Technikatörténeti szemle 7. (1973-74)

TANULMÁNYOK - Komlós Sándor: A textiltisztítás története

reflecting the technical, cultural, hygienic and, in its details, the chemical, mechanical, etc, level of the successive ages. Each individual age was characterized by the cleaning method: by whom, where, with what an equipment, or simply what apparels have been cleaned? Social problems can also be studied this way: what was the fashion in the various ages, whose clothings have been cleaned at all, and under what conditions? From a modern viewpoint, the washing procedure of the Egyptian, Greek, then Roman period was rather primitive. Thus, for example, even „hot water" had to be discovered or, more precisely, the fact that washing was much easier in hot water. The wellknown slogan: „money does not smell" goes back to the Roman laundries. The Pompei excavations refer to the existence of large-scale laundry plants. In the Middle Ages this branch was of a very high level particularly in Central Europe as a „free art". The first machines appeared at the and of the 17th century, but the industrial development has soon transformed the entire cleaning industry. Various washing, mangling and calendering machines appeared in the scene and, finally, chemical cleaning was introduced. All these were developed directly from the textile industry, which should be regarded as quite natural since cleaning ought to be considered as a subsequent care of or for fabrics. Then the synthetic chemicals such as soda and soap have been introduced. Urbanization and industrialization set new quantitative requirements to the laundries which has led to the establishment of small and large scale plants.