How Much Housework Will You Get Stuck With?

How much time do women really spend on housework anymore?

A group of researchers recently compiled data going all the back to the 1960s to determine the amount of “time spent in food preparation, post-meal cleaning activities (e.g., dish-washing), clothing maintenance (e.g., laundry), and general housework” over the course of 45 years, from 1965 to 2010. They found that the number of hours spent per week declined over that period from an average of 25.7 to 13.3.

And the decrease is not just driven by women entering the workforce. Even among women who don’t work outside the home, time spent on these types of "home management" was cut almost exactly in half and was only 16.5 hours per week by 2010.

So what is driving this? Well, more household appliances, prepackaged food, and increasingl¥ efficient cleaning products may contribute. Or maybe women are just more distracted; researchers found that women spend an average of 25 percent more time in front of a screen than doing housework. I mean, I know which one I prefer. It may also be generational; the study reveals that women under 35 do less housework than other age group.

Or maybe it’s because men are now doing more housework. Maybe? Maybe? Hey, a girl can dream.