Washing machine
machine which washes clothes automatically
A washing machine (laundry machine, clothes washer, or washer) is a machine designed to launder clothing. The term is mostly applied to machines that use water. Other ways of doing laundry include dry cleaning (which uses alternative cleaning fluids and is performed by specialist businesses) and ultrasonic cleaning.
Modern-day home appliances use electric power to automatically clean clothes. The user adds laundry detergent, which is sold in liquid, powder, or dehydrated sheet form, to the wash water. The machines are also found in commercial laundromats where customers pay-per-use.
Before the invention of washing machines and indoor plumbing, clothes had to be washed by hand in a multi-step process that often occupied an entire day of work, plus drying and ironing. The first English patent under the category of washing machines was issued in 1691. Electric washing machines were advertised and discussed in newspapers as early as 1904, and the first automatic washing machine was introduced in 1937. The spread of the washing machine has been seen to be a force behind the improvement of women's position in society, and has been compared to the contraceptive pill, abortion rights, and the refrigerator.
The public source identifies “Washing machine” as machine which washes clothes automatically. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Washing, machine and washes.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Washing machine”, the useful work is to connect “machine which washes clothes automatically” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q124441. The Library of Congress control number is sh85145333. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1691, 1904 and 1937.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Washing machine”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Washing machine primary sources, Washing machine archive and Washing research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Washing machine”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Washing machine” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.