Media Release
For Immediate Release
27 August 2012

Kiwi parents not getting support when it comes to cleaning

Home Heroes to the rescue

We all know that cleaning in most households is seen as a burden that is not often shared amongst family members.

A new survey, conducted by Reckitt Benckiser, shows that while 68 per cent of parents are most likely to take sole responsibility of the cleaning, more than half (57%) would prefer to enlist help with the chores.

Ironically, having kids was the number one obstacle preventing parents from getting to the cleaning (26%).

Home Heroes, a brand new online game that turns cleaning into a fun competition for the family, aims to remedy this situation by getting kids on board with the cleaning duties in an exciting and engaging way.

“We believe that Home Heroes will appeal to the competitive nature of Kiwis, encouraging all the family to get involved and enjoy the satisfaction that a clean and tidy house can bring,” says Reckitt Benckiser, Brand Manager Narissa Harvey.

“It turns a weekly chore into a cool game that can involve and entertain mum, dad and the kids.”

Home Heroes allows the family to track their progress as cleaning tasks are completed and players are kept motivated by fun virtual rewards. An online leader board allows players to measure their results and progress against other members of the family, friends and neighbours.

Once the kids finish everything to mum and dad’s satisfaction, the players get their real-world reward that their parents promised them at the start of the game such as a toy or a little treat.

“We believe that Home Heroes will help families to foster positive attitudes to cleaning in the long term and enjoy sharing the experience,” added Ms Harvey. “We trialled the Home Heroes concept with families and were surprised by how strongly the youngsters were engaged with the daily household cleaning. This was achieved by simply turning chores into a fun game, such as receiving a reward for helping mum and dad stack the dishwasher.”

The game and website will go live on Monday 3rd September. To sign up visit www.home-heroes.co.nz

Reckitt Benckiser provides Kiwis with a range of quality cleaning products for all areas of the house with their brands including Dettol, Harpic, Finish, Vanish and BAM.

Other Survey Findings

• 35 per cent of men believe they do the majority of the chores, but women disagree with only 2 per cent saying their partner does the majority of the chores
• 85 per cent are happy for the house to be clean enough to be healthy, but messy enough to be lived in. Only one in 10 (11%) expect their house to be completely spotless
• Cleaning the oven came out as the number one most hated chore (37%)
• Vacuuming came out as the chore Kiwis enjoyed the most and found the most satisfying (28%)
• The number one cleaning related frustration for Kiwis is other people in the household who don’t tidy up as they go (32%)
• Nearly three quarters of Kiwis (74%) prefer listening to music when doing the cleaning

Editor’s Note: Nationwide survey conducted by e-Lounge with a base of 1,836 respondents.

Ends

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