Nameless1 Posted September 12, 2005 Share Posted September 12, 2005 Since Monday is weekly housecleaning day around here, let's make today's question about something we all take for granted... What is the first pumped vacuum cleaner and when was it invented? Yes, there are historic links coming Tuesday if no one posts them first. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishMist Posted September 12, 2005 Share Posted September 12, 2005 40 THE VACUUM CLEANER, 1901 dirt not only makes carpets grubby, but sinks into the backing and cuts the fibres. The only way to get rid of this dirt was to hang the carpet up and give it a good beating a tiring and dirty business. It occurred to inventors a long time ago that the best solution was to suck the dirt up out of the carpet where it lay. The solution the vacuum cleaner began life as a much different machine from the trim 'Hoover' of today. It was actually a huge piece of equipment which arrived outside the house, hoses being put through windows to suck up the dirt! I found this on http//www.whom.co.uk/squelch/inventors.htm Carol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted September 12, 2005 Share Posted September 12, 2005 I have seen a picture of a "portable" machine that got dragged around the house and the housewife (maid?) pumped a handle up & down to create the vacuum to suction the dirt out of the carpet. The goddess of recycling, Patricia King, shows making one frm a disposable razor-head & a small empyt tube (such as toothpaste/ makeup/paint). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nameless1 Posted September 13, 2005 Author Share Posted September 13, 2005 Yeah, the date's actually kind of controversial, but the Vintage Vacuum Cleaner Museum gives 1865, for the mysterious Whirlwind. Lots of photos on that site... mid-19th century housekeeping devices and utilities were often further along than we expect, especially in cities. I was looking for a couple of good historic books that I remembered and found this one that I want to buy (sigh): The Bathroom, The Kitchen, and the Aesthetics of Waste (I'm doing Amazon links because they're an easy standard source. If you look at the code of the link, you'll see I'm not an affiliate or anything like that. Please do support your local independent bookseller!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted September 13, 2005 Share Posted September 13, 2005 Please do support your local independent bookseller!) AMEN as a former independent bokkseller who will spare you the grisly details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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