Washing was done many centuries ago by placing the clothes in a tub of water, and then agitating them with a device called a `dolly'. This was a gadget which looked very similar to a milkmaids stool turned upside down and fixed on to the end of a stick. By 1860, the idea of putting clothes in a wooden box and turning them over by means of a handle was beginning to become more popular. In the 1880's, a man called Thomas Bradford began to build washing machines designed for the home. They consisted of everyday mangles, with an octagonal box made of wood underneath where the dirty clothes were positioned. A handle was manually operated to rotate the box, this technique continued to be used until around 1914, when electrical motors were utilised. The motors were fixed under the tub primarily, but this proved dangerous as water often dripped onto them and delivered nasty shocks to the user.
Modern washing machines operate very intelligently using on-board micro computers. As well as the washing drum which contains the clothes while washing, there is a high torque motor to rotate the drum and a water pump to fill the system. These machines are totally programmable for prewash, wash and spin sequences, a major convenience in the 90's home.
