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Kōrero: Washing, cleaning and personal hygiene

A woman and her washing machine, 1940

Image
A woman and her washing machine, 1940

In the 1930s cheaper electricity made electric appliances like washing machines more economical to use, and they became more common. This smiling young woman is demonstrating the 'Easy' brand of washing machine. Wringers could be dangerous to use, so no sensible person would put items through the wringer and look elsewhere as this woman (a model) is doing.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Auckland Council Libraries − Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau, Sir George Grey Special Collections

Reference: 34-BON-19

by Clifton Firth

Permission of Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Kerryn Pollock, Washing, cleaning and personal hygiene – Washing clothes, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/40783/a-woman-and-her-washing-machine-1940 (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Kerryn Pollock, i tāngia i te 1 February 2013.