Washing paddle
Encyclopedia
The washing paddle is a hand tool made of wood
, shaped like baker's shovel, but with a much shorter handle used as grip
, which was used in the old days for hammering the clothes to wash
them, it was used to push out the dirt
by hammering the clothes against the washboard
, or against the existing flat slabs in the laundry
.
This was usually done at home or in the public laundry
. In the last case each woman had to carry with her the washboard
and the washing paddle to beat dirty clothes and lingerie to take the dirt out of them.
Women were going to the laundry
with their baskets full of dirty clothes, a little bench to protect their knees and a block of home made soap.
The paddle was used together with a washboard
, this one made from a rectangular wooden frame
with a series of reliefs or ripples, mounted inside, as a base to wash clothes (these reliefs could be woodden or metallic).
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, shaped like baker's shovel, but with a much shorter handle used as grip
Handle (grip)
A handle is a part of, or attachment to, an object that can be moved or used by hand. The design of each type of handle involves substantial ergonomic issues, even where these are dealt with intuitively or by following tradition...
, which was used in the old days for hammering the clothes to wash
Washing
Washing is one way of cleaning, namely with water and often some kind of soap or detergent. Washing is an essential part of good hygiene and health....
them, it was used to push out the dirt
Dirt
Dirt is unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin or possessions when they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include:* dust — a general powder of organic or mineral matter...
by hammering the clothes against the washboard
Washboard
A washboard is a tool designed for hand washing clothing. With mechanized cleaning of clothing becoming more common by the end of the 20th century, the washboard has become better known for its originally subsidiary use as a musical instrument....
, or against the existing flat slabs in the laundry
Laundry
Laundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
.
This was usually done at home or in the public laundry
Laundry
Laundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
. In the last case each woman had to carry with her the washboard
Washboard
A washboard is a tool designed for hand washing clothing. With mechanized cleaning of clothing becoming more common by the end of the 20th century, the washboard has become better known for its originally subsidiary use as a musical instrument....
and the washing paddle to beat dirty clothes and lingerie to take the dirt out of them.
Women were going to the laundry
Laundry
Laundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
with their baskets full of dirty clothes, a little bench to protect their knees and a block of home made soap.
The paddle was used together with a washboard
Washboard
A washboard is a tool designed for hand washing clothing. With mechanized cleaning of clothing becoming more common by the end of the 20th century, the washboard has become better known for its originally subsidiary use as a musical instrument....
, this one made from a rectangular wooden frame
Frame
A frame is a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction.Frame may also refer to:-Engineering & construction:* A-Frame, a basic structure designed to bear a load in a lightweight economical manner...
with a series of reliefs or ripples, mounted inside, as a base to wash clothes (these reliefs could be woodden or metallic).