The Washington Post reports:
Just a reminder.
Take laundry. It involved the “most physically demanding” household chore: hauling water. Before washers and dryers, “washing, boiling and rinsing a single load of laundry used about 50 gallons of water,” estimated an 1886 study. Housewives had to lug water from outside, often eight to 10 times a day.
We all know what happened. Primitive conditions gave way to modern amenities and technologies. In 1870, there were no homes with electricity, and few — if any — with indoor plumbing or central heating. By 1940, about 40 percent of homes had central heating, 60 percent had flush indoor toilets, 70 percent had running water and 80 percent had electricity.
