When Was the Laundry Machine Invented
When was the laundry machine invented, and what was used before it? Love2Laundry has all the juicy information that’ll make your head spin.
Ever asked yourself, ‘when was the laundry machine invented’? Today, we are going to answer that question and take a quick dive into history. From how people used to wash their laundry to the first washing machine and its timeline.
At Love2Laundry, we don’t only offer you unbeatable laundry services, but we like to keep you up-to-date on everything to do with laundry. Learn how to get rid of that smell in your laundry machine, if you need to redo laundry if it rains, or how to wash your favourite clothes to make sure they last. If you want to take a deep dive into the world of laundry, we bust some laundry myths, find out where to get detergent sheets, see if you can do laundry after cataract surgery – there’s plenty to find out.
A Little Bit About Laundry Machines
A laundry machine, typically called a washing machine, is a device that we’re all familiar with by now. They typically work by throwing your (sorted) dirty clothes into the drum and adding your detergent of choice, pressing a few buttons, and leaving it to go.
The water and detergent agitate the dirt on the fabric and cause it to come loose before the clothes are put through a rinse cycle and spun to get rid of the excess water. Depending on whether you have a top load machine or a front load laundry machine, there will be minor differences in how it works, with top load machines having the benefit of being able to add clothes to the cycle mid-wash, which you cannot do with front load machines.
Some machines also have dryer components that allow the machine to be a washer-dryer, but most are simply washing machines with separate tumble dryers. These combination machines are yet another step forward with laundry machines, but they are not without their downfalls.
When Was the Laundry Machine Invented?
The laundry machine has a relatively short timeline compared to many other inventions. Before it came to be, people simply had to wash clothes by hand. How often they washed their clothes, on the other hand, varied a lot depending on things like culture, class, and income, with some people getting their garments washed every day while others only did it every few weeks.
With the invention of the modern washing machine, this process became much easier and quicker, and less involved as time went on – but when was the first laundry machine invented?
The First Laundry Machines
As you might expect, the first laundry machines were hand operated and nothing like those we have today. They consisted of a hand crank in a big wooden tub that would be filled with water, clothes, and soap. Women (because it was only seen as the woman’s responsibility), would then have to scrub the clothes with a washboard until they were clean.
The Invention of Mechanical Laundry Machines
The first mechanical laundry machine was invented by James King in 1859. This machine was drum-based and used water to agitate and remove dirt from clothes. Just a few years later in 1858, Hamilton Smith patented the same type of device, but this time a rotating version.
A decade later in 1868, a machine that resembles today’s models was invented by Thomas Bradford and became the new and improved way of doing your laundry.
The Rise of Automatic Laundry Machines
It wasn’t until 1937 when Bendix Home Appliances (Avco subsidiary) the first domestic automatic laundry machine was introduced to the world. This machine had many of the modern features we see today, but was nothing like the automatic machines we have today, and it wasn’t nearly as popular due to the steep price tag.
In 1952, General Electric came out with their first spin dryer, which also came with a hefty price tag. Since then, however, competition between different manufacturers has resulted in laundry machines constantly improving, but also growing smaller and less expensive to gain popularity.
No, there are machines available at a wide range of prices, sizes, and all kinds of features and models to choose from, showing just how successful laundry machines have become.
The Machines of Today Are a Miracle
Now, the time it takes for a laundry machine to do its thing is something that we can all appreciate, even if we don’t like doing laundry. But let’s face it – shoving your clothes in a machine, adding your detergent of choice, and pressing a few buttons is nothing short of a miracle compared to doing everything by hand.
While there are lots of households and communities that still prefer to do things by hand, it goes without saying that our busy, modern lifestyles don’t make this easy to do. Between work and needing the time to relax, no one has the time or willpower to spend their few free moments handling dirty clothes.
In fact, many of us hardly have the time to use a machine, or we just don’t have the necessary space and equipment. That’s where services like ours can swoop in and make your life that bit easier.
Let Love2Laundry Help
At Love2Laundry, we offer easy online services to help you take a load off in your easy life. Our app is perfect for anyone who wants to get their laundry done like Uber Eats so that they can spend more time doing what really matters. Drop your laundry off in Manchester or another one of our locations, or call us so that we can pick it up and get it back to you within 24 hours – no extra hassle.
If you want to use our renowned services, follow these simple steps and make your laundry life easier than ever before:
- Head to our website or app, and place your order. Your order includes a date and time you would like us to collect your items.
- We collect your items at the designated time.
- We clean your items, and can also dry and iron them, depending on the service you opt for.
- We return your items to you. Orders are always aimed to be delivered within 24 hours.
We’re proud of our sustainable laundry practices and have put in the effort to make our services better than the top dogs like Circuit Laundry. Our pickup services are reshaping lives, allowing you to spend more time doing what you love instead of spending hours on household chores.
Get in touch and get 25% off your first order as a new customer. Fresh clothes and neat laundry awaits!
Contact Love2Laundry for Laundry Services
Laundry machines play a pivotal part in today’s world, and they are what we rely on. Without them, we would be spending hours every week cleaning and managing laundry when we all have better things to do.
At Love2Laundry, we’re more than just a laundry service – we like to keep you informed, too. With laundry symbol cheat sheets and guides on everyday laundry problems like making your stinky laundry smell good, weight capacities, and if laundrettes are hygienic, among other things, so check those out if you’re interested!
If you think pick-up laundry services would be a good fit for you, why not give us a call to learn more through the phone number or email address below?
To answer the question ‘when was the laundry machine invented’, it all comes down to one thing – which one? Manual devices were created in the 1800s and the first mechanical machine was invented in 1851 before a rotary version came out in 1858. A washing machine that closely resembles the ones of today was then invented in 1868, and automatic machines came to be in 1937.
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