10 unnecessary but interesting facts about household chores

Realize: a vacuum cleaner doesn't actually suck (but moves the air?!) and a dishcloth can contain more than 4 BILLION bacteria after 24 hours. Curious about more ridiculous tidbits about household chores? Me too. Time for this week's ten facts.

1. 34 percent of the Dutch watch television while ironing. 18 percent of them prefer to watch GTST. Want to laugh out loud? 2 percent have intentionally ruined a piece of clothing of their partner while ironing.

2. Most arguments about hygiene at home occur between the ages of 18 and 39. Loading the dishwasher incorrectly is also a popular can-you-kill-topic, just like clutter lying around.

3. By the way, we are spending less and less time on household chores. In 2006, it was an enthusiastic 20.3 hours per week, now it is 17.9 hours: a decrease of 11.8 percent.

4. Okay, this is really gross, but the weight of a mattress doubles after you've slept on it for ten years. This is because your mattress absorbs quite a few things – UHL – think of dust mites (and their droppings and decomposing bodies), mold, millions of dead skin cells, dandruff, animal and human hair, pollen, dust, sand, and quite a bit of sweat. SLEEP WELL!

5. The toilet is actually a pretty clean place. Your desk contains 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. The keyboard or your cutting board in the kitchen has 200 times more. Even your phone has 18 times more than that toilet bowl. Whoops.

6. Brushing your teeth immediately after breakfast is not such a chill idea. If your food contained acids (think citrus fruits, sports drinks, tomatoes, or carbonated drinks), then it's better to wait a bit before you smear all those acids on your tooth enamel. Waiting half an hour is best.

7. Horse chestnuts are ideal for laundry. Boil a liter of water with four tablespoons of chestnut flour or coarsely crushed chestnuts. Voila, that's all you need for your own laundry detergent.

8. The most economical way to fill a bath is to first take cold water and then add a splash of warm.

9. Dooooooreeeeeemiiiiiiii… Singing in the shower is healthy. Seriously. It not only improves your well-being but also lowers your pain perception and can even extend your life. Multiple studies show that singing is linked to a lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, less stress, and it has a positive effect on your libido.

10. Yes, calories and cleaning, it remains a guess, but according to experts, these are the numbers. Here they come.
Cleaning the bathroom: 400 calories/hour
Scrubbing the floor: 325 calories/hour
Vacuuming: 250 calories/hour
Mopping: 312 calories/hour
Washing windows: 300 calories/hour
Dusting: 170 calories/hour
Washing dishes: 160 calories/hour
Ironing: 137 calories/hour
Doing laundry: 146 calories/hour
Making the bed: 136 calories/hour
Cooking: 136 calories/hour

Doing everything from top to bottom in five minutes? Then we don't have to go to the gym for the rest of the week.