Dubl-Handi

Manufacturer Columbus Washboard Co. (American (Columbus, OH), founded 1895)

MediumWood and Metal

ClassificationsHousehold, Kitchen, Miscellaneous

Credit LineGift of Wallace P. Wetzel. In the Farm House Museum Collection, Farm House Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object number74.22.17

Status

On view

Collections

CultureAmerican

Label TextWashing clothes with a washboard was a common household chore throughout the Victorian era. Stephen Rust of Manlius, NY, received the first U.S. patent for a metal washboard on February 9, 1833, featuring a wood frame holding a fluted piece of tin, zinc, iron, or copper, creating ridges to scrub clothes effectively, marking a key innovation in laundry tools. This patent introduced a significant improvement over earlier methods, paving the way for the widespread adoption of metal washboards. Clothes would be cleaned by dipping them in water, rubbing soap on them, scrubbing them against the rippled metal of the washboard, and repeated. Though effective, the process was physically demanding and often fell to women and children. This made the widespread adoption of the mechanical washing machine in the early 20th century very natural, quickly reducing the need for washboards, though they remained in use for decades in many homes. This specific washboard was produced by the Columbus Washboard Company, the only company in the United States which continues to manufacture washboards today. https://www.nps.gov/fosc/learn/education/laundress8.htm https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/only-one-factory-north-america-still-makes-washboards-they-are-flying-offshelves-180976194/

Locations