name: Riitta / age: 57 / profession: social historian & photographer / location: pohjois-haaga, helsinki / reference: Carpet racks are used for beating carpets in the yard. The hum of the vacuum cleaner has largely replaced the sounds of explosion from pounding the carpets. Nevertheless, carpets are still hoisted onto the carpet rack almost ritually for a thorough cleaning. This is often done in midwinter as dust mites die in the freezing cold. In the capital Helsinki, you can find carpet racks adjacent to apartment blocks, single-and multi-family homes and even the Cathedral. These simple and sturdy constructions have been installed for decades in front yards and backyards in the city center as well as the suburbs. Paradoxically enough, while carpet racks have become part of the outdoor furniture, as it were, they tend to pass unnoticed due to their ubiquity. They are also unintended monuments to domestic work. See more racks here: http://www.polarinertia.com/apr12/carpet01.htm