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Show Housework still housework Dishwashers, microwave ovens and other appliances do little to reduce re-duce the time spent on housework, according to a researcher with Utah State University. AND WHEN a wife takes a job outside the home, her husband and kids apparently don't pitch in and do more housework, says Jane McCullough, head of the home economics and consumer education educa-tion departmant at USU. "Most people say they buy ap pliances to save time," McCullough McCul-lough says. But a study of 210 two-parent, two-parent, two-child Utah families shows that most appliances cut housework time by an average of only three minutes a day. McCULLOUGH SAYS consumers consum-ers should compare the actual and anticipated benefits before purchasing pur-chasing any household appliances. The study, part of an 1 1-state regional re-gional research project by the U.S. Department of Agriculture involving involv-ing a total of 2,100 families, was supported by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station at USU. Results Re-sults of the Utah and regional studies stu-dies were similar. FINDINGS also indicate that wives still do most of the housework house-work when they are employed outside out-side the home. "The time-use data indicate husbands hus-bands and children of full-time em ployed wives and children contribute contri-bute no more to housework than, on average, those of full-time homemakers," McCullough says. EMPLOYED WIVES tend to spend less time on housework than full-time homemakers. To complete com-plete housework, some employed wives sleep less or spend less time on leisure activities. McCullough emphasizes that these figures are averages. "Some husbands do a great deal of housework house-work while others haven't yet picked pick-ed up a sock," she adds. SIMILAR research during the past 50 years has shown similar patterns: Improved or additional household equipment hasn't reduced re-duced the time spent on household chores. Appliances may make work easier, more pleasant or improve the product. The appliances that rlprrpnsp limp for household chores don't require constant attention, unlike a vacuum cleaner or sewing machine. EVN THESE appliances save relatively little time, however. For example, a microwave oven may mean less cooking time, but won't reduce food preparation and cleanup time, the chores that require re-quire the active attention of the cook. Husbands did spent about 50 percent more time on yard and garden gar-den chores when power lawn and garden equipment was available. Those were the only appliances associated with increased housework house-work time by husbands. |