Nearly half of Kiwis live like 'pigs'

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Feel like you're living in a "pigsty"? You're not the only one, a recent study has shown.

Forty four percent of New Zealanders admitted to being too busy to clean and often live in what they describe as a "pigsty", resulting in partners arguing and kids getting the blame, research showed.

The survey - commissioned by local online cleaning service SpongeHero - looked at the impact a dirty home had on families.

Women seemed more unhappy with a messy home when compared to men, with 75 per cent of women saying a messy home could cause a higher likelihood of feeling miserable, while only 57 per cent of men agreed.

The research also laid bare some of the sneaky ways that New Zealanders try to keep up appearances when it comes to their home.

Almost half of the New Zealand population admitted to hiding clutter under cushions, behind couches, or inside cupboards or drawers when guests were coming over.

Psychologist Sara Chatwin said the results showed that while New Zealanders like to keep a clean and tidy house, daily pressures sometimes made it hard for people to attain the level of cleanliness they wanted.

"For many people house tidiness and cleanliness is directly linked to their feelings of achievement and accomplishment.

"When this lapses we can feel like 'underachievers' or failures.

"Personal standards are a large part of who we are and how we present. We feel as though we haven't 'done our best' ... and this may leave use feeling under-whelmed," Ms Chatwin said.