Washing machines and ovens are younger, while other appliances last longer than ever

Although modern appliances are widely believed to be built for rupture, a groundbreaking Norwegian study shows that only washing machines and ovens have shorter lifespans than their predecessors — and changing consumer habits may be the real culprit.

Comprehensive research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) challenged the general perception of manufacturers’ intentionally designing products earlier, a practice called “planned obsolete.”

“Although people think of something, there is no evidence that product life is decreasing,” said Kamila Krych. “Many people think that the product is becoming more and more durable. But this work shows that no, it’s not entirely true.”

Krych’s research examines decades of data on large Norway household appliances, tracking them from their first introduction around 1950. For refrigerators, dishwashers, freezers and drum dryers, the lifespan has remained stable over the years.

However, two major appliances have sharply broken this pattern. The lifespan of washing machines has been reduced by 45%, from 19.2 to just 10.6 years. The oven showed a similar decline, with its lifespan decreased from 23.6 years to 14.3 years, a decrease of 39%.

“If a plan is outdated, or another single factor, we would expect all equipment to be trending the same. Instead, we found it only for washing machines and ovens,” Krych noted.

The research team has a deeper understanding of why these two appliances reverse the trend. For washing machines, the answer seems simple – the most important thing is not the calendar year, but the number of washing cycles the machine completes.

“It’s important for a washing machine that you run it often. And there’s already been a record of laundry habits changing,” Cridge explained. “People are doing laundry more often now than they used to.”

The study cites a 2003 study that found that in 1960, a Norwegian family of four was washing clothes every week. By 2000, the eight cycles per week had already been in March 8. This significant change in usage patterns makes wear on modern machines more likely explaining why they aren’t as many years as their predecessors.

The story of a decline in oven life is more complicated. Although ovens are historically very durable due to their simple design, research has found that about 40% of all ovens in Norway are discarded while still running – higher than other household appliances.

Another interesting pattern appears in the data. Kitchen utensils like refrigerators and dishwashers are fusing their lives – they all last about the same time, suggesting that people may replace them simultaneously during kitchen renovations.

“This is indirect evidence, but it shows the importance of kitchen renovation,” Krich said. “Now, we often integrate all of this equipment into our kitchen cabinets. And, because Norway is expensive, it is often easier to give up everything at once when you renovate your kitchen than to keep the oven longer, even if it still works.”

The changing role of the kitchen in Norwegian houses may also play a role. “There are many social science studies that we use kitchens now differently than in the past,” Cridge explained. “People often blend kitchens with living rooms. This means that the look of the kitchen is more important.”

These findings have a common impact on EU policymakers who have been focusing on product durability and maintenance incentives that reduce environmental impact. Although these are important goals, Krych recommends that social factors should also be considered.

“The lifespan of a product is not only about how long the product can last, but also about what people do to them,” she concluded.

The study is a “long-term lifelong trend in large appliances since the introduction of Norwegian households” in January’s Journal of Industrial Ecology. This study provides valuable insights into the product life cycle and challenges common assumptions that plan outdated in modern manufacturing.