Holiday hosts spend more time cleaning than having fun

Six in 10 Americans say the stress of holiday hosting puts a damper on their holiday spirits (58%), according to new research.

A survey of 2,000 adults who host during the holidays found that despite being “the most wonderful time of year,” more than a third find hosting to be a stressful experience (35%) — especially when it comes to cooking (37%) and cleaning (25%) before guests arrive.

Commissioned by Roborock and conducted by Talker Research, the survey found that half of hosts spend more time cleaning than actually enjoying their guests’ company (49%).

Hosts spend an average of 10 hours going into cleaning before the gathering, and another 10 hours after it’s over.

This time adds up to two and a half workdays’ worth of cleaning during the season.

For many hosts, the work that goes into making the holidays special can leave little time to actually savor them. Getting their home ready for an average of 13 guests is no easy feat.

Trying to stay on top of messes leaves 56% of hosts feeling like they lose out on quality time with loved ones, sacrificing the ability to relax, converse with their guests and enjoy a meal (36% each).

And for half of respondents, it doesn’t help that they handle all the tidying on their own.

Respondents focus on getting the living room most guest-ready (42%), followed by the bathroom (37%) and kitchen (36%), while surfaces like the floors (15%) and countertops (12%) also warrant a keen inspection.

The kitchen is a particular area of stress, as 41% have found themselves down to the wire with food prep before guests arrived. Even more have had bad luck by spilling something in the kitchen and setting them back on cook time (50%).

Vacuuming and mopping at the last minute has a quarter of respondents in a frenzy (25%), and a fifth have found themselves clearing traces of pet hair from floors and furniture just before the doorbell rings (19%).

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One in seven have even delayed the event start time because their home wasn’t clean enough, and half of respondents are often still cleaning while guests are in their home.

“The holidays should be about making memories, but for many Americans, the work that goes into hosting can make it difficult to fully enjoy those moments,” said Roborock spokesperson, Jessica Naziri, tech expert, creator and founder of TechSesh.co. “When you consider just how much time is spent preparing a home and cleaning up afterward, it's clear that the responsibilities of hosting extend far beyond the gathering itself. Finding ways to simplify those everyday tasks can make a meaningful difference in helping people be more present with the people they love.”

Even with all of their planning, however, nearly a third of respondents (29%) say holiday hosting only goes to plan less than half the time.

The survey also asked respondents to share some of their worst holiday hosting fails. One respondent said they “forgot to clean an entire room of my house because I got too caught up in the cooking,” and another shared that the “power went out during the meal.”

Another said they couldn’t enjoy the party because they kept finding “dust bunnies all over the house that I missed,” while a fourth “spilled a dish right as guests arrived and had to panic clean.”

Despite the work that goes into tidying up, hosts said the effort is worth it when they have people together in their space (27%), can catch up with loved ones (25%) and feel a sense of accomplishment at everything coming together (20%).

To find a balance of managing their hosting stress and getting time with their loved ones, hosts want to be better at asking their family for help (37%) and splitting their cleaning into different days (31%).

When it comes to what they’d want help with the most, cooking and food prep topped the list (26%), but they would also appreciate extra hands that helped with chores like vacuuming (14%) or keeping track of their holiday hosting budget (14%).

“Hosting is ultimately about bringing people together, and household responsibilities shouldn't come at the expense of those experiences,” said Naziri. “We believe the most meaningful innovations are the ones that make everyday life easier. Smart home technology has an important role to play in reducing the time and attention spent on repetitive household tasks, allowing people to focus more on the experiences and connections that make the season special.”

HOLIDAY HOSTING FAILS

• “Some of [the] food was never cooked properly.”
• “Accidentally burning the main dish.”
• “Did [not] have enough food for my guests.”
• “Guest spilled red wine on rug.”
• “I forgot to clean an entire room of my house because I got too caught up in cooking.”
• “My home wasn't cleaned.”
• “Power went out during the meal.”
• “Spilled a dish right as guests arrived and had to panic clean.”
• “There were dust bunnies all over the house that I missed.”

Research methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans who host for the winter holidays who have access to the internet; the survey was commissioned by Roborock and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Oct. 8 and Oct. 15, 2026. A link to the questionnaire can be found here.

To view the complete methodology as part of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, please visit the Talker Research Process and Methodology page.