Whether you’re someone who washes, dries, folds and puts
clothes away nearly every day or the sort who has a “needs washing” pile and a “could
be worn a few more times” pile somewhere in the house, you owe a lot to Nathaniel
Briggs and to people like him. March 28 1797, Nathaniel obtained the first washing
machine patent. His invention was a far cry from your Maytag. It involved a
tank into which you dumped dirty clothes, soap and hot water (after heating it,
likely on a wood stove). You’d agitate the wash by turning a lever, and wring
the water out of the clothes by running them between two rollers, one piece at
a time. His patent didn’t cover drying the clothes, but back then that would
mean hanging in the fresh air when the weather cooperated and near the fire when it didn't. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
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