- New data reveals that the top habit adults cut corners on is cleaning (36 per cent)
- Over a third (35 per cent) have left a room half tidied, while others skip flossing (12 per cent) or brushing their teeth (8 per cent)
- Dental expert Miranda Pascucci is urging Brits not to skip interdental cleaning and wishes to overhaul the two-minute brushing rule, in favour of a three-minute clean
Millions of Brits (67 per cent) admit they cut corners in everyday tasks – with domestic cleaning chores the most likely to be left ‘half done’.
A poll of 2,000 adults found 67 per cent regularly only complete part of a task before moving on to something else – including putting away groceries, doing the dishes and personal grooming.
Flossing, filing documents and making the bed are other tasks they rush through.
35 per cent have left a room half-tidied, 27 per cent have had a ‘quick freshen up’ instead of a shower – and 26 per cent haven’t bothered finishing a book or TV show.
The study, which was carried out by leading oral care brand, TePe, revealed that of those who cut corners, 36 per cent do so because they run out of time, while 29 per cent admit to not finishing tasks properly due to prioritising other things.
However, 56 per cent don’t think about the long-term effects taking shortcuts could have. Almost a third (32 per cent) have found that not properly completing a task has ended up with them having to re-do it, leaving them feeling stressed or guilty – or even wasting money.
When it comes to brushing teeth, 22 per cent of people reveal they only do this once a day – half the amount of what’s recommended by the NHS.
Of those who skip brushing their teeth, 36 per cent do so because they’re in a rush and 23 per cent because they’re too tired.
Cleaning between the teeth is a regular corner that’s cut, with 39 per cent never using interdental brushes, putting them at risk of bleeding gums, tooth sensitivity and plaque build-up that can cause decay.
TePe’s Head of Clinical Education and Dental Therapist Miranda Pascucci is urging people to not cut corners on their dental routine, and to update their two-minute brushing routine to embrace a three-minute clean to keep teeth and gums healthy.
She said: “Cutting corners can sometimes work, but not for oral care. Skipping interdental brushing means you only clean 60 per cent of the tooth surface – leaving 40 per cent at risk of bad breath, cavities, gum disease over time. It can even increase the risk of wider health issues such as heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
“To stop you cutting this corner, I recommend opting for a three-minute cleaning routine – two minutes of brushing, with the extra minute dedicated to interdental cleaning for a truly whole-mouth clean, helping you avoid the impacts of doing half a job.”
Cutting corners with your oral care routine can impact overall wellbeing. 43 per cent of those polled have experienced tooth sensitivity and 37 per cent bleeding gums as an adult.
Cavities (34 per cent), tooth discolouration (32 per cent) and gum recession (28 per cent) were also reported according to the OnePoll.com data.
Dr Venetia Leonidaki, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, has offered her insight into why people cut corners. She said: “We face countless decisions and competing tasks every day, which is why human beings need to be economical with their resources, saving time and energy whenever possible. Cutting corners is an adaptive strategy that allows us to take shortcuts. We may find ourselves cutting corners even more with daily mechanical tasks, such as household chores or personal grooming routines. Repetition and a stable environment, rather than seeking rewards, are the main drivers of mechanical tasks. During such tasks, we often overestimate the effort needed and underestimate their value, making us more prone to cutting corners.”
However, there are benefits to fully completing a task. She explains: “Our culture and society reward task completion from a very young age in various ways, including praise from caregivers and prizes in competitions. Our society’s positive reactions to task completion programmes us to view ourselves as competent and accomplished when we finish tasks, resulting in positive identity formation. The sense of satisfaction we experience from completing tasks is also evident in neuroscientific studies, which detect a surge in dopamine even when we complete simple tasks, such as assembling a puzzle. On the contrary, unfinished tasks can make us feel overwhelmed and leave us with a sense of failure, having the opposite results.”
TOP 20 TASKS BRITS CUT CORNERS ON
- Cleaning the house
- Tidying up
- Vacuuming
- Organising a drawer
- Making the bed
- Ironing
- Washing the car
- Sorting emails
- Filing documents
- Watering plants
- Laundry
- Putting away groceries
- Personal grooming
- Admin or paperwork
- Flossing/using interdental brushes
- Doing the dishes
- Meal prepping
- Cooking
- Packing a bag (e.g. for a trip)
- Tasks at work
