Once upon a time, not so very long ago, folks doing laundry engaged in a practice known as “sprinkling.” For the unenlightened, “Sprinkling” is dripping some water onto your wrinkly object, thus making them a little easier to iron. Then you let it set a bit, and iron it while still damp. My grandmother did it, and my mother taught me how… though I’ve really only ever used the process on particularly stubborn wrinkles.
Since people were sprinkling away, there was a need for sprinklers. Of course, people got tired of boring old fit-in-the-top-of-a-coke-bottle sprinklers, and the figural-sprinkler market was born. Sprinklers were produced in many shapes and sizes.
I had the incredible good luck to find this poodle-shaped laundry sprinkler at a estate sale. It is definitely one of my prized possessions. He has his original sprinkle-top lid. He’s pretty heavy, especially when full of water, so I assume a lot of these got dropped and broken. His sprinkle-days are done and he sits safe on a shelf now.
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Allee Willis
This pup is in amazingly beautiful shape for the function he performed. Laundry rooms, especially around the time of this poodle’s birth, were chaotic places and he’s lucky his body didn’t get slammed with an iron or he didn’t tip over when some heavy piece of clothing was being dragged to the board.
It was definitely the fad to use old soda bottles as sprinklers. Most of the ones that were custom-made didn’t have anywhere the detail this one has. I love the bulging belly so it holds more water and really flat front paws so it’s easier to grip. Although with as heavy as this must get full of water and as slick as this ceramic glazed looks it’s a wonder the pup survived to now be in the Museum. I’m glad he’s retired from active duty so he’s assured of a nice, long life.
Mark Milligan
That really brings back memories from childhood! I remember my grandma sprinkling shirts-for that matter, I guess my Mom too. My other grandma in the city had a mangle: that thing was hot, steamy, loud, and scary, but when she mangle-pressed pillowcases and sheets after line drying them, it was guaranteed sweet dreams.