How Cleaning Equipment Caused A Social Upheaval
Filed Under Culture and Society
There has been a recent revival in all things retro, and whilst dresses from the 1950s are popular once again with women, the cleaning methods are not. Modern cleaning equipment has helped the modern woman become more independent through offering labour saving ways of tackling housework, leaving more time to lead a life away from the home. We take a look at the differences between the role of a woman today and 70 years ago.
Before the 1950s, women generally stayed at home to look after the children and the home. Being a housewife involved the skills of just about every profession going; seamstress, cook, cleaner, nurse, gardener, childminder… the list is seemingly endless, as the daily chores must have been. Cleaning equipment of the day meant that clothes needed to be washed by hand with a washboard and wrung out with a mangle. Irons were warmed on the fire and wood had to be gathered for cooking on a wood burning stove.
After the Second World War, many things in the average household started to change, and electrical goods became commonplace. This revolution in the home led to a revolution in cleaning equipment, which in turn led to female independence. Labour saving cleaning equipment such as electric irons, washing machines and vacuum cleaners meant that chores could be done more easily and more quickly, allowing housewives the chance to use their time for other activities.
This time was used by some women to fight for equality by choosing education and embarking upon careers. This trend continues to this day, with modern women commonly working, looking after children and a household. There is some level of irony that the introduction of labour saving devices has in fact made the lives of women more hectic than ever, but there has also been an enormous shift in social roles.
Men are just as likely as women to be taking on the role of housekeeper and childminder whilst working as well. This brings us to the conclusion that cleaning equipment has inadvertently changed the lives of men just as much as it has women. This trend can even be seen in television adverts. The majority of cleaning products are now advertised by male figures, as it is meant to show that the product works so well and so quickly that even a man can get an incredibly dirty surface spotless. This not only highlights the social shift, but also the progress of cleaning products.
Dom Donaldson is a social expert.
Find out more about Cleaning Equipment at http://www.vipclean.co.uk
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