Laundry in the 1800s was very different from how we clean our clothes today. With no washing machines or dryers, it was an incredibly labor-intensive and time-consuming task. Women spent entire days every week washing huge piles of dirty clothes, sheets, and towels for their families. Despite the drudgery, keeping clean linens was considered a matter of health and hygiene.
Washing Methods and Equipment
The process started by lugging buckets of water from wells or pumps to fill large metal washtubs. Typical washing equipment included:
Washboards
- Corrugated metal boards with ridges to help scrub out dirt
- Used with bar soap and raw elbow grease to scrub clothing
Wooden Wash Sticks
- Paddle-shaped batons to beat and plunge clothing
- Agitated the soap and water to loosen dirt
Fireplace or Wood Stove
- Boiled water in huge cauldrons for hot water washing
- Required chopping wood and stoking fires
Washtubs
- Big metal, ceramic or wooden tubs for soaking
- Filled and emptied by hand into the yard
The Step-by-Step Washing Process
Women woke at dawn on wash days to haul water and firewood. Washing occurred in an order based on how dirty the items were:
Whites
- Always washed first
- Sheets, shirts, socks
Colors
- Had to wash separately from whites
- Faded or ran otherwise
Delicates
- Light gowns, laces, etc.
- Hand-washed gently
They rubbed clothing against washboards for hours, changing the wash water as it became dirty. Some boil-washed whites to disinfect them. After soap scrubbing and soaking, they wrung out items by hand before hanging.
Equipment for Drying and Ironing
Clean wet laundry then hung for hours on:
Clotheslines
- Long ropes strung between trees and posts
Drying Racks
- Wooden racks set out in the sun
Once dry, some items pressed with heavy irons heated on the woodstove. This added a crisp, neat finish.
The Impact and Significance
Doing laundry was a full day task for women. They worked with primitive equipment and no modern conveniences. But clean fresh clothing helped 19th century people maintain health. And despite the heavy workload, women took great pride in keeping their families neatly dressed.
The Evolution of Laundry Technology
In the 1800s a few inventions started to modernize laundry:
Washing Machines
- James King patented the first washing machine design in 1851
- Turned a hand-crank to turn paddles in a tub
Electric Irons
- In 1882, Henry W. Seeley patented the electric iron
- Still had to be hand-filled with hot water or coal
Gas Dryers
- In the early 1900s, natural gas dryers debuted
- Dried clothes by blowing hot air through a drum
But these were isolated inventions that took decades to catch on. It wasn’t until the 1900s that electricity and appliances truly transformed laundry.
Laundry Detergents and Soaps
Women in the 19th century washed clothes using harsh soaps and compounds like:
Lye Soap
- Made from animal fat and lye
- Very abrasive and caustic
Soda Ash
- Early washing soda (sodium carbonate)
- Softened water to improve sudsing
Blueing
- Added bluing agents to whiten fabrics
- Early optical brighteners
These were very harsh on both skin and fabrics. It took fine soapmaking and modern chemistry to develop the versatile laundry products we know today.
The Significance of Laundry in Society
During the 19th century, laundry was incredibly labor-intensive women’s work. They toiled at their washtubs week after week to keep their families clean and healthy. But it also had great social significance:
Health and Hygiene
- Clean linens prevented disease transmission
- Led to infection control standards
Household Management
- Keeping clean homes was a source of pride
- Showed skill and industriousness
Women’s Work and Gender Roles
- Defined “women’s work” for decades after
- Shaped cultural roles and norms
Though today laundry is a simple chore, it was once hard work that shaped women’s lives. Modern conveniences have removed this drudgery, buttransformed society in the process.
References
Kelly, Sam. 2021. Laundry in the 19th Century: The History of Doing the Wash By Hand. Mankind Historical Digest.
Cox, Hillary. 2018. 19th Century Household Laundry: Methods, Chemicals, and Equipment. Textile History Online Journal.
Frederick, Martha. 2005. The Evolution of Laundry Technology in America. American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Thompson, Susan. 2017. Gender Norms and Women’s Work: The Cultural Signficance of Household Laundry. Feminist Studies Quarterly.
Laura has had an enthusiasm for laundry ever since she was a teenager experimenting with wash cycles. She went on study textile science in college before working in product testing.
Soon, Laura found friends and family constantly asking her laundry advice, realizing she had become an unofficial laundry guru. The questions kept coming in, so Laura decided to start sharing laundry tips online to help more people. The enthusiastic response led her start the blog “Laundry How”.
Now in her late thirties, Laura uses Laundry How to tackle all kinds of laundry topics – stains, fabric care, detergents, and more. She provides advice from both her studies and experience testing techniques out firsthand. Laura continues to grow an engaged community of laundry learners, feeling fulfilled empowering people to make laundry an easy, confidence-building ritual rather than a dreaded chore.