Washing machines of the past: how were they made before their invention?

Doing the laundry is currently a matter of pressing a few buttons, but for most of human history, it was a multi-day, backbreaking labor. Before the electric washing machine, people relied on nature, chemistry, and specialized manual tools to keep their garments clean.

Here is a look at the “recipes” for cleanliness used by our ancestors before modern invention.

1. The Ancient Method: Rivers, Rocks, and “Human Power”

In the earliest days, laundry was a public, outdoor event that utilized the natural flow of water to carry away dirt and odors.

• The Agitation: Garments were soaked in rivers or streams. To loosen deep-seated dirt, people rubbed, twisted, or slapped fabric against flat rocks known as beetling-stones.

• The Tools: Heavy wooden implements called washing paddles or battling sticks were used to literally beat the dirt out of the fibers.

• The Chemistry: Early “detergents” were abrasive materials like sand, ashes, and animal fat.

2. The Roman Way: The “Fullery”

The Romans transformed laundry into a sophisticated professional industry led by workers called fullones (fullers).

• The “Vat” Method: Fullers stood in small tubs filled with water and alkaline chemicals—most famously human urine, which was collected from public restrooms for its high ammonia content.

• The Action: The fuller would trample the cloth underfoot (treading) to break down grease and stains.

• The Finishing: After treading, clothes were rinsed in clean water and often hung over a basket with burning sulfur to act as a whitening agent.

3. The Medieval “Great Wash”

By the Middle Ages, laundry had moved into communal settings like the lavoir (a roofed wash-house).

• The “Wash Copper”: Large metal cauldrons were used to boil water, as heat was discovered to be more effective than cold water at softening stains.

• The Dolly and the Posser: To avoid direct contact with boiling water, women used a washing dolly (a wooden stick with legs) or a posser (a plunger-like tool) to agitate the clothes inside deep wooden tubs.

• Handmade Soap: Cleansers were made from lye (extracted from wood ash) mixed with animal fat.

4. 19th-Century Innovations: The Mechanical Transition

Just before the electric motor changed everything, several mechanical “manual” machines emerged to reduce the physical toll of laundry.

• The Washboard: Developed in the 19th century, these corrugated metal or glass boards allowed for much more efficient scrubbing than a flat rock.

• The Mangle (Wringer): Invented to replace the exhaustion of hand-twisting, this device used two long rollers and a hand crank to squeeze excess water from wet garments.

• Early “Patent” Machines: These often looked like wooden barrels or tubs with a hand-operated metal crank that turned internal paddles or drums to mimic the motion of hand-scrubbing.

Historical Laundry Timeline Summary