In 1955, the average price of a clothes dryer was $230, which translates to about $1,600 today. That’s why only about ten percent of homes had one at the time; Now the average cost of a dryer is around $300.
The clothes dryer was made in England at the end of the 18th century. These machines were actually called “fans” in the past. These units were huge drums made of metal and had small holes for ventilation, were powered by a hand crank, and were used over a fire. This created a strong smoky smell on the clothes, and the clothes would get covered in soot and catch fire quite often. In 1892, George Sampson devised a better type of dryer that had a shelf and used heat from a stove.
The first electric dryer was invented by J. Ross Moore. He built a shed, installed a stove, and hung clothes inside the shed to dry. Over a span of thirty years, Moore created his idea for an automatic dryer. He built a drum style model that worked. He created a gasoline and electric model, but the problem was that he needed a manufacturer to produce them due to financial difficulties. He finally made a deal with the Hamilton Manufacturing Company after several rejections. This new automatic clothes dryer was named “June Day” and was put on the market in 1938.
During the 1940s, the tumble dryer grew in popularity. After World War II, the Hamilton Manufacturing Company sold more than 60,000 dryers a year. Whirlpool began marketing a gas dryer in 1955, claiming that it cut drying time in half compared to normal speed dryers due to the increased gas output and increased airflow.
Many improvements were made to this early model of dryers beginning in 1946 with the move of the controls to the front of the dryer. A timer, damp air exhaust, temperature controls, and a cool down cycle have been added. In 1959, dryness sensors were first installed to turn off power once the laundry load was dry. In 1965 they added a permanent press cycle, and in 1972 they added electric start controls to gas dryers. Delay start timers were added in 1983, and dryers with instructions, manuals, and consoles in Spanish were offered in 1985. Today’s dryers are still getting better, we now have many different options for drying our clothes and some interfaces are now completely electronic.
In short, I hope this article has helped you learn a little more about the history of the clothes dryer.