# Preventative maintenance, who's more likely to do, by gender? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 5, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventative-maintenance-whos-more-likely-to-do-by-gender/687746 "2014-05-05T21:04:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventative-maintenance-whos-more-likely-to-do-by-gender/687746/1 "2014-05-05T21:04:53Z")
Just your opinion, since this is IMHO. I (female) do it and believe in it; the men I know could care less. Vehicles, homes, even their health. So are you in the “if it ain’t broke, Fahgettaboudit” camp? By gender please. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventative-maintenance-whos-more-likely-to-do-by-gender/687746/2 "2014-05-05T21:44:19Z")
Male. I do preventative maintenance most of the time when it will make a difference. That’s mostly the cars. For most of my house the preventative stage passed when I bought bought it. Since then it’s all been restoration work. Healthwise I didn’t do much, but I can say it would have been a good idea if I’d done more. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventative-maintenance-whos-more-likely-to-do-by-gender/687746/3 "2014-05-05T21:57:23Z")
i believe in preventative maintenance and non-abusive use of tools, equipment and machinery. most females i know don’t believe in preventative maintenance and non-abusive use of tools, equipment and machine. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventative-maintenance-whos-more-likely-to-do-by-gender/687746/4 "2014-05-06T07:02:21Z")
It does not vary by gender, but by training and personality. With many people, it isn’t so much that they don’t believe in preventive maintenance as that they don’t grok it; and as for the part about “keeping things clean is maintenance,” that counts as a hermetic mystery. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventative-maintenance-whos-more-likely-to-do-by-gender/687746/5 "2014-05-06T08:06:58Z")
Male. Please, don’t get my wife started… ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventative-maintenance-whos-more-likely-to-do-by-gender/687746/6 "2014-05-06T13:36:52Z")
You don’t maintain a preventative; you throw it away and, when necessary, buy another packet. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventative-maintenance-whos-more-likely-to-do-by-gender/687746/7 "2014-05-06T13:43:45Z")
Do regular doctor visits count as “preventative maintenance”? ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventative-maintenance-whos-more-likely-to-do-by-gender/687746/8 "2014-05-07T08:01:19Z")
> [@BlackKnight](#): > > Do regular doctor visits count as “preventative maintenance”? As a male, that was my first thought. When it involves machinery, I think men tend to lean toward more PM but women, from what I have read, see a doctor more often. I guess it comes down to priorities. Do you want a working lawn mower or a working body. I can buy a new lawn mower. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventative-maintenance-whos-more-likely-to-do-by-gender/687746/9 "2014-05-07T08:42:22Z")
One vote for preventative maintenance. I am female. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventative-maintenance-whos-more-likely-to-do-by-gender/687746/10 "2014-05-07T13:51:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Do regular doctor visits count as “preventative maintenance”? I was thinking along those lines. Like BP checks, routine screenings for skin cancer etc., and god help me, in my mind even flossing is preventative maintenance. I mean get the tree roots rotor-ed out of your mains once a year if you’re in an area where you should, get your car looked over at least once a year (belts, seals, brakes, etc) so you don’t get stranded. Wash the yard tools after you’ve used them. > [@](#): > > It does not vary by gender, but by training and personality I guess that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventative-maintenance-whos-more-likely-to-do-by-gender/687746/11 "2014-05-07T15:19:25Z")
Male. I do it, but then part of my career was as a facilities manager. I know what can happen when you [del]neglect[/del] “defer” things to some future date. Also, my wife was a commercial property manager, so between the two of us, things stay in pretty good shape.