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Innovation at Home

Washing Machine

From the earliest times, people have needed to find ways of cleaning their clothes. Before washing machines, laundry was done by hand. It was backbreaking work that would usually take a whole day every week and often required multiple members of the household to assist.

The idea of a machine to assist with this task has been evolving since 1767 and has come a long way from the simple ridged washboard designed by Jacob Schaffer.

There are some who argue that by reducing the amount of time required to be spent on laundry, washing machines were one of the key creations that enabled women to enter the workforce in large numbers in the 20th Century.

View Laundry Infographic

Key Events

  • 79 AD

    Roman times

    Romans use public laundries to wash domestic clothing

  • 1767

    The first ‘machine’

    Jacob Schaffer published his design for a hand operated washing machine

    1767

  • 1782

    Rotating drum

    Henry Sidgier created the designs for a rotating drum washing machine

  • 1890ish

    The Wringer

    Ellen Elgin invents the first mechanical wringer

    1890ish

  • 1900ish

    Mechanical machine

    Alva J Fisher invents the mechanical washing machine (several people filed patents around the same time but a fire at the US patents office means that no one knows who actually filed the first patent and Fisher is generally credited with the invention)

  • 1950s

    Affordability

    The twin tub washing machine became an affordable option for many households

    1950s

  • 1970s

    The machine goes mainstream

    Most Australian households were able to have a washing machine that could wash and wring out water in a single tub

UN Sustainable Development Goals

While washing machines have revolutionised the way in which we do laundry, they have also had some serious environmental impacts. These impacts include introducing phosphates to our waterways through laundry detergent that is added to the sewer system when it is drained from the washing machines.

Washing machines also use vast amounts of water. Even a small front loader uses around 70 litres of water per wash.

In addition to laundry detergent flowing into waterways when it leaves the washing machine, tiny microplastics from synthetic clothes (polyester and rayon for example) are also washed out. Although our waste water is usually treated before being released into the ocean, treatment plants are not able to remove these microplastics which are then consumed by ocean animals who eventually become poisoned by the plastics that they eat.

The concepts in the show also link to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 6 (Clean water & sanitation) and 11 (Sustainable cities and communities)

Challenge
  1. Design the washing machine of the future. What features will it have?
  2. How will you reduce the current impacts that washing machines have on the environment?
Resources

This episode was researched, written and edited by Melanie De Gioia

It was narrated by Rachel Brittliff & Melanie De Gioia

Extra voices came from the De Gioia kids, the Balak girls and Ashley Brinson.

Music was sourced by Melanie from Audio Jungle, YouTube, Podington Bear and Free Music Archive.

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