Many say that the automatic washing machine was more revolutionary than the Internet. And, of course, the arrival of this extraordinary invention radically changed life at home at the beginning of the 20th century and, above all, that of women.
For centuries, clothes had been washed by hand. Every day, the women had a date on the riverbank with large amounts of dirty clothes that they rubbed, banged against stones, rubbed and wrung. Over time, tables were created to make the process more comfortable… Either of these methods was slow and cumbersome. Once the houses had running water, the situation improved slightly, since it was not necessary to go to the spring or the river to wash.
But human ingenuity began to look for some tools that would make the washing process more comfortable and efficient. The year 1780 arrived and Robinson of Lancashire patented a machine for washing and wringing clothes. Two years later, in 1782, the Englishman Henry Sidgier created an artifact used manually, consisting of a wooden barrel and a crank. Until then, this system was the most advanced and the least harmful to clothing. In 1851, the American inventor James King patented a model equipped with a rotating drum. In 1858, the American manufacturer Hamilton Smith added a gear drum that allowed it to rotate in both directions to maximize the washing effect. In 1880, in the Ukraine, in an attempt to massify the washing and drying of clothes in Crimean hospitals, they created a machine that fulfilled the function of drying clothes at the same time that they were washed. The novelty of this design consisted of a roller system with which the garments were drained.
The first electric washing machine
Finally, in 1901, the American Alva J. Fisher -although some point to the also American Louis Goldenberg- created the first electric washing machine, the precursor of the one we use today. It consisted of a motor that rotated a metal drum. Its use became greater when electricity was no longer a privilege, but it still took a long time before it could be used by someone other than the wealthy.
In addition to the price, the first electric washing machines lost water quite easily, which is why they sometimes suffered short circuits. In 1910, Fisher managed to make the drum rotate on both sides and, in addition, he placed a door on it so that the water did not come out. Fisher’s washing machine was marketed by the Hurley Machine Company of Chicago and the Upton Machine Company, the forerunner of Whirlpool. Only at the end of World War II did the sale of washing machines take off.
In 1958, AEG (Compañía Eléctrica General), founded in 1897 by the German entrepreneur Emil Rathenau and always at the forefront of technology in different household products, launched Lavamat, the first automatic washing machine in the world -the German company was also pioneer in launching the first electric refrigerator in 1912-. This time it did achieve a massive presence in homes in much of the world, among other things because its costs were reduced and its price became affordable for many more pockets. From there, all companies launched to market the revolutionary invention.
The automatic washing machine arrives in Spain
The Spanish company Balay, founded in Zaragoza in 1947 and specialized at the time in the manufacture of radio transformers and ballasts for lighting, was the first to market automatic washing machines in Spain. It was in 1966. Balay -whose name comes from the first syllables of the surnames of the founders of the company, Esteban Bayona and José María Lairla- began its own production of household appliances and kitchen appliances between the 50s and 60s of the past century, consolidating itself as a leading brand in the Spanish market, especially in the washing range.
In those years, the star of the Balay washing machines was the Superautomatic T500 which, according to what was promoted in some newspapers of the time -such as ABC on 05/18/1967-, had “an unlimited number of programs and three rhythms. It performs: a prewash, one wash, five rinses and five spins at 650 revolutions per minute, the last five minutes, eliminating up to 80% of moisture in the clothes, that is, leaving them suitable for ironing.It is also noteworthy, among its qualities, the sterilization of their laundry”. Without a doubt, the most absolute revolution at that time for Spanish society.
The development of the washing machine throughout history has led to any technological advance in other fields being analyzed for its incorporation into the world of this appliance that we can no longer do without, or… who does not tremble when the washing machine breaks down? Right now there are them with drying functions, water consumption control, with electronic panels, with a detergent saving system, with more or less revolutions… The latest in technology: the Okömix (Oko=Eco) model from AEG , or the new Samsung AddWash range, with an extra door that allows you to insert the garments that you forgot to include in the laundry at any time during the washing cycle.
Facebook Comments
Disqus