Reclaiming the Holidays: How the Pursuit of a Spotless Home is Stealing the Joy of Hosting

A New Roborock Survey Finds That Americans Spend More Than Two Full Workdays Cleaning for Holiday Gatherings, While 56% Say Cleaning Costs Them Quality Time with Loved Ones

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As millions of families prepare for the upcoming winter holidays, a new study has revealed a stark disconnect between the joy of the season and the reality of hosting.

According to a survey of 2,000 Americans who host for the winter holidays, commissioned by global smart home cleaning technology leader, Roborock, and conducted by Talker Research, a staggering 49% say they spend more time cleaning than enjoying their guests' company. The findings reveal a disconnect between the joy of bringing people together and the work required to prepare for and clean up after a gathering, with 58% saying hosting stress dampens their holiday spirits.

The 20-Hour Hosting Hurdle

To understand why hosts are missing out, one only needs to look at the sheer scale of the workload. Hosts spend an average of 10 hours cleaning before the gathering, and another 10 hours after it's over. This combined effort equates to roughly 20.6 hours, more than two full eight-hour workdays dedicated to preparing their homes and tackling the aftermath of hosting family and friends. For half of respondents, the cleaning burden falls entirely on their shoulders, adding another layer of pressure to an already demanding holiday season.

The Consequence: A Missed Connection

The true friction at the heart of this hosting stress is the loss of connection. Trying to stay on top of messes leaves 56% of hosts feeling like they miss out on quality time with loved ones. For those who only see extended family once or twice a year, this lost time is especially painful.

Instead of visiting with family and friends or creating new memories, hosts sacrifice the ability to relax, converse with their guests, and enjoy a meal (36% each). The pressure to portray a perfect home is so overwhelming that one in seven hosts have actually delayed an event's start time because their home was not clean enough. Additionally, half of all respondents admit they are often still tidying up while their guests are in the house.

"As a mom, I know firsthand the pressure we put on ourselves to make the holidays magical and our homes spotless before guests arrive," said Roborock spokesperson Jessica Naziri, tech expert, creator, and founder of TechSesh.co. "But when you're running around trying to clean every last corner, you end up missing out on the actual magic. A welcoming home isn't about achieving perfection; it's about being fully present for the moments and relationships that matter most."

Last-Minute Frenzies and the Smart Home Solution

When identifying the specific chores that pull hosts away from their families, last-minute floor cleaning drives significant anxiety. Vacuuming and mopping at the last minute has a quarter of respondents (25%) in a frenzy, and nearly a fifth (19%) have found themselves frantically clearing traces of pet hair from floor and furniture just before the doorbell rings.

Even with extensive planning, nearly a third of respondents (29%) say holiday hosting only goes to plan less than half the time. One respondent recalled missing out on the party because they kept finding "dust bunnies all over the house that I missed," while another "spilled a dish right as guests arrived and had to panic clean." 

When asked what they would want help with most, 14% of hosts specifically noted they would appreciate extra hands for chores like vacuuming. This desire for relief highlights an opportunity for smart home technology to help make holiday hosting more manageable. By automating floor care tasks, Roborock's intelligent cleaning solutions can help reduce the time, attention, and anxiety spent on everyday cleaning tasks, from maintaining floors before guests arrive to managing the late-night exhaustion of cleanup afterward. This approach to home care gives hosts more freedom to focus on the people and experiences that make the holidays meaningful.

For some Americans, the cleaning burden may even be standing in the way of hosting altogether. The survey found that 62% would host more frequently if less pre-event cleaning were involved, suggesting that simplifying household responsibilities could create more opportunities for gathering and connection.

"Hosting is ultimately about bringing people together, and having a spotless home shouldn't come at the expense of those shared experiences," said Naziri. "My biggest hack for surviving the holiday rush is to let smart home technology take the repetitive tasks off my plate. With a Roborock device helping me handle floor cleaning, that's one less thing I have to worry about when hosting. The goal isn't to do it all yourself. It's to use the right tech so you can actually sit down, relax, and enjoy the celebration."

To make holiday hosting feel more manageable, Naziri recommends focusing on the spaces where guests will actually gather, sharing responsibilities where possible, and finding ways to automate routines with smart home devices before the celebration begins.

For Roborock, that philosophy is at the heart of its approach to innovation. By taking on routine cleaning tasks through intelligent automation, Roborock's smart cleaning solutions help simplify everyday home care, giving hosts more freedom to spend less time worrying about the mess and more time enjoying the moments that matter most.

To explore more findings from the survey and learn how smart cleaning technology can help make holiday hosting less stressful, please visit the Roborock blog.

About Roborock

Roborock is a leading smart cleaning brand renowned for its intelligent cleaning solutions. Having become the #1 best-selling robotic vacuum cleaner brand for H1 2026, according to IDC*, Roborock enriches lives with its innovative line of cordless vacuum cleaners, wet-dry vacuums, robotic lawn mowers, robotic pool cleaners, and washer-dryers. Rooted in a user-centric approach, our R&D-driven solutions cater to diverse cleaning needs of millions of homes across more than 170 countries and regions. Headquartered in Beijing and with strategic subsidiaries in key markets, including the United States, Germany, South Korea, Japan, Poland, and the Netherlands, Roborock is dedicated to elevating its market presence worldwide. For more information, visit https://global.roborock.com/.

*Roborock ranked No.1 globally by unit shipments and sales value among robotic vacuum brands in H1 2026. Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Smart Vacuum Robotics Tracker, 2026Q2

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.

Media Contact: 
Marissa Lapointe
Rachel Kay Public Relations
a FINN Partners Company
925-407-6438
[email protected]

SOURCE Roborock