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.
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