Progressive women are happy to wave goodbye to the cleaning, ironing and cooking, but when it comes to the laundry, even their partners are told to back off, according to new research from the University of Western Sydney.
The Wringing Out The Future report was conducted by Dr Gwyneth Howell of the University of Western Sydney on behalf of new Biozet Attack Ecosmart liquid laundry detergent. The report canvassed the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of progressive women towards their careers, lifestyles, household management and the environment.
“Women account for more than half of the Australian workforce and some work as much as 70 hours per week. However, the workload between men and women at home remains largely one-sided,” says Dr Howell.
According to the report, progressive women are doing double the housework of their partners, completing an average of 10 hours per week and taking the lead for 86 per cent of the laundry, 84 per cent of the cleaning, 71 per cent of household finances, 64 per cent of the cooking and a staggering 91 per cent of the parenting. However, there are some tasks, such as the laundry, that women would simply prefer to do themselves.
On the whole, women feel society has raised the benchmark for success, with 84 per cent stating they believe more is expected of them than their mothers at the same age; in terms of career, lifestyle and household tasks. For those that are now mothers themselves, 42 per cent feel their workload increased by up to 60 per cent after they gave birth.
“While women are under the pump at work and at home; hiring a chef, butler and personal assistant is not the quick fix solution women are looking for.
“The research found that two out of three women want to excel at work, at home and also contribute to their local communities. Pushed for time, these women apply a ‘get it done right the first time’ attitude to everything they do,” says Dr Howell.
The Wringing Out The Future report highlighted the laundry as a prime example of where this attitude is applied, with 85 per cent of women refusing to relinquish the task; not trusting it to anyone else, even their partners.
“Women who participated in the research say they are making executive decisions at home, with 73 per cent using smart tactics and routines to get it all done,” says Dr Howell.
To manage household responsibilities, the majority of women employ smart rituals including; implementing a family roster (14 per cent), outsourcing the cleaning (22 per cent) and purchasing time-saving appliances, such as a dishwasher (72 per cent).
“While some tasks can be delegated, most women prefer to keep ‘the darlings out of the laundry’ to ensure that the job is done right the first time,” says Dr Howell.
Although women are seeking ways to save time and money, the research also found they won’t sacrifice on performance or compromise the environment. They actively seek products that meet both ‘clean’ and ‘green’ requirements.
The Wringing Out The Future report found women like to choose ‘green’ products, but they aren’t fooled by brands that ‘greenwash’.
“Women understand the concentrate claims made by laundry detergents but 60 per cent simply don’t trust them. When using a ‘green’ laundry liquid some 12 per cent feared it could be worse for the environment and 87 per cent have had to re-wash their clothes because of unsatisfactory results.
“Women aren’t striving to be high performers at work and domestic goddesses at home. By working smarter, not harder, they are balancing work, family, community and the environment all at once,” concludes Dr Howell.
