We live in a new world! One where the division between “manly” and “womanly” tasks is not as clear as it used to be several decades ago. Yes, the days of The Brady Bunch, where the wife stays at home and tends to all things “homey” while the man goes out and earns an income, are quickly coming to an end. Or are they? (And let’s not forget Mrs. Brady had Alice—most of us real women don’t have an “Alice” in our lives.)
According to a 2007 Gallup poll that included thousands of married couples, there are still certain tasks in and around the home considered clearly “men’s work” or “women’s work.” While there are plenty of men with dishpan hands and women who can trim hedges with the expertise of a landscaper, laundry tasks are still mostly left to women. This is not to say there aren’t men out there who can wash clothes without mixing colors or who know which fabrics should be washed in cold versus hot water—because there are. But, according to statistics, very few men are washing their wife’s laundry.
In the poll, it was discovered that in most households across the United States, women tend to handle six routine household chores. One of them is laundry! The tasks that seem to have remained “women’s work” through the ages include laundry, cleaning the house, making decisions about furniture and decoration, preparing meals, and caring for children (in households with children under 18). Grocery shopping was another task that most respondents left to the women. Men, on the other hand, are mostly responsible for keeping the car in good condition, doing yard work, and making decisions about savings and investment.
While the outcomes of this Gallup poll may seem sexist, outdated, or gender-specific, the truth is that when it comes to laundry, most women are just better at it. And let’s be real. Why, pray tell, would men want to get involved in washing their wife’s laundry?
The Challenges of Laundry for Men
Women’s clothes are notoriously confusing. Every shirt is made of a different kind of fabric, and “silk” these days doesn’t really resemble silk at all, which means it will likely end up in the t-shirt pile during the wash cycle. And we all know what happens then—it ends up a shrunken and shriveled-up mess. Plus, when you add the intricacies of washing lingerie and the challenge of finding that one red sock that will ruin an entire load of laundry, women still seem to have the upper hand.
Men, on the other hand, tend to operate in a very functional and efficient manner. They may not see the need to turn things inside out before washing or to pre-treat stains, which can become permanent if they go through the hot water cycle untouched. From the outside looking in, laundry seems like an easy job—especially because today’s washers and dryers do most of the work. After all, how hard is it to throw a load of laundry in the washing machine?
One of the most interesting aspects of the Gallup poll about the division of household chores is that the report has remained largely unchanged for several decades. Most of the changes have been in the financial responsibilities of the home, where women are becoming more involved, as opposed to the domestic duties. In a 1996 poll, 70% of women were responsible for laundry duties. By 2008, that number had only decreased by 2%.
According to market research, laundry advertisements and products are marketed almost exclusively to women. Research shows that women purchase or influence nearly 91% of all laundry products sold today. This is why laundry detergent companies tend to target women in their advertising. When men are featured, it’s usually to play the “butt of the joke.” Perhaps laundry companies could “entice” men into doing laundry by adding some gender-specific appeals in their marketing? It’s worth a try!
Bottom line: Men may be winning the war and pulling the wool over society’s eyes. Perhaps their perceived ineptness, combined with female-driven advertisements for laundry products, is reinforcing the ideal that women are the only ones qualified to do the laundry. The general consensus that a man would shrink, discolor, or ruin an entire wardrobe in one wash cycle is what not only makes men shy away from the task but also empowers women to continue doing this domestic duty themselves—without complaining.
For the small percentage of men brave enough to wash their wife’s clothes, we at Professors House say, “Bravo!” But, you might want to keep your domestic diva status a secret—lest the other men in the world find out and hunt you down with their weed eaters! After all, the last thing you want to do is change the overall perception that most women have, that not only can men NOT do laundry—but that they shouldn’t!
