks that never seem finished. Laundry, dishes, bathroom cleaning and meal planning all share one thing in common: they’re waiting for you again tomorrow. Or sometimes just minutes later.
Now tell us: Which household chore would you happily never do again?
How We Collected The Data
This article is based on an analysis of more than 3,800 responses from the Mouths of Mums Facebook community. Responses were manually grouped into household chore categories including laundry, bathrooms, dishes, floors, cooking and general housework. Some responses mentioned multiple chores, therefore some percentages may overlap.
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Ellen, QLD said
- 02 Jul 2026
Post a comment7:42 am
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