Presented by Global Wellness Institute.

This content was produced for Electrolux by BBC StoryWorks as part of the In Pursuit of Wellness series presented by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI).

For more than 100 years, Electrolux, a global leader in household technology, has championed social change by designing appliances that aimed to liberate people from housework. As social expectations were changing, and more women were entering the workforce in the early 20th Century, they identified that housework was still demanding time and attention that fell disproportionately on women.

Led by founder Axel Wenner-Gren, and later by Eva Göthberg who headed the test kitchen in the 1940s, the Swedish brand’s philosophy has been to simplify and improve people’s lives through more intuitive and efficient design.

Electrolux introduced one of the earliest lightweight and portable vacuum cleaners suitable for the home in 1921 with the Model 5 – it was transformative for home care. Over the decades, the brand expanded its reach, becoming a global name in kitchen and laundry appliances. From fridges and ovens to washing machines and air purifiers, Electrolux has built a legacy on aiming to improve life at home.

While household work has been simplified significantly, in 2023 the average person in the US spent almost two hours on housework each day, while the average Briton spent more than two and a half hours daily. Around the world, from Australia to Norway, housework like cleaning, cooking and washing has historically more often been completed by women – with women in some countries like Italy taking on more than four hours of housework each day in the mid 20th Century. Today, it is still more often completed by women, although the gap has narrowed in recent years.

Today, Electrolux’s mission is to enable better living through thoughtfully-designed technology, human-centric innovation and Scandinavian design. This is informed by the brands Swedish values – togetherness, practicality, love and respect for nature, and an appreciation for premium simplicity that enhances wellbeing and makes daily life simpler. “I think good design can really help you to get the most out of your life and out of your home,” says Sara Hallin Sandström, design director and brand expression at Electrolux. “It can provide a sense of calm and inspiration. And if it’s done well it can enhance your wellbeing and your connection to the world and those around you.”

I think good design can really help you to get the most out of your life and out of your home. – Sara Hallinn Sandström, design director and brand expression at Electrolux

For Electrolux, wellness starts with the understanding that the home is its own ecosystem that should work in harmony. A central pillar of housework happens in the kitchen. By trying to reduce food waste, and promoting healthier eating habits their appliances, Electrolux say, empower people to live more consciously, comfortably and in tune with the environment.

“The kitchen is where you nourish your loved ones and your own body, it’s where you connect and share,” says Johanna Thorell, category marketing manager in Sweden, adding that the kitchen is the heart of the home, which is a big reason why people want to spend their money wisely in this room. “That is reflected in how we innovate our products. It’s about bringing solutions to ensure the experience using them is as effortless as possible.”

The company believes that a better home begins with appliances that save time, and effort, and promote a healthier lifestyle. “Our design process revolves around people,” says Hallin Sandström. “We know that it’s difficult to change human nature. Instead, we support change through human centric design and product innovation. By addressing pain points with resource saving features and default settings in our products we extend the life of clothes, while food retains nutrients for longer, and at the same time limiting the burden on the planet by reducing energy and water consumption.” SteamRefresh in Electrolux washing machines, for example, allows consumers to freshen their clothes with up to 96% less water.

Supporting a harmonious home can be made easier with smart tech. In the laundry room, Electrolux places a strong emphasis on user experience through its ‘Care’ focus area and app. “We must reach our customers in a way that’s easy for them, so the app is allowing us to do that,” says Elisa Stabon, head of product experience. “So many people around the world have their smartphone at hand, so if they can control their cycle, it makes it easy for them.”

The app features a SmartLeaf and CareMeter which shows the user visual information about the spin cycle, temperature, water use and energy use, so that they can make informed decisions about their washes. Electrolux’s app-integrated washing systems also give users real-time feedback and suggestions to help optimise every load. “The ability to trust that the machine adjusts things like cycle length, water and energy use – without requiring user input – gives people peace of mind,” Stabon adds. “And it makes what’s usually a dull task feel far more efficient.”

“People often don’t know that the air in their homes can actually be less clean than the air outside,” says Tanya Searle, head of product innovation wellbeing and small domestic appliances. “We’re focusing strongly on what we call multi-air treatment products – designed to offer total air care in one device.”

For me, home care is selfcare. It’s about creating a space that supports you without even thinking about it. – Sara Hallinn Sandström, design director and brand expression at Electrolux

As Electrolux looks to the future, the company continues to combine form and function. Its product development teams consider not just how appliances operate individually, but how they integrate with each other. That means collaborating across product categories, so fridges, cookers, and even freezers work together in a seamless ecosystem.

“For me, home care is selfcare. It’s about creating a space that supports you without even thinking about it,” says Hallin Sandström.

Electrolux’s connected appliances aim to reduce daily stress by learning user habits and automating decisions. “If you have access to our app, which tells you how the machine you’ve bought can be the most effective, version of itself, you’re in control,” says Tanya Searle. “It’s like decoding a language you otherwise wouldn’t have known. We make it simple and easy to learn and understand.”

Electrolux’s commitment to innovation is as much about the invisible gains – energy efficiency, air quality, saved time – as it is about performance. As homes evolve, so too will the tools designed to support the people living there. From the kitchen to the laundry room, o connected living, Electrolux’s vision is clear: to design for a better life.

“Design is not only about making things pretty,” says Hallin Sandström. “It is about making things meaningful for the people that are going to be using them.”

For the Better 2030
At the core of Electrolux’s sustainability ambition is the For the Better 2030 framework, which guides product innovation with three key focus areas: Taste, Care and Wellbeing.
Discover more.

Tom Astin
25 June 2025