Long before washers and dryers turned laundry into a push-button chore, people relied on simple, clever tools to dry their clothes. And one of those tools—small, humble, and made of wood—has recently
For anyone who’s lost a sock to the wind, these early pegs might seem a little risky—and they were! In fact, in an 1853 patent, Vermont inventor David M. Smith described the new spring-loaded clothespin as a major improvement over the original. His updated design prevented the pin from being blown away, something he called “a serious evil to washerwomen.”
Clothespins, also called clothes pegs, have actually been around in some form for centuries. Ancient versions were handcrafted from wood, bone, or even stone, and sometimes featured decorative carvings. But the clothespins we know today—two wooden legs, a spring, and a pinch—became widely popular in the 19th and 20th centuries as laundry moved from rivers and rocks to backyard lines and wash tubs.
Over time, wooden pins gave way to colorful plastic ones, but many still swear by the old wooden kind. They’re eco-friendly, durable, and full of charm—and for craft lovers, a staple of DIY projects too.
stirred up a wave of online nostalgia.
