BENTON HARBOR, Mich., June 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- It's no secret that parents often find laundry falling to the bottom of their to-do list. It is a seemingly never-ending chore, and one that the family is often hesitant to help with. New research indicates that "mess stress" can become especially challenging during summer months. With home entertaining peaking while our minds shift to relaxation, parents want to find ways to keep their home cleaner - especially the laundry room. As a leader in home care, Whirlpool brand is focused on helping families make the acts of cleaning, washing and cooking easier, so they can get back to what really matters.

A recent study, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Whirlpool brand, asked 2,000 U.S. parents with children aged 3-18 about home messes. The study revealed:

• Their homes on average only stay mess-free 17 minutes after being cleaned.
• Parents surveyed said there are currently six permanently stained clothes or surfaces in their home, and 25% of the respondents said clothing stains are the most frustrating to remove.

"Our research showed nearly 50% of respondents claim to do seven loads of laundry or more per week," said Shawn Ashby, laundry manager, Whirlpool brand. "To help families tackle that much laundry, they need flexibility and customization in their washing machine, like the Whirlpool Top Load Washer with 2 in 1 Removable Agitator, so that they can care for their clothes the way they want."

This industry-first washer enables consumers to customize any load of laundry by easily swapping the agitator post in or out. The agitator can take on the tough loads without being tough on clothes, and the impeller will allow for bulkier loads while still circulating clothes for a thorough clean. Consumers can skip adding detergent to every load for up to 20 loads with the Whirlpool® Load & Go™ Dispenser¹, use smart features to streamline the laundry routine via the Whirlpool® App² and use the Sanitize Cycle with Oxi that eliminates 99.9% of common household bacteria³. Additional features include a Pretreat Station and Deep Water Wash Option.

The study also revealed children can and are encouraged to help with household chores:

• Six to eight year-old children generate the most clutter, on average, but they are also the most likely to help with clean-up.
• Thirty-six percent of children load the dishwasher, 34% help clear dishes and 33% assist with meal prep.

By including children in household responsibilities, they can gain positive social, cognitive and physical benefits that will stay with them for the long-term, according to Richard Rende, Ph.D., developmental psychologist, researcher and educator. Dr. Rende's whitepaper published by Brown University – Chores: Why They Matter, How to Engage Children and Developmental Benefits – found that parents can start to engage their children in age-appropriate tasks to help foster a positive mindset around doing chores as early as the toddler stage. With everyone pitching in to make the household run smoothly, it can greatly improve the quality of family life.

"The way in which we do household chores is always changing, thanks to innovations making it easier and more efficient," said Nelly Martinez, senior manager, Whirlpool brand."Investing in smart appliances can help families streamline processes and give children an easy way to become involved such as scanning a frozen food label barcode to send cooking instructions straight to the smart range² or monitoring loads of laundry from a smartphone for their parents."

For more information on Whirlpool brand and getting children involved in chores, visit https://www.whirlpool.com/everydaycare/choreclub.

¹ Based on an 8-lb. load.
² Appliance must be set to remote enable. WiFi & App Required. Features subject to change. Details and privacy info at whirlpool.com/connect.
³ Bacteria tested were K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus.

About Whirlpool Brand
For more than one hundred years, Whirlpool brand has been inspired by how people care for their families. Whirlpool brand is designing home appliances that are focused on improving how families give and get the care they need with the latest technologies and innovations – whether that means most flexible refrigerator storage for all types of family needs, induction technology for efficient cooking and easier cleaning, or laundry pairs that allow you to customize the way you wash and offer the latest in connected technologies. Whirlpool brand created its Care Counts™ Laundry Program, through which the brand is committed to helping create educational equality by installing washers and dryers in schools to help remove one small but important barrier to attendance – access to clean clothes. Whirlpool brand is part of Whirlpool Corporation, the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances. For more information on Whirlpool, please visit whirlpool.com/everydaycare or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/whirlpoolusa or Twitter at @WhirlpoolUSA. Additional information about the company can be found at whirlpoolcorp.com.

SOURCE Whirlpool Brand