Long before technology sent socks into spin-dry purgatory, people were more resourceful, creating tools to efficiently accomplish even the most daunting housework.
One such tool is this wooden dowel which, over the years, has evolved into a two-piece dowel for attaching items to a wire. This is a significant improvement compared to the previous model which sent socks and other clothing to the wind, “a serious problem for washerwomen”.
Read on to learn more about this wooden tool!
Recently, a netizen found some small, two-legged wooden dowels and took to social media to ask for help identifying these items.
The Facebook post attracted a generation of nostalgic baby boomers, who gave the answer: “Old-fashioned clothespins.” [We used these to hang clean, wet clothes outside on the drying rack to dry in the sun and fresh air!
A wooden clothespin, also known as a clothespin, is a traditional household tool used to hang wet laundry on a clothesline to dry. Today, clothespins are typically made of two pieces of wood connected by a hinge at one end, with a spring mechanism that provides the tension needed to cling to the garment.
Antiquity
The history of wooden clothespins dates back to ancient times, when people used various methods to secure their laundry while it dried.
The first carved clothespins date back to ancient times and were very different from the wooden clothespins we know today. These early clothespins were typically handmade from natural materials such as wood, bone, or even stone, and often featured ornate patterns or designs.
The modern wooden clothespin, as we know it today, appeared in the 19th century to meet the growing need for a practical and effective tool for hanging laundry.
Early versions of the clothespins we know today were handmade from solid wood, often maple or birch, and featured a simple design consisting of two pieces of wood connected by a small spring or metal wire.
The evil of washerwomen and men
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