Washing your clothes today may seem like a chore that takes more time than its worth. You spend hours washing and then drying and then there is the dreaded folding. Well, a look into the past may give you a new appreciation of today’s washers and dryers.
Washing clothes has always been a necessity but how you did it has evolved considerably over time. For instance, urine was once used as a spot remover! And lye was the detergent of choice. Prior to that you simply beat your dirty clothes on a rock and then rinsed them in a river. When the washing board came around it was a miraculous invention!
In the 1800’s the rudimentary washing machine was invented. There were a couple of different ones that involved a hand crank and a washing tub. Less work than before, but still not easy. It was not until the dawn of electricity that the modern washing machine was born. Electric motor-driven wringer washers to be exact.
Since then, washing machines have become more proficient. Modern machines use less water and are more energy saving. What once took a group of people and several days to do now only takes a few hours. (Even less if you utilize pickup and delivery options at your local laundromat.) So, while doing laundry may not be your favorite thing to do, it is definitely better than it used to be!
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