The Main Household Item: How the Washing Machine Has Evolved Over 100 Years

Today, you just toss your laundry, add detergent, press the right buttons, and go about your business. In the past, you had to manually operate and maintain the machine, and also protect your hair—could get caught in the spin cycle! We tell you how this familiar appliance evolved over more than a hundred years.

1900s

The first prototypes of modern washing machines appeared in America. Simple devices in the form of wooden tubs with cylindrical drums were filled with laundry and clothes, then soaked in soapy water and manually rotated. Excess water was wrung out by hand rollers—this too had to be done manually.

To wash all the clothes in the house with such a machine required enormous effort and nerves, so at that time housewives often used public laundromats or hired laundry workers if they could afford it.

1910s

In 1908, an engineer from Chicago, Alva Fisher, invented a washing machine with an electric motor. Two years later, the Hurley Machine Co. began mass production under the ambitious name Thor.

The wooden drum inside the unit rotated eight times in each direction, and no longer required manual spinning—just pull the handle at the bottom of the machine like in a car.

However, all mechanisms inside were exposed—imagine how much noise it made. It was also unsafe: the hand rollers often injured fingers, and once they even caught a girl's hair while helping her mother wash (luckily, she only ended up with a scar on her head).

Nonetheless, Mr. Fisher's invention became part of history as a new class of electric household appliances, because it made the laundry process easier for housewives, which previously required tremendous effort and time.

1920s

By this time, over a thousand companies in the U.S. were producing washing machines—new technology was in demand. Within ten years of Thor’s release, the number of laundry workers and domestic staff in American homes significantly decreased, and according to sociologists, laundry returned from public laundromats back into the home.

1923 Year. Appliance Store, USA. Right in the Center - Washing Machine

Washing machine designs became more advanced: wooden tubs lined with copper sheets were phased out and replaced by enamel-coated steel tanks. However, safety concerns remained low—the internal parts of washing machines were still exposed.

One of the first to hide them in a plastic casing was Whirlpool. They also ensured spin rollers only rotated in one direction to prevent injuries.

1930s

Washing machines became cheaper and more accessible, and started being sold in Europe as well as the U.S. Machines began to feature electric pumps and mechanical timers—housewives could now set a wash cycle duration. The first tumble dryers appeared, but they were still extremely expensive.

The Great Depression reduced demand for household appliances among ordinary Americans, and housewives once again turned to public laundromats. In 1937, the first laundromat or self-service laundry opened, where each stage of the process—from washing to drying—was handled by the customer themselves.

1930s. In a Public Laundry

1940s

By the end of the 1940s, two American companies—Bendix Corporation and General Electric—announced the launch of the first fully automatic washing machine, which washes, rinses, and wrings out water in one cycle.

No more human effort required: the program starts the machine, pressure relays and electromagnetic valves shut off water supply after filling the tub, a thermostat controls water temperature, and a timer manages runtime.

1950s

At the beginning of the 1950s, washing machines gained a new feature—programmed cycles tailored to different types of laundry. The function previously performed by hand rollers was now handled by an automated spin cycle—a centrifuge.

Automated washing machines were first adopted in Europe. There, drum-type machines were preferred over the agitation-type washers common in the U.S., which featured a built-in shaft with paddles inside the tub.

In the USSR, there were no advanced models available. The first Soviet washing machines were produced in Riga, Kirov, and Cheboksary. Water had to be manually added and drained, and until the 1970s these were quite primitive machines. However, they had some advantages: for example, if any part broke down, it could be fixed by the user.

1970s

The first Soviet automatic washing machine, the "Vyatka-Automatic," appeared at the end of the 1970s. A close copy of Ariston machines, it was produced in Kirov under license from an Italian company. However, it was soon discontinued due to electrical wiring issues—the power supply wasn’t sufficient for the machine. The improved and refined model, the "Vyatka-12" (where 12 refers to the number of wash programs), was released in 1980.

Washing Machine Advertising in the USSR vs. the United States in the 1970s

In the U.S., meanwhile, engineers were developing washing machines based on microprocessors and implementing innovations aimed at reducing water consumption and electricity usage during washing.

1990s

American engineers developed a control system for washing machines using