Washboard, 1840-1900

Before mechanized washing machines, doing laundry was perhaps a homemaker's least favorite job. The work began by heating gallons of water, often lugged to a waiting laundry tub. Next, the homemaker scrubbed the dirty clothes clean on textured washboards like this before rinsing and wringing clothes before hanging them to dry. The sometimes days-long process was backbreaking and time-consuming.