A washing machine is a large metal appliance, usually with a door on either the top or the front. (Household laundry machines usually have a solid metal flip-back door on top, while industrial washing machines have a round, glass door on the front.)
Inside the machine is a hollow drum, into which dirty articles of clothing or linens are placed. The machines are used, in conjunction with detergents, to clean clothing, towels, or most any cloth item.