In which year was the first domestic automatic washing machine introduced?

A washing machine is a home appliance used to wash laundry. The user adds laundry detergent which is sold in liquid or powder form to the wash water.

While documented evidence indicates that patents were issued in the late 17th century for washing machines, it was Bendix Home Appliances, a subsidiary of Arco, that introduced the first domestic automatic washing machine in 1937. Avco had licensed the name from Bendix Corporation, an otherwise unrelated company.

In appearance and mechanical details, this first machine was not unlike the front loading automatic washers produced today. Although it included many of today's basic features, the machine lacked any drum suspension and then had to be anchored to the floor to prevent 'walking'.

Because of the components required, the machine was also very expensive. Early automatic washing machines were usually connected to a water supply via temporary slip-on connectors to sink taps. Later, permanent connections to both the hot and cold water supplies became the norm. Many of the early automatic machines had coin-in-the-slot facilities and were installed in the basement laundry rooms of apartment houses.