Comments on: Make Laundry Day a Happy Day

By: Sandra

Sandra — Sat, 13 Jun 2015 15:12:08 +0000

Mary — Your comment points out how very recent (in historical terms) the washing machine and other labor saving machinery is. And also how suddenly and perhaps unnecessarily they raised the cleanliness bar. Thanks for sharing!

By: Sandra

Sandra — Sat, 13 Jun 2015 15:10:25 +0000

In reply to David Hammes.

David — Thank you for sharing the information about Hans Rosling’s work. It isn’t just the washing machine. It’s the time we have for other activities when we’re not chopping wood, hauling water, and doing laundry by hand. The things we take for granted are often the ones most important to our lives. Thanks for commenting.

By: Mary Harada

Mary Harada — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 00:44:37 +0000

wonderful article – I have my paternal grandmother’s diaries in which she makes comments about doing the laundry – making soap, heating the water in a tub on the stove, hauling the water outside etc. Her five oldest children were boys so they were enlisted in the laundry effort. When the girls were old enough they had to help as well.
I am sure it was well after the invention of the first electric washing machines that it became a habit to change clothes and bedding much more often.
As for the Jeans and the freezer – new one for me – usually I do not have enough room in the freezer for my jeans so I think I will wash them on occasion.

By: David Hammes

David Hammes — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 18:33:35 +0000

Hi Sandra,
You are as interesting and provocative as ever!

For a complementary view with some neat video (esp. by Hans Rosling, a world health expert) see:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/12/02/hans-rosling-and-ha-joon-chang-agree-the-washing-machine-is-a-more-important-invention-than-the-internet/

Also: really worthwhile (and short), Rosling’s: “200 Countries, 200 Years in 4 Minutes”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbkSRLYSojo

Best,

David