We at Arizona Tide Cleaners may not have been around during the washboard era of getting household laundry done, but suffice to say, we've traveled the world and are glad to live right here in America, where the washers and dryers have powerful large-load capacities.

A Timeline of Laundry-Washing: The Ancient Eras

Back in ancient history, civilizations developed and blossomed around water sources for innumerable reasons, including being a source for food, travel and health. Whether choosing to live next to lakes, rivers, streams or oceans, our ancestors knew they needed direct access to water for their day-to-day chores such as cooking and washing.

And so, with no cleaning agent (soap won't come around until the 19th century) and bare feet, they would trek to the nearest water source to do their laundry well before that was even a term. Large rocks, boulders, and trees would serve as their dryer.

The Romans Bring the Hygiene-or do they?

Romans were the first culture to have laundry services. And they upped the ante of the laundering process by washing togas in urine because it contains ammonia, which was a common cleaning agent of the time. They would hang clothes to dry in the street or over a basket with Sulphur or other organic products used as a whitening agent.

The Middle Ages: Not for the Faint of Hand and Lye

Moving on to the middle ages, the advent of growing cities precluded most people from hauling items one by one to a water source for a good washing. With population explosions came the invention of wooden washtubs.

And so, people refreshed their attire with a stick for beating, powerful lye for treating stains and soaking, a rudimentary washboard, and their hands. As you can imagine, this tedious process-often lasting days-left little room for completing it too often. It was common to undertake this laborious task every few weeks during this era and was a chore for the poorest of the poor.

The Industrial Revolution Brings Relief

During the industrial revolution, washtubs were upgraded to include more advanced washboards made of various materials such as wood, metal, and rubber. Some even included a mechanism to agitate via a handle. As washing became easier, and good hygiene popular, a variety of soaps were introduced, along with shortened washing schedules.

The Modern Era Makes Laundering a Cinch-Comparatively

Fast forward to the modern era, and people were happy to start using electric wash machines that were motor-generated in the early 1900s. It was the 1950s that brought with them the first automatic washers as we know them today. The next years brought a slew of upgrades such as spinning clothes dry, timers, different cycles, hot and cold water settings, and so much more.

Today, we don't hang laundry outside on trees. Without the need for wringing laundry dry or line-hanging due to the invention of the electronic dryer in 1938, it's no longer a multi-day ordeal. But, as advanced as modern washing machines are, laundry is still a headache and our least favorite chore.

Let Us Help Wash, Dry and Fold!

Modern washing machines have shortened the time it takes to do laundry, not completely eliminated the chore! Who wants to spend the free weekends doing laundry for the family? Lucky for you, Arizona Tide Cleaners is leading innovation in the laundry industry by taking laundry out of your hands and into ours with Wash and Fold services.

Imagine a world where you don-™t have to pay for large, noisy laundry machines, no separating piles of laundry, and no fighting children and spouses to help out. Imagine a world without folding laundry! Arizona Tide Cleaners Wash and Fold service can do it all.

Drop off your laundry, pick it up in 24 hours with your laundry totally cleaned AND folded, perfectly.

Leave the Middle Ages where they are, and let us help! Our Wash and Fold service is just for you. We'll follow your clothing tag instructions to a T, and meticulously fold each piece as it comes out of the dryer.

Let Arizona Tide Cleaners be the final stop on your timeline of laundry-washing.