Forget to Have and to Hold - Men and Women Take Vows to Load and Re-Fold When it...

Forget to Have and to Hold - Men and Women Take Vows to Load and Re-Fold When
it Comes to Chores

Whirlpool Corporation Survey Reveals Men and Women Have Differing Opinions
on Household Appliances

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Coast to coast, women
are raising their dish towels and men are wielding their mops and brooms in a
classic battle of the sexes. A recent survey commissioned by Whirlpool
Corporation (NYSE: WHR) reveals that men and women have varying thoughts on
taking care of their home, right down to their appliances.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040202/DETU004LOGO )

Prior research and public opinion show that men and women are wired
differently and nowhere is that more evident than in the home. For example,
when given the chance to make a new appliance purchase, men and women chose
different appliances. When asked if they could replace one appliance in the
home, 26 percent of males aged 35-44 said they would replace the refrigerator
while 24 percent of their female counterparts said they would replace the
dishwasher.

"Loads of laundry are being refolded and dishwashers reloaded because of
differing opinions between spouses," said Dr. Pepper Schwartz, chief
relationship expert for Perfectmatch.com and co-creator of the Duet
Compatibility System. "However, men are definitely starting to pay more
attention. When it comes to new technology, especially things that are modern,
cost-effective and ecologically friendly, men are tuned in - the Whirlpool
survey results revealed that 71 percent of males aged 35-44 know what high
efficiency (HE) means in terms of laundry appliances as compared to 54 percent
of females in the same age group."

The survey also found that 23 percent of males aged 18-34 said residue on
glasses was their biggest dishwasher performance issue, and 18 percent of
females in the same age group say unclean dishes after the cycle finishes are
their biggest gripe. One thing men and women can agree on - energy efficiency.
When asked what is most important with regard to appliance efficiency, the
majority of men and women (83 percent and 85 percent respectively) listed
energy over water or time as their top choice.

Based on the Duet Compatibility System, a proprietary system used on
Perfectmatch.com, men who seek variety and are high energy may find themselves
bored with routine chores, while women who like predictability and are risk
averse are most likely set in their folding ways. Duet analyzes key
personality elements which create highly compatible, long-term matches for
people who share complementary traits and values - which can be extremely
helpful when it comes to defining household roles.

While it's impossible to solve every household battle, appliance options from
the Maytag, Amana and Whirlpool brands include features that address common
gripes.

-- Resi-don't - Maytag(R) dishwashers with SteamClean option use
high-heat steam and temperature to reduce spots. In July, Maytag(R)
Jetclean(R) Plus dishwashers will offer an exclusive Silverware
Blast(TM) feature that ensures silverware and utensils come out clean
the first time, every time.
-- Technicolor Kitchen - Gone are refrigerators in shades of black and
white. Amana(R) brand combines design and affordability with new
models
in a variety of colors, textures and patterns including Midnight Blue
(reminiscent of a starry night), Green Tea (a minty green etched with
leaf pattern) and Red (a rich burgundy tone).

-- Wrinkles begone - the Whirlpool brand Fabric Freshener takes the ire
out
of ironing by steaming out wrinkles and odors in just over 30 minutes.
The portable product also saves time and money by reducing the need
for
trips to the dry cleaner.

To learn more about Whirlpool Corporation's portfolio of brands, please visit
www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris
Interactive via its QuickQuery(SM) online omnibus service on behalf of
Whirlpool Corporation between December 29 and 31, 2008, among 2,042 U.S.
adults aged 18 years and older. Results were weighted as needed for region,
age within gender, education, household income and race/ethnicity. Propensity
score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be
online. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full
methodology is available.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling,
are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to
quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error
associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and
response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris
Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All
that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different
probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates.
These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this
ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to
participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to
reflect the composition of the U.S. adult population. Because the sample is
based on those who agreed to be invited to participate in the Harris
Interactive online research panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error
can be calculated.

About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of
major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $19 billion, 70,000
employees, and 68 manufacturing and technology research centers around the
world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana,
Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly
every country around the world. Additional information about the company can
be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long
and rich history in multimodal research that is powered by our science and
technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris
Interactive serves clients globally through our North American, European and
Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more
information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation

Monica Teague of Whirlpool Corporation, +1-269-923-7405,
monica.teague@whirlpool.com; or Alyson Buck of Peppercom, +1-212-931-6122,
abuck@peppercom.com, for Whirlpool