Long before technology sent single socks into a spinning purgatory, people were more resourceful, creating tools to effectively complete the most daunting of household chores.

One of those tools is this wooden peg, which over the years evolved into a two-piece pin that secured items to a line. This was a significant improvement from the earlier model that fed socks and other garments to the wind, “a serious evil to washerwomen.”

Keep reading to learn more about this wooden tool!

Recently, an online user found little wooden dowels with two legs and went to social media looking for help in identifying the objects.

The Facebook post attracted a generation of nostalgic boomers, offering the answer: “Old school clothespins. [We] used them for hanging clean wet clothes outside on the [clothes] line to dry in the sun [and] fresh air!”

A wooden clothespin, also known simply as a clothes peg, is a traditional household tool used for hanging wet laundry on a clothesline to dry. Today, the pins typically consist of two wooden pieces hinged together at one end, with a spring mechanism that provides the necessary tension to grip onto the clothing.