Persistence of design.

[watervole]

 The style and design of some items can be very conservative.

eg.  Custard powder is yellow, because it mimics the appearance of custard made with eggs.  The actual produce is white cornflower with yellow colouring and  little bit of flavouring.

Yellow is also the commonest colour of duster - I suspect it's to mimic the colour of a shammy leather. 

But have you ever wondered about the shape of a laundry basket?

If you google 'laundry basket', you'll find the commonest design by far is a rectangular or oval basket, make of plastic or wicker, with a handle at each end.

Why at the ends?  When I pick up a laundry basket, I usually balance it on my hip and hold it by the side, not the end.  It may be that some people hold it by the handles, but it's not the easiest way.

So, why handles at the ends?

I think the answer is here in Tales From the Green Valley.

Watch on YouTube

If you want to see the rest of the laundry process, including the importance of fermented urine and how to make lye from wood ash, then start at 9:30, and then 12:30.

But, to return to the handles of the laundry basket. Although Ruth does pick up the basket with both hands when the contents are still dry, I think the most likely reason for the handles being on the ends, is to allow two women to carry a heavy basket of laundry to a nearby river! 

 

 

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=laundry+basket&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t

 

Comments

[ranunculus]

I'm going to take a little issue with the handle on the laundry basket theory. Having carried a LOT of materials over fairly long distances, this is what I've observed: Holding something on your hip, especially something where the weight goes out from your body allows the weight to have a great lever action. A child on your hip has most of the weight at the hip, but a basket would, unavoidably, have weight out away from the hip. Anything held on the hip pulls on your spine sideways compressing one side. The more leverage the weight has the more work it is to counteract that pull. A sideways pull is difficult to support with muscles, especially over the long term. An item held in front of you and gripped from the front is quite hard to support without arching the back. But an item held with two handles, so the hands are as close to the body as possible and there is less leverage by the weight, allows you to more safely carry a heavy burden and support it without hurting your back.

[watervole]

I agree with you on much of this, but I'd wrap my arms around a wicker laundry basket full of wet laundry if carrying it in front of me. The sloping sides make it easy to carry that way, and the handles aren't as easy to grip from the side. They're the wrong shape.


I'm less likely to put a full basket of wet laundry on my hip, as the weight would be a lot more than an empty basket, and as you say, more stress on the spine - but I find a dry load is still comfortable (And it's easier to open doors if you have a hand free).

[ranunculus]

It is certainly true that having a free hand is very, very useful! Putting your arms around your basket does bring the weight in against your body, which is safer and easier. With my old basket the handles were uncomfortably high to hold. The new one is not rounded, it is rectangular and the handles aren't raised. It is much easier to carry with both hands. It would also be an easy carry with two people. In societies where women carry loads on their head, I wonder if those loads cause neck problems in later life, or if gradual training strengthens neck muscles enough to prevent spinal compression. Head based carrying certainly does leave one's hands free!

[watervole]

I've often wondered about head carries. I have on occasion carried suitcases on my head, as being the easiest way to do it, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if there was a long term neck risk.

[ranunculus]

This study seems to confirm what common sense tells us, namely that carrying on your head is bad for your spine:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7904483/

[watervole]

INterestsing. Thanks. And I now know what 'lordosis' means...

[ranunculus]

I had to look the word up too...

[vera_j]

THis is really very interesting - I would never give a thought to my laundry basket! Or other things we have been using for ages. Yes, this is great!

[replyhazy]

I would so like to have lunch with Ruth. She knows so many really fascinating things!

For a while I owned a laundry basket that had handles at each end AND a handle on one long side. The opposite long side had a sort of bend in it for setting it on your hip. I loved it -- except for going through doorways, which was still tricky.

[watervole]

Me too! Have you listened to her recent series on Radio 4? You can get it via the website. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0hgzmbg

Yeah, you have to go sideways through doors when it's on your hip.

[igenlode]

I had occasion to carry items (not laundry) in a laundry basket this week, and I instinctively carried it in front of me braced across my stomach with the handles on either side, leaning backwards to keep the weight nearer my centre of gravity...

[watervole]

I find I usually wrap my arms round it, as the handles are at a poor angle when lifting that way.

For me, carry on hip when light, carry in arms when heavy.