Getting It Done: 19th Century Laundry Equipment

 

1844 Patent for a washing machine
That never really caught on

Throughout the years there have been, literally, hundreds of different inventions created specifically to help with the "laundry problem." Some of these innovations never caught on and others have. Maybe it was because the object was too expensive, hard to ship, did not work, or perhaps the general population was not aware of it.

Let's face it, before social media, word traveled slowly. By the time a person in California heard about a new product being produced in Maine there was a good chance, by the time they got around to purchasing it, production of the object may have stopped.

So what's a poor laundress to do with all the wash? Or more specifically what equipment would she have had to do it with?

Masonry Stove

To start, a large copper or iron pot for boiling water would have been very handy. Copper was preferred over iron because its lighter and has less reactive properties that cause stains in clothing. This "boiling pot" tended to be heated over an open fire, on a hearth, or over even on a masonry stove.

The masonry stove, a short rectangular stove made primarily of brick, was used for heating water. Not everyone had one. Those who did, tended to keep it in a separate part of the house or in an outbuildings such as a wash house or summer kitchen. Typically it had a hole or holes cut into the top of it for the pot(s) to sit in.

Galvanized buckets and tubs were not commonly found stateside until after the American Civil War. Until after the war, bucks been made from wood, tin, canvas, or copper were used. Ideally they would not of had any metal loops or nails because they could stain or rip clothing. When it was time to do the laundry, the tubs often were set on a laundry bench to help make it a little easier on the backs of those who were doing the wash.



Laundry bat in action

Although the washboard, a tool used to scrub out stubborn stains, was invented in the 1700's it was not patented until the 1830's. This doesn't mean that variations were not around. During the mid-19th century they would have been made from wood and were used when the garment needed a stain scrubbed out. Because it tended to be rough on clothing and the hands of the person doing the scrubbing other tools, such as a stiff brush, often were used before resorting to the washboard.

The laundry bat or board has been around for centuries and was used to beat or agitate the clothing. It is most often depicted in drawings and paintings prior to the 1860's and did not tear up the hands of the washer as much.

 Victorian Working Women
by Rejlander, 1854 - 1856

Another tool sometimes used to agitate clothing was the laundry dolly. It was used to stir or keep the clothing moving around in the boiling process which is said to help get clothing cleaner. A laundry stick or laundry fork could also be used to do the same thing although a laundry stick can be used to lift the very hot laundry from the boiling water. This is a very handy tool in deed!

A cotton wash line was recommended for hanging the clothing on and wooden "line pegs" to keep the laundry in place on the line. Wooden drying racks could also be used to dry clothing if space was at a premium. They could be free standing or made they hung from the ceiling of a room usually above a hearth or stove.

Ironing boards of yester year did not fold as they do today. They came in different lengths, shapes, thicknesses and each had a specific job. The boards would have been covered with a cloth made from either wool or flannel to protect the clothing.


Ad from 1863-64 newspaper. Note the cost

So much can be said about irons and more will in a later post but for now know this; like ironing boards, there are many different types and each are used for a specific job. Irons prior to about the 1870's would have been cast as a whole piece.

You may have noticed one item missing from this list. It is not a mistake. I have left off the laundry
wringer on purpose. It was not widely used until after the civil war and wringing laundry out by hand would have been a more common practice. More on the "Clothes Washer with Wringer Rollers" later on.