Good Housekeeping’s greatest ever invention? The washing machine

IN an era that saw the invention of the television, the digital computer and the smartphone, one modest household appliance has an enduring popularity.

The washing machine has been voted the best domestic invention of the past 100 years by Good Housekeeping readers – with fridges and fridge-freezers also claiming a sizeable share of the vote. But the survey of 2,451 voters did find the internet has had the greatest influence on modern life.

Meanwhile, the Queen was picked as the number one female role model, securing 34 per cent in the magazine’s largest ever consumer survey, in celebration of its centenary. And 13 per cent of readers even said she had more influence on them than their own mothers and grandmothers. The poll also celebrated the culinary skills of Delia Smith, who beat Mary Berry and Jamie Oliver to be named Britain’s most influential cook.

Agatha Christie was voted Britain’s best author of the last 100 years, though a fifth of respondents couldn’t bear to pick their favourite writer.

Readers declared the 1980s the best decade to live in – just about – while a mere 1 per cent of respondents said it was the 2020s.

And on television, Strictly Come Dancing was picked as the most popular reality TV show, with 22 per cent saying they’d like to feature as contestants. The Great British Bake Off came second with just 9 per cent.

An overwhelming 91 per cent of readers said they believe women are better off today than they were 100 years ago, with most highlighting financial independence (87 per cent), birth control (86 per cent) and more education opportunities (84 per cent) as driving forces.

Editor-in-chief Gaby Huddart said: ‘We’re incredibly proud of Good Housekeeping’s 100-year heritage in the UK. This is the biggest consumer survey we’ve ever conducted into attitudes and our mission was to capture the key developments in British history, culture and the home, according to British women.’