A Look at America’s Laundry Divide: For Harmony at Home, Just Split it and Make Up!
The battle of the sexes
rages on as the great Laundry Divide continues to
pit men and women against each other in laundry rooms
across America. Last August, GE’s National Men
Do Laundry month aired America’s dirty laundry
revealing that 89 percent of women across the country
were still responsible for doing the age-old chore,
and therefore encouraged ladies to throw down their
laundry baskets for the month.
This year’s GE poll proves that hands down,
women still dominate this domestic duty. An astounding
seven out of 10 women claimed they’re the ones
carrying the laundry baskets. But men are striking
back.
GE Declares August National
Men Do Laundry Month -- The Men Strike Back
It seems the debate in the American
home isn’t who wears the pants, but who’s
allowed to wash them? GE’s study showed that
by far, most respondents not doing laundry are holding
back because they are “not allowed.” Of
those “not allowed,” a whopping 95 percent
are men.
“Last year, we discovered
that it was the women who were doing the laundry,
and we encouraged them to throw down their baskets,
share the chore and create household harmony,”
says Cynthia Fanning, clothes care marketing manager,
GE Consumer & Industrial. “One year later,
the laundry divide is still there. But we have uncovered
that it might not be the men who are to blame. According
to this year’s survey, almost 75 percent of
the women surveyed chose to do the laundry because
they just don’t trust anyone else with their
clothes. And we also found that men are willing and
able to share the chore.”
Eighty-six percent of men polled
said they were confident in their ability to pass
a “Laundry IQ Test.” This could very well
be the beginning of household harmony. So this year,
GE is once again declaring August National Men do
Laundry Month and is asking women to step aside and
let a man have a go with the laundry.
Gender aside, many Americans
could use a crash course in “Laundry Education.”
Luckily, there is hope. The GE Profile Harmony Clothes
Care System is the first washer that communicates
electronically with the dryer, presetting dry cycles
for better clothes care and increased time savings.
The washer talks. The dryer listens. The result is
better clothing care. With this laundry pair, and
a few laundry room tips from GE, men and women alike
can relax. The wash cycle, and the debate for that
matter, is over!
"Our Harmony clothes care
system is the ideal appliance for any family,”
said Fanning. “Complete and safe clothes care
is just a few easy taps away on our washer-dryer unit.”
And now, the “Laundry
IQ Test:”
1. To get the brightest results
straight out of the washing machine, add detergent:
A. First, then add clothes
B. After the clothes are in
the machine
C. Pre-treat everything
2. What is the best way to remove
perspiration marks?
A. Sponge white vinegar onto
the stain, then wash as directed
B. Use powder detergent in the
wash cycle, it’s a sure cure for perspiration
C. Pour liquid detergent directly
on the stain, then wash as directed by the clothing
label
3. The best way to remove ink
stains is:
A. Spray hairspray on the stain
before washing
B. Rub corn syrup on the stain,
and then wash in hot water
C. Pour liquid detergent directly
on the stain, then wash as directed
4. Can the dryer really help
me avoid wrinkles?
A.Yes
B. No
5. The great fabric softener
debate: to use or not to use on towels?
A. Yes
B. No
6. To repair the wool sweater
you accidentally washed, should you:
A. Soak it with hair conditioner
B. Wash it again, this time
in cold water with no detergent, then let it dry flat
C. Toss it, it’s hopeless
Your Laundry IQ:
If you answered A to more than
3 questions, you are a laundry whiz!
A. To get the brightest results,
add detergent first, and then add clothes. Add bleach
only after agitation starts. Adding bleach early may
destroy enzymes and whiteners that make detergent
more effective.
A. Perspiration marks: Sponge
white vinegar into the stain and then launder as usual.
A. For ink stains, spray hairspray
over the stain and then wash as usual.
A. Yes, just don't over-dry
clothes. Take clothes out while they are still slightly
damp to reduce the need for ironing.
A. Stop right there! Do NOT
use fabric softeners or dryer sheets on your towels!
Washing in fabric softener coats the terry fibers
with silicones, and will actually make towels less
absorbent. To freshen towels and keep them smelling
sweet, add a half-cup of baking soda to the wash cycle.
You'll end up with extra-fresh smelling towels!
A. If you shrink your wool sweater
in the dryer, try this: Soak the sweater for a few
minutes in a bucket of water to which you've added
a couple of capfuls of hair conditioner. The hair
conditioner will loosen up the fibers enough so that
you can lay the sweater on a dry towel and gently
pull and stretch it back to shape. Allow to dry thoroughly.
