These days, the laundromat is more of a novelty for some, while remaining a necessity for many. This was the beginning of an entirely new era in America, and the laundromat would maintain popularity until the 1950’s, when modern conveniences would become more accessible in the home. It was not until the 1930’s, when, during the Great Depression, the “ Wash-a-teria ” laundromat was first established in Fort Worth, Texas, that the cult of the laundromat officially began. Soon after, the race to design the most effective washing machine prototype came to a close when British designer Thomas Bradford created a more developed model, but ultimately it was Alva Fisher who invented the first efficient electric domestic washing machine to most closely resembles our machines of today. The primary difference between the two was that Hamilton Smith’s machine rotated. In 1851, James King invented a washing machine that used a drum to remove excess water, and in 1858, Hamilton Smith created a similar patented model. The adaptation of shared communal washbasins into public washhouses was the shift that finally established contemporary spaces dedicated to laundry.īy the 1900’s, the large-scale machines of earlier decades had been converted into early prototype washing machines. The other option was to use a shared communal washbasin, such as in the 1800’s, when a copper pot used to boil laundry over a fire was passed around the community. Large-scale machines were expensive and potentially hazardous, and the number of people who had access to these kinds of services was limited.īy the 1700’s, the average homemaker would walk to a local riverbank and use a scrub brush and soap, or even a little bit of ash, to help fabrics to feel like new. The creation of the first laundromat can be traced back to the early twentieth century in America, however collective public laundry systems actually date back to Roman times. Ancient public laundry houses, known as Roman Fullonica, were early examples of communal laundry services.Īlthough the evolution of clothes washing systems expanded over the centuries to include large-scale laundry machines capable of wringing excessive soap and water from fabrics, the task of doing one’s laundry remained a small scale and largely hand-operated affair. Without them, we would lose an important aspect of community. Like a modern day cultural anthropological study, the laundromat is a view onto a neighborhood and its people. Laundromats are also a fascinating window into local life.
It is a place where people go to refresh themselves, to outsource cleaning duties, and to help put their lives and their weeks in order. Laundry soap and cross-cultural exchangeĪccess to clean clothing has become a given for most people living in a modern, developed world, especially since it’s not unusual to have a washing machine, or even a dryer, installed in one’s home.īut for those living in big cities, where there is often not enough space to place machines in the home, the laundromat is a staple of life, just like the grocery store.Proust, madeleines, and the delicate cycle.Refresh your mind while you clean your socks.
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