> worldview that it was women's "essential role in life to do laundry.

Of course that view would be wrong. But that doesn't negate the fact that laundray was usually done by women, was an important job to do, and was hugely time consuming. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with spending your life doing house work, it is just bad that women were denied other oppurunities.

Modern tech means that you can live alone and have a clean house, clean clothes, and regular meals without needing a servant.