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Long before mechanical washing machines existed, laundry was one of the most physically demanding domestic tasks, often occupying an entire day each week. Clothes were soaked, then beaten against stones or scrubbing boards to dislodge dirt, a method that also wore down fabric fibres over time. Soap, when available, was frequently homemade from animal fat and ash, producing a harsh cleaner that could irritate skin. Communal washing sites, such as riverbanks or public wash-houses, doubled as social spaces where women exchanged news while working. The introduction of hand-cranked and later electric washing machines in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries dramatically reduced the physical labour involved, though early machines still required manual wringing and multiple rinse cycles.