We regularly take for granted the use of washing machines. Most of us simply cannot fathom cleaning all of our modern clothing, towels, and bedding by hand. It’s incredible to think that less than a century ago, everything had to be hand-washed in a nearby body of water. Even then, the metal washboard wasn’t created until about 1833. Here is the history of laundry:
Laundry before machines
People in many ancient cultures used abrasive sands or rocks to rub their clothing clean before washing the dirt off in rivers or streams. The Romans created a primitive soap, resembling lye, with animal fat and ash from sacrifices. The most popular method of washing garments in colonial times was to boil them in a big pot or cauldron, lay them out flat, and beat them with a dolly. It wasn’t until around 1833 that the metal washboard, which many people connect with pioneer life, was created. Before that, the carved, ridged washing surface of washboards was also composed entirely of wood. Even after the Civil War, doing laundry was frequently a social activity, particularly where it was done near rivers, springs, and other bodies of water.
Decline of Hand washing
When businesses began to create steam-powered washing drums for commercial usage, hand washing was on the decline. The laundry would be sanitized with hot water as the drum was rotated over a heat source, such as an open fire. As Alva J. Fisher’s “Thor” was released in 1908, this idea was short-lived.
First electric power washer
The first electrically powered washer is thought to have been Thor. Thor was initially created by the Chicago-based Hurley Machine Company for commercial customers, but soon other businesses created their own versions for end users. Sales of electric washing machines in the United States reached 913,000 units by 1928. Sales were down during the Great Depression, which also led to an increase in communal laundromats. But by 1940, an electric washing machine was present in 60% of the 25 million wired houses in the United States. The first electric clothes dryer was created in the 1930s, but it wasn’t as popular as the washer since many people preferred to hang their clothes out to dry on a clothesline, something many people still do today.
Middling
Additionally, there were laundry services for “middling” class citizens. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were a variety of less expensive “send-out” laundry services, including laundries that brought both domestic laundry and linen from hotels and other establishments to a “hand-finished” standard. The upper classes continued to employ washerwomen and/or general servants. The simplest involved sending a bundle of soiled clothes to be washed somewhere, such as wet wash (US) and bag wash (UK). The low end of the market involved home ironing. In some regions, a lady with a box mangle would press garments and household linen for pennies a piece.
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