Since times immemorial people have been cleaning their clothing by scrubbing them with abrasive sands and thumping them on rocks, washing stains and dirt away in the local ponds and streams. There are many evidences found in different parts of the world which prove that ancient people used to make soaps by mixing ashes of sacrificed animals that contained fat along with other herbal ingredients.

The most primitive washing machines were in the form of scrub boards, of which the first sample was invented way back in 1797. It was in the year 1851 that an American named James King patented the first ever washing machine that was designed in the form of drum, showing much resemblance to modern washers, though it was used manually.

The first ever patented rotary washer was designed by Hamilton Smith in the year 1858. Later in the year 1874, William Blackstone residing in Indiana designed a washer machine as birthday gift for his wife, which was capable of washing away dirt from clothing. This was perhaps the first washing machine that was designed for use at homes.

It was in the year 1907 that F.L. Maytag, the owner of Maytag Corporation, started in 1893, reputed for manufacturing farm equipments in Newton, Iowa introduced one tub washer made of wood. The huge demand of such washers encouraged Maytag to switch over his business and manufacture washing machines. Two years later, Schulthess Group began manufacturing their first ever washer machines.

The first ever washing machine which was electric powered was invented in 1908 by Fisher of Hurley Machine Co. of Chicago by the name Thor. The Thor washers had drum shaped galvanized tub and operated on electric motors. The company got the patent for manufacturing washers on commercial basis in the year 1910.

In the year 1911, Whirlpool Corporation, owned and founded by St. Joseph of Michigan, started launching their first ever electric powered wringer washers.

In the year 1949, Schulthess Group invented the punched card controlled washing machines, and after two years they launched the first ever automated washer machines. In 1978, the company introduced the first automatic machines engineered with microchips.

In the earlier times, washing machines served as gadgets for washing out dirt from clothing. Unlike the modern washers which come with capability of washing and drying up clothes in one single unit, these washers were designed for washing only. Taking into account the need for drying clothes, cloth dryers were invented as separate machines.

Way back in the 1800’s, cloth dryers were first launched in France and England. The basic kind of clothes dryer was the ventilator which was designed by French native named Pochon. This ventilator was built in the shape of barrel made of metal with holes in it which required to be turned by hand over fire to dry up clothes.

Later in 1892, George T Sampson invented the first ever patent clothes dryer that used the heat from stoves to dry clothing. Electrical clothes dryers evolved around 1915. The modern laundry washing machines come with exciting innovations such as electronic sensors that can automatically detect when clothes have dried up.

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Category: Home Management
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