Modern washing machines have been around since the beginning of the 20th century.
Prior to this laundry was boiled in large kettles of soapy water, or was placed in a bag and dragged along behind a boat.
It is safe to say that doing a load of laundry was time consuming and was very hard on clothes.
In the mid-19th century, inventors began working on ways to streamline clothes washing and building mechanized ways of doing laundry.
The first electric washing machine, with a tub rotated by a motor, came onto the market in 1900.
The first oscillating washers hit stores in 1911.
Clothes had to be wrung dry by cranking clothes through a wringer, so manual labor was still involved.
By the 1950s, the washing machine as we know it, with timed cycles, spin dry and varied wash temperatures, came into being.
These developments made laundry much safer and easier, helping the washing machine industry to explode and become a fixture in every American home.
Before the advent of the modern washing machine, laundry took up a large part of the American homemaker's day.
The modern washing machine let her put the laundry in the machine with some soap, turn a few knobs and go on with her day while the machine did the rest for her.
The first clothes dryers were perforated metal drums that rotated over a fire, much like a spit.
This too was time consuming and took constant attention to avoid burning and scorching the clothes.
It was quicker than hanging clothes out to dry and allowed clothes to be dried quickly during the winter months.
Stove heated versions came about in the late 19th century, which made the process safer and soot-free.
In 1915, an electric version entered the market.
The first modern automatic clothes dryer followed in 1938.
Manufacturers introduced dryness sensors in 1959, which turned dryers off when the clothes were dry.
By this time, dryers had become much less expensive, making them a must-have item in every home along with a washing machine.
While it does not seem like appliances like the modern washer and dryer could affect history, they did.
Since housework took much less time, homemakers found themselves with time to spare.
They were able to enter the workforce without affecting their ability to keep house.
Women entered the workforce in large numbers during the 1950s and 60s.
When combined with the awareness of the inherent equality of all humankind promoted by civil rights movement, the stage was set for the women's rights movement.
If women had not been able to have it all, the spotless home, well educated children, career and identity outside the home...
the movement would have most likely stalled.