CLEAN SHEETS

INDESIT have conducted a study which claims 1 in 10 Brits only clean their bedsheets 6 times a year.  Unless the sheets noticeably start to smell 20% of folk wouldn't even consider washing them.  And 23% only do the laundry when the dirt marks become embarrassingly visible.  The average person will tackle the sheets once a fortnight, but only if they no longer smell fresh or look dirty.

The shocking figures emerged in a study of 3,000 people, which also revealed that 92% of people love the feeling of getting into a clean bed, but can't be bothered to put in the leg work.  40% of people say the reason they don't wash the sheets more often is because they get stressed having to re-make the bed.  And 61% rarely iron their sheets if they have made the effort to wash them.

Incredibly 75% of people polled acknowledged that they should make more of an effort to clean their home - in particular the bedding - more often.  But 49% of Brits would much rather spend their spare time drinking in the pub, and 43% would rather socialise with friends than do housework.

The Indesit study was conducted to mark the launch of the UK's first 'Party Launderette' - a trend which originated in the US.

A spokesman for Indesit said:- ''There's no 2 ways about it - doing your laundry is a chore that has to be done.  'Most Brits would rather be out with their mates or drinking down their local rather than stuck indoors with the washing machine.  In acknowledgement of this, we are bringing the 'drink and dry' craze from the US to London's East End from the 15 October - giving people the opportunity to get their washing done while partying the night away.''

In addition to cleaning the sheets, the study also shows people are pretty lax when it comes to other household chores.  The average homeowner vacuums just once a week when they can no longer see the carpets under the mud, dust, and food and drink spills.  The average bathroom will only get cleaned once every 8 days, regardless of how many people have been using it.  And dust is left to build up on ornaments, side boards and shelving units for over a week.  Even the dishes aren't done as regularly as they should be in most households - as the average person washes up just once a day rather than after every meal.

The Indesit spokesman continues:- ''Our Party Laundrette will allow people to let their hair down and get some much needed laundry done at the same time.''
 

BREAKDOWN OF HOUSEHOLD CHORES
Sheets	Once a fortnight
Vacuuming	Once a week
Dusting	Once every eight days
Bathroom	Once every eight days
Washing up	Once a day

They’re Hired! – Apprentices and Undergraduates Recruited

10 new recruits are set to start work looking after the city’s green spaces as part of Liverpool City Council’s drive to hire more apprentices.  And a further 9 undergraduates are to spend a year with the council during their degree courses at John Moores University.

The Horticultural Apprentices will work with the council’s partner Glendale-Liverpool Ltd and will be responsible for helping look after the city’s 70 parks and gardens, six cemeteries, two golf courses and other sport and recreation facilities across Liverpool.

They have been funded through a £40,000 grant from CABE’s (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) green space apprentice initiative and funding made available through the City Council’s approach to “the Liverpool Apprentice.” Their appointment takes Glendale-Liverpool’s total number of apprentices to 35, over 20% of the total workforce.

The undergraduates will work in various areas of the council related to their areas of study. Their work placements, for which they will be paid, follows a successful pilot scheme run last year.

Councillor Nick Small, City Council’s Cabinet Member for Employment and Skills, said:- “Both these initiatives are part of our Liverpool Apprenticeships Framework, which covers apprentices, undergraduates and graduates.  We are committed to creating 100 apprentices in the authority by the end of the financial year and also to encourage future graduates towards careers in the public sector.  At these times of cuts in public spending it is vital that we continue to show our commitment to the employment and training of young people. We are looking to the future by giving them opportunities to get work experience and gain qualifications and give them a much better chance of gaining long–term employment.  And, of course, the work they will do will be of great benefit to our green spaces and other areas of council work.”

Peter Cosgrove, the General Manager of Glendale Liverpool Ltd, said:- “Over the last 20 plus years we have seen a decline within the industry of training and development, but with the support from the City Council we have been able plan for the future and provide employment and training opportunities for people within Liverpool”

On the undergraduates’ scheme the council’s Workforce Strategy (Employment Initiatives) Team worked with the University’s World of Work (WoW) Team to deliver the programme The City Council also successfully applied with Knowsley Council for funding through MIEP (Merseyside Improvement Efficiency Partnership) to support both Liverpool’s Undergraduate and Graduate programme along with Knowsley’s graduate programme.