A History of the Modern Dryer

Modern Tumble Dryer

A History of the Modern Tumble Dryer

Nothing can put a wrench in your plans quite like opening the dryer to grab some clothes and realizing they are still damp. When your dryer is on the fritz, you realize how convenient they are to have in your home. The modern clothes dryer is actually a relatively new invention. Even by the mid-'50s, only about 10% of modern households had a clothes dryer in the home. Luckily, today, they are more affordable. Advances in manufacturing and electronics allow them to be made for far cheaper and the result is that most households have one. 

The First Dryers

The first dryers appeared around the 18th and 19th centuries. The invention was called a ventilator and consisted of a centrifuge powered by a hand crank. The metal canister that held the clothes was ventilated with holes and placed over an open fire. I would assume that this method of drying clothes out had to have been one where necessity drove the action seeing as the smoke and soot from the fire would leave the clothes smelling like they'd been burnt. Needless to say, no one really took credit for this invention.

George T. Sampson's Dryer

George T. Sampson of Dayton, Ohio was the first to patent a dryer in the United States. He improved upon the original ventilator design by adding a rack and enabling it to be used over a stove. Still not an ideal situation, but at least your clothes didn't smell like smoke. 

J. Ross Moore's Electric Dryer

Moore lived in North Dakota in the early 20th century and basically got tired of hanging up wet clothes during the frigid winters in his state. He built a shed and put an oven in there to heat the clothes while they dried. Over time, he developed the concept of the modern tumble dryer. He developed two types of automatic dryers; electric and gas. After a long search for a manufacturer, he found one that would produce and sell his invention in 1938. 

After World War 2, the modern dryer had been redesigned by several different companies and was gaining popularity, however, even by the '50s, they were still relatively expensive. In 1955, the average cost of an electric tumble dryer was 230 dollars. By today's standard, that is equal to approximately 2,200 dollars. Modern dryers only cost about 340 dollars on average in 2019. If you reverse the inflation calculation, 340 dollars now would be like 35 bucks in the 50s. It is always crazy to me to think of inflation in reverse. 

Dryers for Sale in Lubbock, TX

The House of Furniture has a wide variety of dryers from which you can choose for your home. If you are in need of a new dryer, they can help. With low prices and financing options, it can be pretty easy to get what you need and have flexible payments. There is no need to continue going to the laundromat or hanging your clothes out to dry if you don't want to. Click here to visit their website and see what they have to offer you!