In the study – published in the journal Socius – 600 couples were questioned about how they divvied up housework as well as how content they were in their relationships.
They found that men weren’t too affected by who did what cleaning duties (shock, horror) while women were. Overall, an equal division of labour was linked to higher sexual intimacy and less marital discord.
Especially when it came to the dishes.
“The division of dishwashing, among all tasks, is most consequential to relationship quality, especially for women,” the researchers state.
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“Women out there in the workforce resent coming home and doing a double-shift and feel like (doing all the housework) is reverting to antiqued gender norms,” sex therapist Dr. Ian Kerner told Body+Soul.
“What happens outside of the bedroom happens inside the bedroom. So if you feel resentful or like you’re doing an unfair share of chores, it doesn’t make you feel very sexual.”
Better get scrubbing, boys.
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