On my online newsfeed from Apple from time to time there is a series of objects pictured. The reader is encouraged to identify what the objects are. Most often they are older objects which are no longer in common usage. Usually because of my age, I can identify what the objects are, but there are always one or two that stump me.
As a young teen it was one of my jobs to do the laundry. This involved an old wringer washing machine (a great advance over the scrub board). The tub was filled with hot water and soap was added and the agitator was turned on to clean the clothes. After the soapy water was drained, the clothes were put through the wringer to remove most of the water.
At that time, standard wear for school was jeans, which we referred to as “Levis” regardless of the brand. They were heavy and slow to dry, so pants stretchers were used to avoid having to iron the jeans. The stretchers worked well and could even provide a bit of a crease, if done correctly. It has been 65 years since I have seen those pants stretchers, but I recently went online and they are still available. They did the job, but they were a lot more work than chucking the jeans in a clothes dryer. My nostalgia is not sufficient to buy them now, even though they were cost effective.
I wonder how many of the old objects and old ways may have had advantages over more modern ways. Could it be that sometimes the old ways might be best?