Washing
Doing laundry used to be a difficult, time-consuming, and even dangerous task. Laundry was done outside in geothermal pools where the weather, boiling water, and distance from the home presented great difficulties. Today we simply toss a load of laundry into our washing machine. While we wait, we might enjoy a cup of coffee, just as they did in the past. We now also have the luxury of choosing what else we do while we wait for the laundry to finish. We can sit inside of our warm, geothermally heated homes and can dry the laundry regardless of the weather outside. The warm water used to hand wash laundry still comes from geothermal sources, while the water in washing machines is heated up for us by the machine itself.
Women doing laundry at the Laundry Pools in Laugardalur, taken around 1900. Notice the coffee kettle that the woman in the center of the photograph is holding, and the kettle and cups to the right side.
Today laundry is done indoors, and it is no longer a task marked by gender or class divisions.
Early Icelanders used geothermal waters to wash and bathe in, and this direct usage continued in one way or another until the 20th century. The most famous laundry location in Iceland is arguably the Laundry Pools in Laugardalur (Þvottalaugarnar).
The Laundry Pools in Laugardalur were used from the time of urban development in Reykjavík into the 20th century. The journey from Reykjavík to the laundry pools is roughly 3km. Before a road was built, the path was uneven, unlit, and crossed several streams that could become flooded in heavy rain. Laundry needed to be done year-round, even during the dark and freezing winter months. The work was done by women, often members of the lower-classes who worked as maids or washerwomen – or those who could not afford to hire someone to do their washing for them.
Women would have to carry the laundry on their backs, along with a bucket, washing paddle, washing board, soaps, a coffee kettle, cup, and food. Coffee was essential during the work, and they would use the hot water directly from the geothermal pools to make coffee in their kettle. During the winter months they would also need to bring a coat and candles, or something else to have light to do the laundry.
Women doing laundry at the Laundry Pools at Laugardalur, taken between 1902-1910. The cart in the center of the photo was used to carry laundry and supplies to the pools. You can see laundry drying in the background.
The work typically took 10-15 hours, plus the time it took to walk there and back. Women would often bring their children along for the day’s work.
In 1885, work began on building a proper road to the laundry pools. It took five years and when it was finished, it made carrying the laundry easier. Women could now use wheelbarrows, wagons, and bicycles to carry their loads. It was still expected that the women would do the work of carrying instead of attaching horses to carts or wagons. This treatment of women drew criticism from many, and organizations like Kvenfélagið (The Women’s Association) worked to lessen the labor of the washerwomen.
In addition to the hard physical labor, the boiling water of the laundry pools themselves was also dangerous. At least three women died after falling into the pools. In 1902, the city raised the pools and installed metal arches to prevent further accidents.
Women washing laundry at the Laundry Pools in Laugardalur, taken in 1906. You can see the metal arches installed by the city to prevent people from falling into the water.
In the early 20th century, usage of the laundry pools began to decrease, especially when Reykjavík began to get district heating and hot water access in the 1930s. As access to hot water and electricity grew, the use of the pools died out. Today the pools are mostly dry but have been restored to allow visitors to Laugardalur to see where the washerwomen worked – and follow in their footsteps by walking from the pools to downtown Reykjavík!
The wife of the local governor, her daughter, and a teacher working with the new washing machines, taken between 1961-1970 in the South of Iceland.
Today doing laundry in Iceland could not be easier. Washing machines are in every home or apartment block, and there are dry cleaners and laundromats. Instead of a full day’s work, we spend a minute gathering the clothes to throw them in the machine and start it up. Laundry today is also no longer the sole work of women, as everyone is expected to learn how to do laundry and contribute to household work.
Geothermal resources also make it easier to dry clothes – instead of having to hang them outside, some people drape the wet clothes over radiators to speed up the drying process.
Depending on where you are in the country, the hot water you use for hand washing may not be directly from a geothermal spring – but it is likely heated up in a geothermal power plant like the one in Hellisheiði. The hot water used in washing machines is simply heated up by the machine itself using electricity.
ON Power’s two geothermal power plants supply the capital region with roughly half of its hot water. Because the power plants are located in high-temperature fields, it is not possible to use this geothermal water directly because of the high mineral content. Instead, a heat exchanger is used, allowing the geothermal water to heat up cold groundwater. This heated up water is then sent to the capital.
Geothermal resources allow us to do laundry from the comfort of our own home whenever we like. We can also take long, hot showers and enjoy heated homes, streets, and sidewalks. The cost for hot water and heating is also incredibly low because of the use of these geothermal resources.
Iceland has come a long way from its relatively recent past, and we should be thankful that the quality of living has improved so drastically.