Everyday occurrences in housework

These are just two moments among many where I'm proud to show family members that are willing to pitch in and help out.

Sweeping.
Cleaning dishes with the help of a dishwasher.

A dishwasher performs the equivalent of 225+ hours of labor per year compared with hand washing dishes. (from the energystar site sponsored by the government.) So how do I spend those extra hours? Write things like this blog for one thing. We have the equivalent of a house full of servants with modern technological conveniences from dishwashers to vacuum cleaners but we actually still spend a fair chunk of time on housework because standards in cleanliness and hygiene have risen as well as fashion.

(How many of us reading this blog really have just one outfit for summer and one outfit for winter to wear on Sundays? Yet we know of generations just before ours with an outfit for Sunday and maybe 2 or 3 outfits for school. So even fashion has contributed to the steady need for housework in cleaning, drying and occasionally ironing.) Ah...but I still like my washer and dryer and dishwasher and toaster and microwave and fridge and lights and heat and running water and etc, etc.....