NEWS COPY
Parents of teenagers only see them for THREE hours in every 24 hour period, according to new research.
Three quarters of parents claim their teenager heads straight to the privacy of their own room the minute they get home, only bypassing the fridge for a bite to eat on the way.
A third of parents say there are some days when their teenager doesn't leave the comfort of their room in an entire 24 hour period.
And while one in 10 will stop to give mum a quick kiss on the way up to their rooms after getting home, for the rest of the day four out of five teenagers will only see their parents to ask for food, while a third will pop out to ask for some clean clothes.
A further 34 per cent of teenagers only surface if they have a pile of washing which needs doing.
A fifth of mums and dads rarely enter their teenager's bedroom, recognising it as a place of seclusion and sanctuary, but almost half admit that that when they do go in, it stinks.
Researchers found a teenager's bedroom most commonly reeks of sweat, stinky old trainers, aftershave or perfume, worn clothes and mouldy dishes
A spokesman for Pringles Candles, which conducted the study of 1,000 parents of teenagers, said: "By the age of 13, youngsters will want to house themselves in their bedroom for a few hours for a bit of quiet time
"But if mums and dads aren't allowed in to clean, the room is going to develop a recognisable musty smell - particularly if the teenagers haven't been sensible enough to clear out their dirty sports kits and other worn clothes.
"That's why we've launched the Pringles Scented Candle - the perfect festive gift to mask the odours that lurk within the average teenage bedroom.
"They come in BBQ, Cheese and Pigs in Blankets flavours, and while they don't give off the heavenly smells of nutmeg and lavender, they're better than sweaty trainers - a great Christmas compromise. While Pringles have always been the taste of Christmas, now they're the smell of Christmas too."
The study found the average teenage boy's bedroom contains one pair of smelly trainers under the bed, one dirty sports kit and two pairs of worn socks.
In addition, a boy's bedroom is home to at least one used mug and plate, exercise equipment such as dumbbells, four computer games and three gadgets.
And parents are aware of the potential health hazards lurking behind their son's door, with many reporting a constant whiff of aftershave masking the smell of sweat and old clothes, as well as often finding at least one pile of ironing shoved under the bed.
Shamefully, girls in their teenage years are more likely to have piles of washing scattered around the room, beauty products will be left lying around and decorative items such as photos and mirrors will adorn the walls.
But while girls are guilty of clutter, they're generally cleaner than boys, tidying and cleaning their rooms weekly or fortnightly.
Girls are also less smelly than boys - with 52 per cent of boys' parents claiming their room smells compared to just 36 per cent of girls'.
And although a fifth of parents believe their child's bedroom is a disaster zone, six in 10 admit it is an extension of their personality.
But a quarter of parents say it does get to the point when they can't even see the floor of their child's room.
A third say there are always cups and pots everyone, 29 per cent reckon it's a complete mess while 31 per cent turn their nose up at the certain teenage 'fusty' smell.
One in five mums and dads say they never ever clean their teenager's bedroom, and if they suggest their son or daughter gets out the duster or vacuum cleaner 32 per cent will grunt unenthusiastically, a quarter will sulk and one in 10 will ask for pocket money in return.
AVERAGE CONTENTS OF A TEENAGER'S BEDROOMBOYS / GIRLS
Smelly socks 2 / 1
Dirty sports kit 1 / 0
Trainers under the bed 1 / 1
Old mugs 1 / 1
Piles of washing 1 / 2
Piles of magazines 1 / 1
Dirty plates 1 / 1
Posters 2 / 2
Computer games 4 / 2
Gadgets 3 / 2
Empty bottles / cans 2 / 2
Chocolate / crisp wrappers 2 / 2
Apple cores 0 / 1
Piles of ironed clothes 1 / 2
Photos / selfies on the wall 1 / 2
Beauty products 1 / 4
Lava lamps / disco balls 0 / 1
Mirrors 1 / 2
Exercise equipment 1 / 0
Musical instruments 1 / 1
ENDS
