The One Household Chore Brits Are Putting Off Ahead of Christmas

With Christmas fast approaching, many of us are already turning our attention to festive plans, from hosting friends for dinner to welcoming family over the holidays. But alongside the excitement of the season comes a growing list of jobs to tackle before guests arrive.

Whether it’s giving the house a deep clean, getting the spare room ready or making sure the kitchen is in good shape, preparing to host can sometimes feel like a job in itself. And while decorating the Christmas tree, planning festive menus and choosing the perfect table settings are all part of the fun, some household tasks are considerably less appealing.

After all, there’s nothing quite like the prospect of having a house full of guests to make us notice all those little jobs we’ve been putting off for months.

And while planning the perfect menu and decorating the house might be the more enjoyable parts of Christmas preparations, there’s one household chore that often gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list: cleaning the oven.

The Household Chore Brits Would Rather Avoid

In fact, research from Airtasker, the local services marketplace, revealed that almost half of Brits (46%) regularly avoid cleaning their oven, while nearly one in five (18%) admitted they had either never cleaned it or couldn’t remember the last time they had.

Between stubborn grease, burnt-on food and those hard-to-reach corners, it’s easy to see why oven cleaning is one of those jobs we’d rather leave for another day.

Unlike wiping down kitchen worktops or running the vacuum cleaner around, cleaning the oven isn’t exactly a quick five-minute task. It often involves removing shelves, tackling layers of baked-on residue and spending a considerable amount of time trying to restore the glass door to something resembling its original condition.

It’s also one of those chores that’s remarkably easy to ignore. With the oven door closed, any accumulated grease and grime is conveniently out of sight, making it tempting to promise ourselves we’ll deal with it another weekend.

Of course, those weekends have a habit of disappearing, particularly as the festive season approaches.

Oven Cleaning Demand Rises Ahead of Christmas

However, with the festive hosting season just around the corner, it seems more Brits are finally getting around to tackling the task, or finding someone else to take it off their hands.

New 2026 data from Airtasker reveals that demand for oven cleaning has increased by 32% year-on-year, as households begin preparing for the busy autumn and winter months.

The latest figures also show that oven cleaning task postings have jumped by 58% compared with the same period last year, with a further 29% increase on the previous month.

And with demand typically peaking in November and December, it seems getting the kitchen in order is becoming a priority as the countdown to Christmas begins.

It’s hardly surprising. Between festive baking, dinner parties and the all-important Christmas dinner, our ovens are likely to be working overtime in the coming weeks.

From roasting the Christmas turkey to preparing trays of potatoes, vegetables and festive treats, a reliable oven is essential when entertaining. Giving it a thorough clean beforehand can also help eliminate lingering cooking odours and reduce the smoke caused by old grease and food residue heating up.

For households planning to welcome a crowd, getting this particular job out of the way early means one less thing to worry about when the festivities begin.

Getting Your Home Guest-Ready Without the Last-Minute Rush

Of course, oven cleaning is rarely the only job on the pre-Christmas checklist.

Guest bedrooms might need fresh bedding, bathrooms could benefit from a thorough clean, and kitchens often require a little extra attention before the festive cooking marathon begins.

Then there’s the fridge to clear out, cupboards to organise and dining table to prepare for those long-awaited Christmas gatherings.

It’s easy for these smaller tasks to accumulate, particularly when they’re competing with Christmas shopping, social engagements and the usual demands of everyday life.

One way to make the preparations more manageable is to spread the work over several weeks rather than attempting an entire house clean in the days before Christmas.

Starting with the jobs that take the most time, such as oven cleaning, can make the remaining preparations feel considerably easier.

And for those who would rather spend their weekends enjoying the run-up to Christmas, arranging professional help with particularly time-consuming chores is another option worth considering.

A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way

While there’s always something else that could be cleaned, polished or organised before Christmas, festive hosting shouldn’t have to mean spending every spare moment tackling household chores.

Getting ahead of those less glamorous jobs can make all the difference when it comes to enjoying the festivities without the added stress.

After all, Christmas is about spending time with the people we love, sharing good food and making memories, not worrying about whether the oven door is sparkling.

And when there are guests to entertain, presents to wrap and a Christmas dinner to prepare, the last thing anyone wants to be doing is scrubbing away months of burnt-on grease.

A little preparation now could mean a much more relaxed Christmas later.