Laundry on the Titanic

[diana handley]

Im wondering if any one knows if the was a laundry on the Titanic.
I've been looking at the deck plans, on f deck. There was a large drying room next to what looks like two rooms for soiled linen.
Were these rooms for storing the dirty linen or for washing it?
If these room were for storing dirty linen, then why the need for such a large drying room.
The reason im asking is because the first washing machine with an electric motor was invented in 1908 by the Hurley Company.
It was a galvanized tub with an electric motor.
Only it’s stated that the Titanic had all the latest luxuries aboard
Did the Titanic have these new washing machines?

yes it is a typical womans question lol

 

[Michael H. Standart]

I'm afraid it wasn't really a laundry. At least not in the sense that we would understand it. Any ship's laundry was set aside for processing at facilities located in the ports of call. Back in 1912, the technology wasn't really up to producing the large quantities of fresh water that would be needed for the job.

 

[diana handley]

Hi Michael
So do you know why they had such a big drying room. What was it used for ?
Regards Diana

 

[Noel F. Jones]

Diana has a point. On the GA the compartment is described as 'Linen Drying Room' and is next to a 'Soiled Linen' locker yet there is apparently no concomitant laundry facility. Also, according to the GA there were two much smaller drying rooms adjacent.

The Shipbuilder make no mention of on board laundry facilities. In any case, I would have thought there was no need for a laundry on an express transatlantic passenger vessel. The passage would not be long enough to require any bulk recycling of linen stock on passage. This large compartment at present goes unexplained.

Longer haul liners to S.Africa, Far East etc. necessarily carried laundries and laundrymen.

Noel

 

[Dan Kappes]

In the 1996 TV movie, the ship is seen to have a laundry room deep in the ship near the steerage quarters with a nearby elevator that brings laundry up to the first class section.

Did the Titanic really have this kind of laundry room and conveyance elevator?

It can be seen at 31:09 in this video.

 

[Steven Christian]

From Wiki: "Although bed linen was changed daily, there was no laundry aboard because of limited fresh water supplies. Passengers could get their clothes pressed and shoes polished on request, for a small fee.[16] Morning tea and pastries were served to passengers in their staterooms, but there was no room service in the modern sense"

Moderator's note: A link to this thread has become redundant because two separate threads have been combined and has therefore been removed MAB

 

[Dave Gittins]

There was no laundry for things like bedding. Used bedding was stored in the drying room so that it wouldn't grow mildew before being taken ashore for washing. Crew members, especially firemen, had sinks for washing clothes and were allowed to hang them in inconspicuous places. It's all in Titanic: The Ship Magnificent.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

So, did that mean steerage passengers lived and slept in the same clothes for the best part of a week?

 

[Seumas]

So, did that mean steerage passengers lived and slept in the same clothes for the best part of a week?

Probably most of them brought along one or two change of shirts, blouses, nightwear and underwear for the voyage. It's not ideal of course but it wouldn't have been too bad.

On a maritime laundry related note, my Great Granny's brother was a ship's fireman and trimmer during the 1920s and 30s. I've been told that when he came back ashore, my Great-Great Grandmother always "boiled up" her son's working clothes to get the coal dust and sweat out of them. Lovely !

 

[Arun Vajpey]

I have been to the sea on weekly (or longer) diving liveaboard trips 23 times. Not the same as a transatlantic crossing in a large liner of course, but the unpolluted sea air made one feel less dirty by the end of the day. This applies to passengers who were able to stroll on deck of course and not to the poor 'black gang' deep within the bowels of a ship.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

On a related note, someone I know claims that in those days (Titanic era) due to lack of laundry facilities on board ships, many passengers, women included, did not wear any underclothing at all but simply put on loose fitting outerwear to allow some ventilation. Is there any truth in this? (Hard to know either way, of course

 

[Keith H]

Looking at the plans of the Linen room on F deck one can see a room marked "boiled linen" so it may be that laundry was boiled in large vats and hand washed rather than placed in washing machines if they ever had them anyway , I think people years ago tended to use the bath for washing clothes and linen before washing machines became common place and such practice may have been carried out on ships by passengers and crew in those times.

 

[Mark Baber]

14 February 1912: The Times reports that White Star has leased "[e]xtensive
premises" on Rimrose Road in Bootle for an electrolytic laundry capable of
laundering 100,000 pieces of linen a week for the ships operating out of
Liverpool. (Source: The Times (London), 14 February 1912.)

 

[Steven Christian]

14 February 1912: The Times reports that White Star has leased "[e]xtensive
premises" on Rimrose Road in Bootle for an electrolytic laundry capable of
laundering 100,000 pieces of linen a week for the ships operating out of
Liverpool. (Source: The Times (London), 14 February 1912.)

Some sort of acid or caustic wash? I hope it wasn't something like an ancient roman fullery...

 

[joyeberry]

What about diapers? Would they have been hand washed by passengers in their rooms or shared bathrooms?