an investigation of domestic laundry in europe - habits ... - SIFO

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16An investigation into the domestic laundry habits in EuropeThe fight against dirt took place more or less at the same time in the differentcountries in Europe. War and peace and the fluctuations in the economymeant varying emphasis on this front, as well as varying progress in the field.From 1970 hygiene in Europe has reached the status of what Bourdieu [10]calls a doxa, i.e. it is no longer an issue but something everyone unconsciouslyendorses by acting according to the existing convention Bourdieu[10]. This could indicate that laundry is something people do without necessarilythinking too much about the hygienic aspects. Since the beginning ofthe 1970s the time spent doing ordinary housework has been reduced considerably.Even though the differences due to cultural tradition and economicdevelopment will show some variation among the countries of Europe, thereis reason to believe that the trend has been more or less the same everywhere.1.2 Why study laundry?The many elements involved in the laundering process indicate that the studyof laundry is important. How we handle our laundry influences many aspectsof society, both today and in the future. The effects on hygiene and healthhave already been mentioned; how we perceive and present ourselves in asocial context is another consideration. Another very important element is theconsumption of energy, water and chemical detergents. In recent years theenvironmental impact of human actions has been in constant focus, and manyefforts have been taken to restore a more sustainable development. The meansused are eco-labels and energy labels, in addition to legislation (for instanceregulating the content of detergents).The object of this study is to examine the present laundry habits, cleaningquality and the related hygiene situation in four European countries: Greece,the Netherlands, Norway and Spain. The countries involved were selectedbecause they have very different laundry patterns. A survey from A.I.S.E. [16]shows that consumers in Spain use the lowest mean washing temperature(33°C) and mainly traditional detergents. In the Netherlands, the mean washingtemperature is about the same as the mean European temperature (49°C)and the detergent used is mainly the compact type. Norway has the secondhighest mean washing temperature (53°C) and uses mostly a compact type ofdetergent. The highest mean washing temperature is in Greece (60°C), wheredetergents of the traditional type are mainly used.This project is divided into three main parts: a survey of laundry habits (chapter2), assessment of laundry performance (chapter 3) and assessment of hygi-
Summary 17enic quality (chapter 4). The last two chapters contain remarks regarding environmentalprotection, consumer care and safety related to hygiene and someguidelines for standardisation bodies (chapter 5). In chapter 6 suggestions aremade for future work in this field.
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Appendix ASurvey of domestic laundr
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Appendix A 1199. Which temperature
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Appendix A 1211.Working, in private
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Appendix BDeclaration detergentsGre
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Appendix B 125NorwayA) Omo Ultra Ta
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Appendix CSettings of the 15°C Was
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Appendix DSettings of the 30°C Was
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