The company which carried out the study, MoppedUp – an iPhone app that connects homeowners with cleaners, said: "This rise goes some way to showing how, despite the squeeze on disposable income during the recession, having a cleaner is no longer regarded a luxury, as millions more see it as a way to free up their spare time for the things they really love."

The survey reveals how attitudes towards having a cleaner are increasingly positive, with just 5% of respondents seeing cleaners as exclusively for the rich and 3% saying they're for the lazy. In contrast, more than 10% said that a cleaner would make them happier, 12% said it would reduce their stress levels and of the people who don't currently have a cleaner, 43% said they would consider having one in future. The most popular reason for having a cleaner is to enable clients to enjoy their spare time.

Despite becoming more socially acceptable, it seems we're still very British when it comes to communicating with cleaners. More than 10% said they felt too embarrassed to tell their cleaner when they weren't happy, and more than 11% felt they actually had to stop what they're doing and leave the house when the cleaner is around.