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Ree-D staff conducted a survey on convenient home appliances, which was held in the summer of 2021, to announce the results and review them.
This time, we conducted a survey on home appliances that are useful for "saving time" to balance housework and work, and received 15 responses. Thank you to everyone who responded.
We gathered some very helpful opinions, and we'll share comments and results that resonated strongly with the Ree-D staff, who also balance housework and work.

1. Please tell us about the home appliances you currently use that help you save time on household chores. (Multiple answers allowed)

The number one item was the dishwasher (12 responses, 80%). 80% of respondents said they use one, indicating its widespread adoption in households. Even among Ree-D staff, it's an indispensable appliance, used 1-2 times a day. One staff member mentioned that they prepare two sets of dishes for their family (one for breakfast and one for dinner) to reduce the hassle of running the dishwasher multiple times. Even small household chores add up to a significant amount of time. That's a great idea!
　
The next most popular choice was a washing machine with a dryer (8 responses, 53.3%), but "gas clothes dryer" and "gas dryer" each received one response in the "Other (open-ended response)" category, bringing the total number of responses for clothes dryers to 10 (66.7%), indicating their high popularity.
Staff members from outside Hokkaido said that since moving to Hokkaido, their laundry dries sufficiently indoors, eliminating the problem of clothes not drying properly. However, considering the effort, time, and space required for drying, they concluded that a clothes dryer is still appealing.
When the topic of laundry came up, everyone shared stories about how they remembered to wash items they'd need the next day, like gym clothes, right before going to bed, but there wasn't enough time for them to dry! Everyone nodded in agreement, agreeing that dryers are really convenient in those situations.
　
The next item mentioned was robotic vacuum cleaners (7 mentions, 46.7%).
Because obstacles (chairs and toys) cannot be left on the floor, and it seems like it would be difficult to tidy up before using it, no staff members have used it yet. However, everyone is concerned about dust, and the fact that they don't have to vacuum themselves is appealing, and many people said they would like to use it eventually.
　
Automatic cooking pots, smart speakers, and tablet devices received roughly the same number of votes (4-5 votes). The Ree-D staff are also interested in automatic cooking pots, but no one has purchased one yet, and they're hoping someone will buy one soon and let them know what they think of it.
Under "Other (free response)," there was one response each for cordless vacuum cleaners and handheld vacuum cleaners. Staff members who use cordless vacuum cleaners said they couldn't go back to corded ones because of the convenience of being able to vacuum whenever they noticed something needed cleaning.　
　
In this question, we also asked about times when people felt the convenience. Responses included being able to do multiple household chores simultaneously and having more time with family because less time was spent solely on housework.
　

2. Of all the home appliances you use, if you had to choose just one item that you absolutely couldn't live without, which would it be?

The top spot went to washing machines with dryers (6 units, 40%), and including gas dryers, the total was 7 units (46.7%). It proudly took first place, beating out dishwashers.
Reasons given by those who chose a washing machine with a dryer included being able to wash items to be used the next day, not having to hang large items like sheets to dry, and eliminating common laundry problems such as dampness and wrinkles, which has improved family relationships.　
The runner-up, the dishwasher, was chosen for reasons such as preventing dry hands and for hygiene.
The main point about robot vacuum cleaners is that it's really nice to come home to a clean house. The time it takes to vacuum can be a concern, especially in apartment buildings, so a robot vacuum cleaner that cleans during the day seems like it would reduce those time constraints and psychological burdens.

3. Please tell us what home appliances you want to buy right now.

Robot vacuum cleaners came in first place (6 votes, 28.6%), followed by automatic cooking pots (4 votes, 19.0%).
In addition, we found that necessary home appliances vary depending on lifestyle, including hand blenders, air purifiers without humidifiers, and refrigerators with large freezer capacities.
　
At the end of the survey, we also asked for everyone's wishes and ideas, such as what kind of home appliances they would like to have or what kind of convenient items they know of. Among the things that people wished for was a "fully automatic bath cleaning system." Participants shared stories about their daily cleaning struggles, such as wanting to soak in the bathtub every day but finding it difficult or unpleasant to clean the bathroom daily.
Upon further investigation, it appears that a product similar to the fully automatic bath cleaning system we described already exists.
　
Regarding convenient items, comments included the use of rice cookers and pressure cookers, as well as the use of pre-cut vegetables. Staff members who are raising children agreed with these comments and added that blenders and choppers are very useful for making baby food, and that baby food bowls sold at 100-yen stores are convenient because they can be microwaved, sterilized, and dishwasher safe!^[1]*Specifications may vary depending on the manufacturer. Please check before purchasing or using.I was talking to

　
While reviewing the responses and comments we received from everyone, the three Ree-D staff members talked about various aspects of household chores, such as the daily struggle of planning meals and the fact that some household tasks that are fine between spouses are done with the concern of the opinions of parents and relatives.
　

I realized that there is diversity not only in the workplace but also among family members, in terms of position, generation, way of thinking, and values. Within that context, I was able to learn how everyone utilizes convenient home appliances.