Have you ever stopped to think about the history of laundry? It’s not a subject that may come to mind often, but there are some fascinating things to be discovered. Take a look at this intriguing picture. It’s something from the past that was once used by millions, yet is hardly recognizable today. In fact, most people wouldn’t have a clue what it is.

If you haven’t guessed it already, this device is related to laundry. Laundry has been done for thousands of years, although the methods have evolved over time. In ancient times, people would haul their dirty clothes down to the river and beat them against rocks. It was a laborious task. But now, we simply throw our clothes into a machine and they’re clean within an hour!

The little device you see in these pictures actually made laundry easier. When you consider all the steps involved, from hauling water and boiling it, to washing, rinsing, wringing, and drying, doing laundry was quite the process. But this little tub revolutionized it all.

Although it may not look like much, this device did everything needed to get clothes cleaned. You would fill it with warm, soapy water and the more laundry you washed, the dirtier the water became. Once the clothes were washed, you could use clear water for rinsing. To remove excess water, you would roll the clothes between the rollers on top. Finally, the clothes would be hung on the line to dry. No doubt, doing laundry back then required some muscle.

Chances are, you’ve never used one of these old-fashioned laundry machines. But seeing this device may give you a newfound appreciation for your modern automatic machine. Next time you throw a load of laundry in, take a moment to consider the fascinating history behind it all.