The two charts illustrate the changes in the households who owned three types of electrical appliances in a country between 1920 and 2019, with the amount of time dedicated to domestic chores during the same period.
Overall, the growing popularity of electric appliances was accompanied by a decline in the number of hours dedicated to housework throughout the period. Additionally, by the end of the period, although nearly every dwelling owned a vacuum cleaner or a refrigerator, the percentage of washing machine owners was less substantial.
In 1920, while 30% and 40% of houses had vacuum cleaners and washing machines, respectively, the percentage of refrigerator owners was negligible. However, over the following decades, the proportion of refrigerator owners experienced a dramatic increase, peaking at 100% in 1980 and remaining at that level until the end of the period. Moreover, the figures for washing machine and vacuum cleaner ownership both saw steady increases until 1960, when the percentage vacuum cleaner ownership overtook that of washing machines at 70%. In the following years, while vacuum cleaners became available in every household, the percentage of washing machine owners fluctuated around its previous level.
With regard to domestic works, the number of hours they required decreased throughout the timeframe. At the beginning of the period, each household dedicated 50 hours per week to housework, but this number decreased rapidly over the following decades and reaching to nearly 15 hours in 1980. Despite a period of stabilisation, this figure declined further and by 2019, households required just over 10 hours of domestic work.