Brits are anxious about hosting at home – it’s all down to one thing

A poll, of 2,000 adults, found a third (33%) don’t like having more than 10 people in their abode and 57% don’t enjoy hosting as they can never feel relaxed. Other worries include stains on the carpet (56%), things getting broken (52%) and neighbours complaining about the noise (46%).  

It emerged 28% fear their walls will be scratched, while 27% are concerned guests wouldn’t take off their shoes before coming in. As many as 83% prefer hosting a small, select group of people – the sweet spot being six guests at one time.

The study was commissioned by SharkNinja, in line with its new vacuum, the Shark CarpetXpert Deep Carpet Cleaner. The company has taken over pub in London’s Fitzrovia and renamed it The Carpeters Arms – the only pub that encourages you to spill your drinks on its white carpet – after the research found 34% feel anxious that guests would drop their beverages on the carpet when watching TV and their football team scores.

Others would rather watch a football match in a bar or pub so they don’t have to worry about the mess left behind (48%). To help show the nation how to take the stress out of hosting this football season, the brand has teamed up with football legend Harry Redknapp for the event, which offers a solution for the nation’s spill-xiety.

Harry said “I know full well that guests can get rowdy when watching a football game, and pints have been known to go in the air! The Carpeters Arms tonight is offering football fans the night off and giving them a place to enjoy a drink, without the worry of spills.”

Tracey Scully, UK Managing Director at SharkNinja, said: “With our research showing that the nation is anxious about hosting at home due to messy guests, particularly around rowdy events such as football season, we wanted to do something to take the pressure off.”  

“That’s why we’ve opened The Carpeters Arms today, an event to give people a place to enjoy the game without the worry. But also to show how you can take the stress out of hosting.”

The research went on to find broken glasses, muddy footprints on a clean carpet and overflowing bins are some of the most infuriating things faced after hosting a gathering.

The average person spends 24 minutes preparing their home for guests, with 56% admitting to a panic clean beforehand. Just over eight in 10 (82%) make sure their abode is at its absolute cleanest for when guests arrive. Making sure to vacuum (76%), clean the bathroom (74%) and dust everywhere (62%).

Shamelessly, a third (33%) are less worried about causing a mess in someone else’s home, than their own. And 15% have even tried to cover up a spillage they made at a friend’s house so they didn’t know it was them, according to the stats by OnePoll.