I’m back with yet another dating trend. Have you missed me? (Probably not…I’m not exactly the bearer of positive dating news.)

But this particular dating trend isn’t necessarily negative. In fact, it’s more quirky and efficient than anything. Referred to as “choremance,” it involves the merging of chores and—you guessed it—romance.

You might be thinking…Why would someone do such a thing? Let’s dive in.

What Is a ‘Choremance’?

A choremance is a dating trend centered around doing chores with a potential suitor or current significant other. In today’s world, which seems to be mostly work and little play, it makes sense to combine the two for some efficient fun.

According to Bruce Y. Lee, M.D., M.B.A., in his Psychology Today article on the topic, “Choremancing is about going on dates that consist of doing chores together. Yes, that’s right, regular household, work, or daily life chores like going shopping, cooking, or cleaning together.”

There’s nothing quite like mopping the floor and scrubbing dirty dishes to get you in the mood. How romantic…

Although I guess you can say this trend is at least productive in nature. But there goes your excuse of being “too busy” to date.

Perks of a Choremance

While a choremance likely doesn’t sound very appealing (I mean, dating itself feels like a chore to many people), it can at least help you make time for two important facets of your life. 

This is especially true for exciting couples. I don’t know about you, but after a long work week, I feel I only have time to clean my home and do a quick reset before a new week. Scheduling date nights with my boyfriend sounds great, of course, and I’d much rather grab dinner and drinks than catch up on laundry or go grocery shopping. But sometimes, that’s all we have time for. Viewing such errands and tasks as a date can romanticize the experience in a sense.

Not to mention, you certainly see a different side of someone when they’re doing chores. How well do they clean? Are they helpful? Do they get stressed easily? Are they able to maintain their lighthearted nature? You’ll learn a lot about the person, especially if it’s early on in dating.

“A choremance can be a good preview of what your future together would be like,” Lee wrote in his article. “If you think being a committed couple is all about going to the ballet, being showered with flowers, hot sex, or lying out on a Bali beach all the time, then you’ve got more than a couple of things to learn. A long-term relationship is typically a lot more mundane—filled with days upon days of navigating through life, supporting each other, and getting things done together.”

Life isn’t always fancy date nights and lazy Sundays. If you can find someone you enjoy doing chores with—a successful choremance, one might call it—then I’d say you’re pretty lucky.