Domestic life

When technology created housing and clothing, it also created the continuous need to maintain them. Cleaning, cooking, mending, and decorating lamps were traditionally tasks carried out by women in most societies. Although this has changed, the pattern still persists. Today, machines perform many tasks such as sweeping and washing, but hygiene standards have increased, and many people still carry out domestic work.

Two major developments improved modern domestic life: drainage systems in the nineteenth century, which allowed cities to expand without the risk of disease, and electrical power in the twentieth century, which enabled lighting and household appliances. Domestic life has also evolved with the use of new materials such as plastic.

Bellows vacuum cleaner

This early twentieth-century vacuum cleaner required two people to operate: one pumped the bellows while the other handled the device. By the 1930s, with the expansion of power stations, many homes had electricity. Vacuum cleaners existed, but without modern materials such as plastic, they remained heavy and expensive.

Drainage works

Urban life would not be possible without technology. Three cholera epidemics killed more than 20,000 people in London between 1832 and 1854. The disease spread through contaminated water from sewage discharged into the River Thames. In 1858, large-scale engineering works began to build major sewer systems that carried waste downstream, where tides would take it out to sea. The project was completed in 1875 and involved draining 60 square kilometers of marshland and constructing pumping stations.

Light in the home

Gas and oil were used for lighting in the nineteenth century, but both were dim and hazardous. Once inventors developed an electric filament that did not quickly deteriorate, older lighting methods became obsolete. Early electric bulbs used carbon filaments in a vacuum, but by 1913, metal filaments were introduced and filled with inert gas to prevent burning and improve brightness.

Lighting a candle

Only a small portion of the energy stored in candle wax is emitted as light. However, a modern candle is a refined piece of technology. The wax and wick are carefully matched so that the candle burns evenly without dripping or leaving unburned residue.

Oil lamp

Oil lamps replaced candles once suitable fuel became available. This type of lamp uses paraffin, a substance derived from petroleum distillation.

Edison lamp

Thomas Edison in the United States and Joseph Swan in England developed electric bulbs in 1879, which became commercially available in 1881. These early bulbs used carbon filaments, and air was removed from the bulb to prevent combustion. Although not very bright, they represented a significant improvement over previous lighting methods.

Modern lamp

Modern incandescent bulbs last longer and produce more light than early designs. Their filaments are made of tungsten, a metal with a very high melting point. The bulb is filled with inert gases such as argon, which reduce filament degradation. The filament is coiled to concentrate heat and improve efficiency.

Compact fluorescent lamp

A fluorescent lamp operates differently from a standard incandescent bulb. An electric discharge passes through mercury vapor, producing ultraviolet light that causes a coating inside the tube to glow. This process generates about four times more light than a conventional bulb with the same voltage. Advances in electronics have allowed these lamps to become smaller and more efficient.

An electrical imitation

Domestic life changed significantly between 1900 and 1930. Household servants largely disappeared and were replaced by electrical appliances. Some users preferred devices that visually resembled traditional tools, even if their function was modern. For example, an electric heater could be designed to look like an old stove.

The first electric drill, developed in 1917, weighed around 11 kilograms. Modern drills weigh about 1.5 kilograms due to improvements in materials such as steel components, motor insulation, and lightweight plastic casings. More recently, battery technology has made cordless drills practical. Despite consuming energy, these tools are widely used for home construction and repair tasks, enabling faster work without the need for professional labor.