Housekeeping experts share top tips to turn messy kids into ‘clean-agers’

Autumn’s here, and for a lot of young people, that means going off to university for the first time. This season will see the start of essays, revision and learning all kinds of new skills to shape careers. But when it comes to life skills, it seems not everyone knows the basics.

Budget hotel chain Premier Inn recently carried out some research asking 1,000 parents with kids aged between 13 and 19 just how much their teens knew about cleaning – and the results are in!

For starters, 9 in 10 parents think their teenage kids lack some basic domestic skills, with bed making, ironing and vacuuming among the top chores they struggle with. It also revealed that 29% of teens couldn’t make a bed, 41% couldn’t iron a shirt, and 38% of parents aren’t sure that their teens would know how to clean a toilet.

There’s more! The survey found that nearly a quarter of parents asked didn’t think their teens could vacuum a room – or fold sheets and clothes properly – while a fifth also leave dirty dishes in their bedroom. The research also found that it’s not just the younger generation who are lacking some domestic skills. Around 67% of those asked via OnePoll admitted that even as a parent, they’re still missing some of the basics, while almost two thirds revealed they didn’t know a lot of the essentials when they left home.

Simon Ewins, managing director for Premier Inn said: “Our research has shown that in many cases teenagers still appear to live up to their messy reputations, with many parents adopting an ‘if I want it done properly I might as well do it myself’ approach – but it doesn’t have to be this way because everyone rests easier knowing their room is clean and comfortable.

“Who better to offer insider tips on housekeeping than our expert teams, who take care of millions of rooms each year? Whether it is through one of our Life Skills Academies or online video tips, we hope we can step in to help and give young people a bit of domestic prowess.” 

Two of the first ‘clean-agers’ we helped were 19 year old twins Bradley and Lewis Fox, university students who were given a crash course by Premier Inn on housekeeping after letting slip to their mum that they might need a little help in the cleaning department.

Mum Kim, 55, from Rochester, Kent, said: “Both the twins are well known for being extremely messy and pretty useless when it comes to cleaning, ironing and making a bed properly. I discovered that despite being at university for several months, Bradley hadn’t even changed his bedding once when I collected him at the end of the year. This Premier Inn session was a fun way to set them on track to develop some useful life skills which will help them not only for uni but beyond – they haven’t listened to me in 19 years and it took the housekeeper just a few hours.”

Along with providing online tips, Premier Inn are also inviting teenagers to three different locations across the UK where they’ll be taught the basics by our team of expert housekeepers. Not only do they make up over 23 million beds in a year, their housekeeping teams will typically plump over 47 million pillows and iron over 3 million shower curtains in more than 83,000 bedrooms across the UK – so they know a thing or two about keeping things clean!

Do your domestic skills need an upgrade?

If you or someone you know need to brush up on some domestic skills, why not apply for one of the limited places available at Premier Inn’s Life Skills Academies? They’ll be running exclusive, one off sessions in different parts of the UK where their team can show you some top tips on making the perfect bed and general cleaning. Plus, those who attend can leave with one of their cosy bedding bundles! To see full details and terms & conditions, click here.

To enter, email your name and telephone number, with the location you would like to attend in the subject line to lifeskillsacademy@premierinn.com

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