I am absolutely astounded by the fact of washing machines. Don't you think that something that will open it's mouth to allow you to put dirty clothes in it is Amazing? And even more so: when you look in there after the spin cycle stops, those things that you put in dirty are Clean!!
I don't know how many people it took to think it up, and perfect all the processes it requires to complete the entire production from 'Open Sesame' to 'Wow' - but it is really remarkably impressive. Hats off to inventors, tinkerers, ponderers and engineers who keep muttering to themselves and scratching their heads. Going back into the basement workshop, or tool shed for one more try at solving the dilemma. Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, et al.
Especially when I consider that I my life time, women were devoting a whole day of their lives on a weekly basis to getting the family laundry done. From the energy sapping task of washing, to putting through a hand operated wringer, to hanging the cold clammy wet items out on the line to dry. Then bringing them in and wetting them again enough to iron the wrinkles out before wearing - to get dirty and start the process all over again. I can even remember seeing Real People (not re-enactors pretending to do the work, or a demonstration on a reproduction of a 'working farm') stirring clothing in a black pot over a wood fire in the yard, struggling to make a living, appearing to be 'stewing up a batch of clothing', before rinsing and hanging up to dry.
I can't remember the last time I had occasion to plug in my iron: I'd have been doing the work on a folded towel, as I don't even own an ironing board any more. And don't want to think about what life would be if everything we cover up with had to be ironed previous to wearing. At my house we would be wearing A Lot of wrinkles, and not just on our faces! I might own something I would not want to be seen in rough-dried, but it's not likely I would be embarrassed enough to fire up the iron before going out in public.
I remember my mom spending an entire Saturday, washing dozens of sets of clothes that came home stuffed in pillow case from the dorm., and ironing all those pants and shirts when my brother would come home on a weekend from college - prior to the era of drip-dry/permanent-press/wrinkle-free fabrics. I used to live with someone whose 'method' would be: pile up the clean stuff in the laundry basket, then give it a spritz of water, toss it back in the dryer to catch it before the timer goes off - that's 'wrinkle free' enough to show up at 8:30 for school. Clothes washer are amazing - and the time-saving modern convenience of clothes dryers is not far behind!
If you ever run out of something to be thankful for....include water piped into your house, along with electricity to run all those appliances we think we can't live without... and the resources to pay for those 'conveniences' that have weaseled their way into our lives and become necessities. And you might as well include the US Constitution...
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