Yes, that's what washing machines were like. We have always done laundry. Although washing clothes may seem simple to us now, the truth is that it has not always been that way. A little over a century ago it was an arduous task, since clothes were washed in rivers by stepping on them or hitting them with rocks to remove dirt. Washing boards were also used, which had a relief on the top against which clothes were rubbed to remove dirt.
Fortunately, those times have passed and now washing clothes is a task as simple as pressing a button and letting the washing machine do everything for us, including dosing the detergent . But washing machines evolved in all these years? We are going to tell you the exciting history of washing machines .
Article index
- The first washing machines in history
- Great technological advances in the history of washing machines
- Electronics take center stage in the history of washing machines
The first washing machines in history
The first machines used to wash clothes were ship paddles . It was not until the 15th century when the first prototypes appeared, designed by the inventor Jacopo Strada. In English patent, 'Washing and Wringing Machines', emerged In reality, it was an engine with various uses, such as washing clothes.
The first washing machine was not built until 1766 . Its inventor was the German Jacob C. Schäffer. It was a bathtub that used bleach and fuel to heat the water, using a simple roller system.
In 1797, the first 'steam washing machine' , designed by the American Nathaniel Briggs. This machine, called 'Clothes Washing', wrung and ironed the clothes through various rollers. It could be said that we were looking at the first washer-dryer in history.
The 19th century marked a revolution for washing machines, with tens of thousands of patents being registered. In 1850, the American James King created the first model with a rotating drum , which facilitated drying. Five years later Josee Johnson created a machine that allowed a short wash of about 20 shirts.
The first modern washing machine was born on July 1, 1874, when William Blackstone managed to considerably reduce its size. In this way, it began to become an essential device in many homes.
Great technological advances in the history of washing machines
Perhaps today we are very accustomed to great advances such as washing machines with i-DOS technology , which have an intelligent self-dosing system for detergent and fabric softener that acts depending on the load and the degree of dirt in the laundry, the silent EcoSilence motors or Being able to control our washing machine remotely thanks to Home Connect . But it was not always like this, we have not always been able to enjoy Bosch smart washing machines.
electric washing machine was created . It was in 1901, patented by Alva J. Fisher. This washing machine already included a door with two hinges that prevented water from escaping when the drum rotated. It also had a gearbox that rotated by itself and caused the drum to change its direction of rotation. This prevented the clothes from caking.
In 1937, the first washing machine was created capable of washing, rinsing and extracting water from clothes in the same use. automatic drying system emerged , thus giving birth to dryers .
first automatic top-loading washing machine was distributed . In the following years, machines with specific wringing programs, programmed cycles and automatic dispensers for fabric softeners emerged. Now we even have washing machines that self-regulate the use of detergent and fabric softener.
Electronics take center stage in the history of washing machines
Since the last third of the 20th century, the great advances in the field of washing machines have occurred in electronics . the first microprocessor chip was incorporated , which optimized times and use. RAM memory arrived . And in 1994 the first Energy Star qualified machine.
Since then, promoting energy efficiency has been one of the main fields of innovation in the history of washing machines. In 2008, for example, the University of Leeds designed a washing machine that only needed 250 ml of water for each wash. And since 2012, energy efficiency criteria have been incorporated into manufacturing, with washing machines being classified by their level of energy efficiency through their labeling. Specifically at Bosch we have the highest energy efficiency on the A+++ market, in our wide range of dryers, promoting efficient consumption and better care of your clothes.
Furthermore, in recent years a lot of emphasis has also been placed on connectivity . Thanks to Home Connect technology , we can connect our washing machine to our mobile phone and modify the settings, activate or deactivate our washing machine, etc.
In short, that's how they were... and that's how washing machines are. This is his big little story. What will 2020 bring us? What technological advances will we see?
Source: https://innovacionparatuvida.bosch-home.es/historia-de-las-lavadoras/