Biggest relationship deal-breaker revealed in new study

Keep calm and carry on cleaning

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The thrills of a new relationship can bring joy, bliss, and even euphoria; it’s an exciting time... until one of you gets “the ick” i.e. the ominous trigger that suddenly turns you off your beloved quicker than you can swipe right.

While one person’s flaw is another person’s asset, a new survey reveals the one thing giving Brits the ick above all else - and it boils down to basic hygiene.

YouGov asked British men and women what traits would bother them most in a partner and it turns out that a disparity in levels of cleanliness reigned supreme as the ultimate deal-breaker.

From a list of 30 attributes - including differences in sex drive and sophistication - 71 per cent of those surveyed said that someone who cares less about being clean than them would make them most uncomfortable.

“Cleanliness can be such a deal breaker for so many reasons,” explains dating coach Jo Barnett.

“Mostly, if one person is keeping things clean and tidy and their partner is constantly creating mess and chaos, they can feel like he or she is being disrespectful and selfish, this is even worse than being untidy and unclean,” she explained to The Independent.

“From experience of working through relationships, I would say issues surrounding different levels of cleanliness arise from the meaning someone imposes on their partner making a mess.”

If this is a prevailing issue in your relationship, Barnett suggests talking it out and explaining how your partner’s behaviour makes you feel as opposed to criticising them.

“This can really save the relationship, try to find a compromise,” she said.

Meanwhile, YouGov’s research found that 53 per cent of respondents were more likely to be turned off by someone less intelligent than them, while 45 per cent cited different religious views.

Other major deal-breakers uncovered by the survey were incompatibilities in organisation (41 per cent), political views (41 per cent), sociableness (38 per cent) and physical activity (36 per cent).

At the opposite end of the scale, 84 per cent of respondents said they would be comfortable if their partner earned more money than them, was funnier than them and was more organised.

Considering that the “inferior” partner would probably benefit from such disparities, this data is not exactly surprising.

However, while some people might prefer to date someone who is “out of their league”, others are bound to favour the inverse scenario, in which they are made to feel like the "superior" partner.

The choice is yours.