From washboards to machines
Washing clothes by hand was once one of the hardest household jobs. People carried water, heated it over fires, scrubbed clothes on rocks or washboards, wrung them out by hand and hung them to dry. A family’s laundry could take a whole day every week. The washing machine saved enormous amounts of time and effort.
History of the washing machine
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| Ancient times | Clothes beaten on rocks in rivers |
| 1797 | Washboard patented |
| 1850s | Hand-cranked wooden washers with paddles or rollers |
| 1843 | John E. Turnbull of Saint John, New Brunswick, patents a washing machine with a wringer, one of the earliest |
| 1900s–1910s | First electric washing machines |
| 1930s–1940s | Automatic washers that fill, wash, rinse and spin |
| 1990s–2000s | High-efficiency washers that use much less water and energy |
| Today | Smart washers controlled by apps |
Early electric washers had exposed motors and wringers, rollers that squeezed water out of clothes. Wringers could catch fingers and hair, so they were dangerous.
How a washing machine works
A washer combines four things to clean clothes:
| Factor | Role |
|---|---|
| Water | Dissolves and carries away dirt |
| Detergent | Loosens oils and dirt |
| Motion | Rubs and moves clothes to knock dirt loose |
| Heat (sometimes) | Helps dissolve grease and kill germs |
The wash cycle
- Fill: valves let water into the drum.
- Wash: the machine moves the clothes through the soapy water.
- Drain: a pump removes dirty water.
- Rinse: clean water rinses out detergent.
- Spin: the drum spins very fast to remove water.
Top-loaders vs. front-loaders
| Top-loading | Front-loading | |
|---|---|---|
| How clothes move | An agitator twists back and forth, or an impeller swirls clothes | The drum tumbles clothes, lifting and dropping them |
| Water use | More (traditional models) | Less |
| Gentleness | Agitators can be rougher | Gentler |
| Spin speed | Usually slower | Usually faster |
How detergent works
Water alone doesn’t remove grease well, because oil and water don’t mix. Detergent molecules have two ends:
- a water-loving end (hydrophilic)
- an oil-loving end (hydrophobic)
The oil-loving ends grab onto grease, while the water-loving ends face the water. Detergent molecules surround grease droplets, forming tiny balls called micelles that wash away in the water.
Detergents also contain enzymes that break down stains like food, grass and blood.
The spin cycle
During the spin cycle, the drum spins at up to 1400 revolutions per minute. The clothes are pressed against the drum wall, but the water isn’t held in. It flies out through small holes, like water flung from a spinning umbrella.
We often describe the outward push as centrifugal force. In physics terms, the water simply keeps moving in a straight line (inertia) once nothing holds it, while the drum wall keeps pushing the clothes in a circle.
Energy and water use
Washing machines use water and energy, mostly to heat the water.
| Tip | Saves |
|---|---|
| Wash in cold water | Up to about 90% of a washer’s energy goes to heating water |
| Run full loads | Water and energy |
| Use a high-efficiency washer | High-efficiency models use much less water than older top-loaders |
| Air-dry clothes | Dryers use much more energy than washers |
Microfibres
Synthetic clothing like polyester and fleece sheds tiny plastic microfibres in the wash. These pass through water treatment plants into rivers, lakes and oceans. Filters for washing machines and laundry bags can catch many of them. Ontario researchers have studied microfibre filters to reduce pollution in the Great Lakes.
How washers changed life
| Change | Effect |
|---|---|
| Time saved | Laundry went from a full day of hard labour to a few minutes of work |
| Health | Cleaner clothes and less physical strain |
| Society | Freed time, especially for women, who traditionally did most laundry, contributing to more women entering paid work and education |
Some economists have argued that the washing machine changed society as much as the internet.
Common mistakes
- Using too much detergent. It can leave residue and damage high-efficiency washers.
- Thinking hot water is always needed. Cold water cleans most clothes well with modern detergents.
- Overloading the washer. Clothes need room to move.
Try it yourself
- Put a drop of oil in a jar of water and shake. Then add a few drops of dish soap and shake again. What changed?
- Spin a salad spinner with wet lettuce. Where does the water go? Relate it to the spin cycle.
- Read the care labels on five pieces of clothing and decide the best wash setting for each.
Quick recap
- Washing machines replaced hours of hard hand washing.
- Water, detergent, motion and heat work together to clean clothes.
- Detergent molecules surround grease so water can wash it away.
- The spin cycle removes water through fast spinning.
- Cold water, full loads and efficient washers save energy and water.