Domesticated Hubby

On the BBC website earlier this month, there was a feature about a Spanish designer who has designed a washing machine called "Your Turn", which will not let the same person use it twice in a row and claims to be the perfect solution for the woman who feels frustrated that she has to do all the house chores.

Husbands and partners who need a technological kick up the arse before they do their share of the housework is a disappointing representation of men. Two people live in a house, two people soil clothes, two people eat, use the toilet and shed dead skin cells that create dust, so why shouldn't two people share the responsibility for maintaining a tidy environment in which to live?

Learning how to iron a shirt has nothing to do with becoming a 'New Man' or releasing your feminine side, it is your shirt and you should be able to remove the creases quickly on a Monday morning - yes, you need to do the sleeves as well. Part of the responsibility for the education of these household skills should come from your parents, otherwise known as mum.

Her job should be to instil the idea that her son can do the chores too and make a future partner happy at finding such a multi-skilled husband. Before the happy partner arrives on the scene, it also makes living at university a great deal easier if a household of five guys can all clean the oven, without setting off the fire alarm.

In one student house, a friend had left some clothes in the washing machine when somebody came to remove the appliance. He walked in just after it had been unplugged and began to panic that he wouldn't be able to salvage his socks. The basic knowledge of which button to press isn't enough sometimes.

'Doing the laundry' carries the reputation of being highly dangerous, a minefield of possible mishaps and the dreaded red sock among the whites. Who has red socks anyway? These elementary errors are caused by a lack of planning, careful separation and by ignoring the labels. '40°', '60°', 'handwash only' and 'wash inside out' are not helpful suggestions, but your lifeline to ensure your clothes don't fray, fade or become pink.

There was once a time when schools would offer Home Economics courses. Students (girls) would learn the basics of life needed to become the quintessential happy housewife. These skills included how to open a bottle of wine to alleviate the daily boredom and how to prepare a three-course meal every night for their hardworking husband smelling of his secretary's perfume.

In my home, everything is shared equally. We both love cleanliness, although not quite a Monica from Friends psychosis. My wife is responsible for vacuuming, dusting and cooking at the weekends, while my duties include laundry, ironing and the remainder of the cooking. We share the wiping of worktops, emptying the bin, cleaning the oven and shopping, which all sounds very democratic. There are breakdowns in democracy when it comes to cleaning the toilet (too repulsive), sewing (too fiddly) and beating the rugs (too stupid), but the reward for my wife is a massage.

How much technological help does a man need these day with electric irons, self-cleaning ovens, powerful vacuum cleaners, hundreds of sprays and gels, dishwashers, multi-program washing machines and washing gloves that are available in large and the colour black? That reminds me, I must go and iron my apron…

P.S. When cleaning, don't forget to wipe the handle of the toilet - think about it.