This vintage household item is an old-fashioned washboard, once used to clean clothes before washing machines became common.
Wet clothing was covered with soap and rubbed repeatedly against the ribbed metal surface. The ridges helped loosen dirt and stains while the wooden frame made the board easier to hold over a washtub.
Laundry day required considerable time and effort, especially when sheets, work clothes, and an entire family’s washing had to be cleaned by hand.
The correct answer is a washboard, also called a laundry scrubbing board.
