Laundry Day in Michigan, 1800s-1930s
Yeah, laundry.
You heard me.
LAUNDRY.
If you are a responsible human being, you have done it.
If you are an irresponsible human being, you wait for someone else to do it.
If you have an extremely comfortable income, you send your laundry out to professional cleaners to get it done for you.
You've seen the ads on TV:
“Springtime fresh with a hint of lemon”
“Makes colors brighter”
“Gets whites whiter”
“Gets clothes cleaner than the other leading brands”
“New and improved”
“Now with power crystals”
”Added with BR-549”
“One cup is all you need”
“Stronger than any dirt”
“Gentle for your baby”
You know the ones I mean. Let's face it – soap is soap, chemicals are chemicals, and dirt is inevitable. Whether you get your clothes clean is up to YOU, not some detergent. They're just there to help a little, but not completely.
Whatever kind of BS-twist that ad agencies can come up with, you'll find 'em in a detergent commercial.
Whether you go to a laundromat, have your own washer, or beat your clothes on a rock – we've done it. And we need to do it. It's been a part of our lives for centuries. Ever since the caveman used the cleaning power of saber-tooth tiger residue, we've put up with doing laundry. However, I'm not gonna go back THAT far.
What I did do is gather up a whole bunch of photos showing some of Michigan's old laundry wagons, trucks, and laundries, with a good bunch of old laundry soaps and detergents you may – or may not – remember.
I had fun lookin' these up...I hope you enjoy the gallery as well.....
Who would've thought something so everyday-boring could be so interesting?
Vintage Laundry Stuff
MORE MICHIGAN STUFF!