This article originally appeared on 11.16.15
In the magazine aisle there's no shortage of suggestions to spice up your sex life with your partner.
They usually range from "duh" to ... absurd.
Not a real Cosmo cover. But it sooo could be. Image by @Remiel/Flickr (altered).
While most magazine tips focus on what women can do for their male partners (I mean, there's a reason why Cosmo has a reputation), a newly-released discovery is for the fellas.
What Canadian scientists recently found is an easy-to-follow tip that probably won't be in the next issue of Esquire: Do your fair share of chores.
Sorry. I hate chores, too. GIF from "The Office."
I know, I know. Sorry. But it doesn't have to be so bad! If this did make it into the Cosmo and Men's Health sex and relationship tips sections, I imagine it'd go a little bit like this:
"Think of her carpet ... and how badly it needs to be taken care of. Then reach for the vacuum for a loud cleaning session to make that rug spotless."
"If you really want an irresistible move to get her in the mood, try introducing plastic into your routine. Using plastic gloves while scrubbing the tub and toilet doesn't just give your skin a relief from those harsh cleaning chemicals, but that cleaning sesh will really show you mean business."
"To achieve sex-god status, you have to truly master cleaning the pots. Firmly hold the handle of the pot and gently scrub away that grease and grime. The clean, shiny insides of her cookware will really get her going. For extra points, clean the pans, too."
Sexy, right?
This guy knows what he's doing. Image by garlandcannon/Flickr.
If you've been following research on the effect of chore division on a couple's sex life, then you might be scratching your head. This new research goes completely against a bombshell 2012 University of Washington study that said men doing what is traditionally seen as "women's work" in the home leads to heterosexual couples having less sex.
But wait, before running to mop the floor a few extra times. It isn't a certain qualitative amount of chores that helps couples reach the sexy times jackpot.
The key to the couples' satisfaction is whether the man feels he is doing his fair share.
While pouring over a five-year study of German couples and their sex lives, researchers found a trend for which couples had the most frequent and most satisfying sex: the ones who had a male partner confident that he's pulling his weight in the household.
Sorry folks: Skipping doing the dishes in hopes of more romps in the bed is the wrong way to go.
The finding is helpful for cohabiting couples trying to balance their needs for both a clean house and sexual intimacy.
They only studied heterosexual partners, but I bet the moral behind it could be true regardless of gender. When people make a fair contribution to the household, everyone feels better and the couple has more opportunity for quality time.
Sounds like a win-win to me.
GIF from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."