What an invention: The Washing Machine

Back in the old days, housework was very hard, because there was no water or electricity in houses, so one of the most difficult household activities was washing clothes. People took their dirty clothes to the river once or twice a week, and they used rocks, sand and water to clean them.

For many years, people tried to find easier ways to wash their clothes. Sailors, for example, put their clothes in bags and threw them into the sea. It worked quite well, because the moving water helped.

Jacob Schaffer was a German who invented the first simple washing machine in 1767, but it was difficult to use. The water was cold, so people warmed it on a fire. Then, John Turnbull, a Canadian, invented the roller washing machine in 1843. In this machine, people pulled their clean and wet clothes through a special device to take out the water.

Alva John Fisher was an American engineer who invented the first electrical washing machine in 1901. He used metal tanks instead of wood in the machine. The electric washing machine was more useful because it could warm the water, but the clothes stayed totally wet at the end. People still needed a better one, so an American, John Chamberlain, invented the first automatic washing machine in 1937. This machine is nearly the same as the one we use today. It could wash, rinse and spin in one cycle. This machine changed our lives. Today, all the hard work is done for us while we sit and relax.