With spring cleaning on the brain, we thought we see if you could guess what this cleaning tool is...
It's a carpet beater. Pre-vacuum, carpets and rugs were laid over a wall or washing line and beaten to shake out the dust. In the U.K., early ads for Hoover vacuums extolled the machine's ability to beats-as-it-sweeps-as-it-cleans.
The second photograph is of a Finnish carpet beater, the design of which was first produced in the 1800's. Carpet beaters are, in fact, still used in Finland. If you'd rather admire the design than beat your carpets, like the collector above, carpet beaters are relatively inexpensive on ebay or from antique dealers.
• 1 photograph by Leo Reynolds of a carpet beater from Time and Tide, Museum of Great Yarmouth Life
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, UK
• 2 Finnish carpet beater from Kiosk, $39
• 3 Victorian carpet beaters
• 4 Spank, carpet beater from Alessi, $32
• 5 collection of carpet beaters from Country Living
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Comments (27)
It's a rug beater. We had this when I was growing up; I always found them really beautiful, so thanks for reminding me!
yeah, it's a rug beater. I have no idea why I know that though, didn't grow up with them.
it also looks a lot like a tool to clean your futon.
I have one like this, plastic, for my mat and sofa -- I was surprised to see friends from overseas didn't know about it.
These fascinated me as a kid.
These were very common up until a few decades ago, my grandmother owned one just like the top photo. Some residential buildings in my town built in the '20 to '60 have special poles to hang and beat the carpet in the courtyards. Imagine an age before everyone had a vacuum. They call it "spring cleaning" for a reason - you only swept the floors in the winter!
My mom still does this. Ha. And we live in Suburbia (S. FL). The neighbors look at her weird, but it's what she's always done -- even in communist Germany, and it's what she'll keep doing until she can't anymore. :) Gotta love that European heritage.
a carpet beater. I actually got smacked on the butt with this when I was bad. An- d no - not in an abusive way -just enough to know I did something really wrong :)
rug whacker.
butt whacker.
nickel525, I could see this being of use *especially* in communist Germany...beating a carpet with one of these things can get rid of a LOT of frustration. Take it from a ex-pat German in California, who has actually been looking for one of these. ;)
ck_1804-
I can't believe you got spanked with one of these! Too funny!
-AmyA
I have one of these, I found it at a Trash and Treasure Meet. I have it hanging on the wall, it's a beautiful piece.
Looks exactly like the German rug beater my mom had (and yes, she smacked me with it a couple of times when the yardstick was out of reach).
We had a lot of these at the family farm.
like everyone said before, its a rug beater
too easy
Echoing, yes, rug beater. :) Found everywhere in Finland, and houses and apartment all have racks to hang the rugs. The apartments have them on the balcony. Contrary to the "spring cleaning" thought, Finns will take the rugs out and beat them all winter. Mattress pads as well, because at that point it's cold enough to kill the bugs. :P
my Mom still has one of these ;-) When I was a kid, it was my job to take out the runner and together with my brother beat the crap out of it ;-) In front of blocks of flats in Poland you will find everywhere special poles for it... that was the place to hang out with your friends btw ;-)
It's still popular, even if people regularly use vacuum cleaners, to take the carpets once in a while for a really good beating :)
if you're on west 17th street, pop into aaronson's floor and rug store they have a collection on display along with vintage vacuums.
rug spanker
Ha, I thought "what do you mean, guess? doesn't everyone know what this is?" My parents (and 99% of the society they live in) would die laughing at the thought of hanging their carpet beater as wall decor.
Looks like the Dutch one my Oma had
I was looking for one a couple of years ago and couldn't find one cheap enough, so I settled on a 50 cent tennis racket at a garage sale. Does the same job, though :)
I immediately recognized it as a rug beater. I have an old one - a prop from a long-ago school production of "Oklahoma" - though it gets very little practical or theatrical use these days.
They actually dont look like carpet cleaners or anything. More of a manual egg beater. ehehe
Jeanne
In Hungary everyone has these too. Also, behind blocks of flats there's always a metal pole, like imagine a swingset without the swings. It's for hanging the rugs on while beating them.
It is indeed a rug beater.
My childhood Playmobil Victorian dollhouse had a mini plastic one. Gosh I loved that house!