Kids cleaning up in the pocket money stakes

Some parents are forking out £400 a year for help with jobs around the house, paying an average of £7.70 a week in pocket money.

A study of parents with children aged three to 16, part of the Dance Your Place Clean campaign from Flash and Viakal, has revealed the top ways that Britons motivate their children to get involved in spring cleaning.

The campaign partnered with Kimberly Wyatt to show how you can literally dance your way through dirt and grime during this year’s spring clean and make it fun for the whole family.

Sixty per cent of respondents said they tempt their money-savvy kids with financial gain if they help around the house, while 44 per cent admit to bribing them with their favourite treat.

According to the survey, 87 per cent of parents listen to music while they go about the weekly clean.

Fifty four per cent say that a good tune helps to make the task at hand more enjoyable while 47 per cent like having something to sing along to while they work.

Thirty per cent are happy to settle for listening to the radio while 18 per cent will go for their favourite pop hits to help them find their rhythm. Two thirds of parents have even found themselves breaking into a dance as they complete their chores.

Children earn 54 per cent more pocket money than their parents did when they were youngsters.

While parents across the country are working hard to make spring cleaning a more enjoyable experience, not everyone is easily convinced.

According to the study, one in four children would voluntarily forfeit their TV time to escape helping out, while 18 per cent resort to hiding around the house to avoid their parents’ gaze.

One child in five simply shirks their duties each time they’re asked, and a fifth of parents have had their child complete a bothersome chore, only to pass the handiwork off as their own.

Enterprising children looking to maximise their earning power around the house should aim to get involved in washing the car, which is the best-paid chore at £1.55 per clean.

Failing that, clearing the gutters and tidying the garage are the next best options, earning an average of £1.23 and £1.22, respectively.

In a poll of the worst chores to complete during a spring clean, cleaning the bathroom came top as the biggest bore, followed by tackling a pile of ironing.

For more information on the Dance Your Place Clean campaign click here.

The five most-hated household chores are:

1 Cleaning the bathroom (15%)

2 Tackling a pile of ironing (12%)

3 Clearing out gutters (8%)

4 Washing the windows (7%)

5 Clearing the garage (6%)

The 10 most lucrative childhood chores are:

1 Washing the car (£1.55)

2 Clearing the gutters (£1.23)

3 Clearing the garage (£1.22)

4 Washing the carpet/laminate floors (£1.13)

5 Washing the windows (£1.09)

6 Clearing the attic (£1.08)

7 Doing the ironing (£1.08)

8 Doing the laundry (£1.05)

9 Sorting old possessions for charity shops/the dump (£1.01)

10 Cleaning the bathroom (£0.99)