If you're a husband who wants to keep your wife happy, you don't have to spend a fortune on diamonds, spa treatments and exotic vacations; just pitch in and help with the housework!

Scientists found that husbands who vacuum the carpets, wash the dishes and perform other household chores have happier wives.

Research involving more than 1,600 couples shows that wives without helping hubbies were 1.6 times more likely to be distressed, 2.9 times more likely to be uncomfortable with their spouse, and 2.7 times more likely to be unhappy.

But even those figures don't seem to be enough impetus for the man of the house to learn how the washing machine works. About 70 % of the couples surveyed said that the woman was solely responsible for the housework, according to the report.