The Wringing Out The Future research, led by Gwyneth Howell of the University of Western Sydney canvassed the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of progressive women towards their careers, lifestyles, household management and

the environment and found that while women account for more than half of the Australian workforce, and some work as much as 70 hours per week, the workload between men and women at home remains largely one-sided.

"The research found that two out of three women want to excel at work, at home and also contribute to their local communities," Dr Howell said.

"Pushed for time, these women apply a 'get it done right the first time' attitude to everything they do."

The report highlighted the laundry as a prime example of where this attitude is applied, with 85 per cent of women refusing to relinquish the task; not trusting it to anyone else, even their partners.

"While some tasks can be delegated, most women prefer to keep the darlings out of the laundry to ensure that the job is done right the first time," Dr Howell said.

The report showed that working women are doing double the housework — compared with their partners — completing an average of 10 hours per week and taking the lead for 86 per cent of the laundry, 84 per cent of the cleaning, 71 per cent of household finances, 64 per cent of the cooking and a staggering 91 per cent of the parenting.

To manage household responsibilities, the majority of women employ smart rituals including; implementing a family roster, outsourcing the cleaning and purchasing time-saving appliances, such as a dishwasher.

The research also found women won't sacrifice on performance or compromise the environment and seek products that meet both clean and green requirements.

Results showed that:

¦ 85 per cent of women would prefer to do the laundry themselves to do it right the first time .