New research reveals that nearly half of Australians aged 18-to-30 feel unprepared to ‘adult’ and struggle with the everyday realities of running a household—whether it’s cooking, cleaning or keeping their laundry game on point.
The Westinghouse research* reveals that 47% of under-30s don’t feel ‘adult enough’ to manage all the challenges that managing a household brings and that 72% feel overwhelmed by these responsibilities.
For around a quarter of young Australians, their struggle to ‘adult’ is evidenced by their lack of experience doing many typical household chores, stating they have never paid all their own household bills and car expenses, prepared food and eaten at home for a week, cleaned an oven, or mowed the lawn**.
For 65%, meal planning or cooking to a budget and cleaning appliances like the fridge and oven top the list of major pain points on the path to domesticity. Around half report that it’s managing food waste (51%) and deciding when to do the laundry (49%).
Takeaway culture and wasted groceries
The kitchen – meant to be the beating heart of every home – is causing the most adulting angst. Food prep, cooking and clean up are major stresses for under-30s, citing they don’t have the time to cook (54%), don’t know what to cook (45%), or can’t be bothered cleaning up (40%).
Instead, half (51%) will skip meals multiple times a week, 41% eat breakfast for dinner, and nearly the same number (38%) rely on takeaway or eating out multiple times each week.
And when they do shop fresh, they’re uncertain about food safety practices with over two-thirds (61%) throwing out fresh food each week, mostly because it expired before they could use it (35%), or they were unsure if it was still safe to eat (20%).
On top of this, a whopping 69% admit to using their ovens and dishwashers as extra kitchen storage.
Laundry habits highlight hygiene challenges
Laundry is causing a load of confusion with 39% taking their laundry back to their parents’ home rather than doing it themselves. No wonder when nearly three-quarters (73%) have ruined clothing due to incorrect washing or drying. On top of this, the struggle with laundry is leading to some questionable hygiene habits with a good proportion not washing their clothes, sleepwear, bed linen and bath towels often enough***.
These habits highlight gaps in household management skills which see many young Australians struggling to keep up with essential home management routines.
The transition to independent living can be daunting, and many people feel ill equipped to handle the realities of running a household. Seventy percent of independent under-30s say they wish they learned more on how to manage home challenges before flying the nest.
We know that purchasing major household appliances plays a role in the transition to adulthood, bringing a tangible sense of growing up. Nearly four in five (78%) under 30s have bought a major appliance that made them feel like an adult, with TVs (19%), fridges (17%), and washing machines (13%) being the big-ticket items.
Recognising that the path to adulthood doesn’t come with a manual, Westinghouse is committed to making that transition smoother. Through the Happy to Help Adulting Hub, Westinghouse offers easy-to-follow resources designed to take the stress out of everyday household tasks.
“As a trusted appliance manufacturer, Westinghouse is happy to help bridge the knowledge gap with a library of practical and simple guides to help young Australians better navigate household duties. It’s a small step to help make household management less of a struggle, giving them back time and energy to focus on the good things in life”, said Christina Kumcesvki, head of marketing ANZ.
This study was conducted by YouGov online between 18-20 February 2025 with a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Australians aged 18-29. The data was weighted by age, gender and region to reflect the latest ABS population estimates of Australians aged 18-29 (approximately 3.9 million Australians).
