The line graphs illustrate data from 1920 to 2019, showing the amount of time spent on housework per week and the percentage of households that owned three types of electrical appliances: the washing machine, refrigerator, and vacuum cleaner.
Overall, the number of hours spent on housework declined steadily over the entire period. Meanwhile, the percentage of families who owned electrical appliances increased significantly for all three items.
Specifically, the time dedicated to housework dropped from 50 hours per week in 1920 to 20 hours by 1960. This decline continued, though more gradually, reaching just 10 hours per week by 2019.
The trends for the three electrical appliances varied. The washing machine was the most widely owned appliance in 1920, at 40%, but it saw slower growth over time, finishing at around 73% in 2019. In contrast, refrigerator ownership climbed dramatically from 0% in 1920 to 100% by 1980, where it remained. Similarly, the vacuum cleaner showed a steady increase in popularity and also reached full ownership by 2000, maintaining that level through 2019.