Until the 1960’s, dirty laundry was often mailed home by college students to be washed by parents. Modern laundry machines ended this practice, though, because it became a lot easier to wash clothes locally.
Have you ever wondered what happens to dirty clothes out in space? Astronauts on the International Space Station don’t have the option of doing laundry, so they eject their dirty garments into the atmosphere where they’re incinerated into dust.
In Switzerland, neighbors have to stick to a strict schedule that tells them when they can do their laundry in shared laundry rooms. Due to the number of neighbors, you might have to wait up to ten days for a free slot. Plus, Sundays are completely off-limits — both for using the washing machine and hanging clothes out to dry.
Mumbai, India, is home to Dhobi Ghat, the world’s largest outdoor laundry. Garments for schools, hospitals and personal use are all cleaned there.