THE North-East is at the forefront of clean living, according to a new survey.

A study commissioned by Kwik Save Laundry Products found that Newcastle had the third highest rate of washing machine use in the UK.

About 61 per cent of households in the city use washing machines at least five times a week.

But washing is still women's work, with nearly two-thirds of households relying on women for clean clothes, while only five per cent of men helped.

On average, single men cleaned their linen once a fortnight and a third of bachelors changed the bedsheets only once a month.

The average for single women was nearly three times a month.

More than half of those surveyed had accidentally dyed an entire wash a new colour, and one in ten people had experienced a washing machine exploding.