Men and Women Agree to Disagree When It Comes to Household Chores

Whirlpool Corporation Survey Reveals Men and Women Define Compromise Differently, Yet Agree on Performance and Appliances at the Right Price

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Whirlpool Corporation

Jun 17, 2010, 08:00 ET

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., June 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Everyday, we make compromises – at home, at work, with our family and friends. According to a November online survey commissioned by Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR), the majority of men and women believe that compromise means everyone giving up something. However, when it comes to household chores, compromise takes on new meaning.

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In the survey, conducted by Harris Interactive®, about half of women (49%) describe compromise in their home as making purchases based on what they can afford, not necessarily the best quality. However, the majority of men (53%) said compromise is about how household duties/chores are shared. Men and women may define household compromise differently, but they do agree that in the current economy, affordability is one area that they cannot give up. According to the survey, the majority of men and women both were inclined to say that they would search until they found the product they're looking for at the right price.

"In homes across the nation, we're seeing families divide up the chores to get more done. But compromise also means that consumers are keeping an eye on budgets when it comes to purchasing products," said Monica Teague, senior manager of public relations, Whirlpool Corporation. "For this reason, Whirlpool Corporation's portfolio of brands offers a wide variety of appliances, including high-efficiency laundry pairs at every price point, to suit any budget so that consumers don't have to sacrifice quality for value."

Even though they say that sharing household chores demonstrates a compromise, men were more likely than women to say that they do not do the laundry around their home, according to the survey. Of those adults who do laundry, over 1 in 4 (27%) only consider themselves competent when it comes to the laundry. On the other hand, over 1 in 3 women (39%) said they are extremely competent in the same arena, demonstrating that women are still masters in the laundry room.

When it comes to purchasing a household appliance, men and women both agreed that performance was the element that is most important, aside from price. Yet, one in ten (11%) of males also said technology and the latest features were important aspects of the appliance purchasing decision. Fortunately, many of the latest products from the Maytag, Whirlpool and Amana brands include next-gen innovations and handy features to make household chores – no matter who's doing them – a breeze.

Power and performance – More men (54%) than women (37%) said they would pay more for quality and performance, generally speaking, when it comes to home appliances, demonstrating that a price cannot be put on long-lasting durability. The Performance Series laundry pair from Maytag brand features Maytag® Commercial Technology (MCT), long-lasting commercial-grade washer components, and a 10-year limited warranty on the motor and stainless steel wash basket.

Laundry 101 – New fabric care options and 33 specialized cycles on the new Whirlpool brand Vantage™ washer and dryer take the guesswork out of laundry. Coupled with a Stain Assist feature based on the expertise of the Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science, even a laundry novice can get the best results from their laundry appliances.

Affordable entertainment – Twenty-eight percent of men aged 18-34 said they don't do any entertaining that requires cooking. Amana brand may not be able to do the cooking for consumers, but it does make entertaining easier with the Quick Tap™ refrigerator, which features a three liter dispenser that holds favorite beverages, from ice water to iced tea to margaritas.

For more information about Whirlpool Corporation's portfolio of brands, visit www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Whirlpool Corporation from November 20-24, 2009 among 2,089 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact [email protected].

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $17 billion in 2009, 67,000 employees, and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world. Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com/.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation