Now You See It, Now You Don't!

TellZall's object for September is the Washboard.

Before people had electric washers, they used washboards to clean their laundry. A washboard has a wooden frame that holds a wavy metal piece in place. To get the laundry clean, you would put your clothes into a tub filled with water and soap. Then, you would rub the clothes (one at a time) on the wavy surface of the washboard to get the clothes as clean as possible and to remove any stains. You would periodically dip the clothing back into the tub of water and then continue rubbing. As you can imagine, it was a lot of work to clean your clothes with a washboard! Many people wore their clothes for more than one day before washing them, so there was not as much laundry to do as there is today. Still, it would take much of the day to get all of the laundry washed. Washing laundry by hand with a washboard was difficult, tiring work. By the time that you finished your washing, you would probably have a sore back and aching arms.

Because washing laundry was such a difficult job, inventors began looking for ways to make the process easier. In the second half of the nineteenth century, a number of hand-operated washing machines were built. These machines still required a significant amount of work on the part of the person doing the laundry. Washing machines became more popular after the first electric-powered washing machines were introduced to the public in the 1910s. Companies such as Maytag and Whirlpool first began making and selling electric washing machines at this time. Early washing machines still had some technical problems and could damage the clothes if the operator was not careful, but more and more improvements were made in the design over the next several decades.

Just because the washing machine had been invented, it did not mean that people stopped using washboards. The early washing machines were expensive. Although many middle-class families had electric washing machines in their homes by the 1920s and 1930s, most Americans could not afford to own one. They continued to do their laundry the "old-fashioned" way, using their washboards. Keep in mind that many Americans also did not have electricity at this time, especially if they lived in rural areas. There was no reason to own an electric washing machine if you did not have electricity!

The washboard companies faced a new challenge during World War II. During the war, Americans were asked to conserve materials like metal so that these resources could be used for the war effort. Since washboards had a metal scrubbing surface, the lack of metal available for the home front could be a problem. Businesses like the Columbus Washboard Company came up with an innovative solution. They used wavy molded glass instead of metal in their washboards, thus saving the washboard industry. Once the war was over, companies began producing metal washboards once again.

In addition to their practical use, washboards also became popular for another reason in the early twentieth century. In numerous communities along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, musical bands formed. The musicians did not have the money to buy expensive musical instruments, and so they became very creative. They looked for everyday items around their homes that could be used to make music. The musicians became known as "jug" bands, because they used jugs, spoons, and washboards to create their songs, along with whatever musical instruments were available. Jug bands were very popular in the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1960s, folk singers were interested in playing the songs of the early jug bands, but their popularity was short-lived. Within the past few years, people have once again become interested in jug bands.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, there were a number of companies that produced washboards. Demand was very high, and a company could sell millions of washboards each year. After all, everyone needs clean clothes! Because Americans no longer used washboards to do their laundry by the second half of the twentieth century, most of these companies went out of business. Today, there is only one business in the United States still making washboards. It is known as the Columbus Washboard Company, now located in Logan, Ohio. Although most people no longer use washboards to clean their clothes, washboards are still popular to use as decorations in homes and for craft projects. The Columbus Washboard Company hosts a Washboard Festival every summer in Logan.