Actually laundry is one of my very favorite things to do! I can remember my aunt doing her washing, and hanging it on the line...she said that every housewife wanted the "whitest" wash hanging on the line.
WASH DAY RECIPE
Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water.
Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert.
Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.
Sort things, make 3 piles. 1 pile white, 1 pile colored, 1 pile work britches and rags.
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boilin water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and then boil. Rub colored, don’t boil, just rinse and starch.
Take things out of kettle with broomstick handle, then rinse, and starch.
Hang old rags on fence.
Spread tea towels on grass.
Pore rinse water in flower bed.
Scrub porch with hot soapy water.
Turn tubs upside down.
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.
And for really whitening my wash I use:
Mrs. Stewart's Bluing
A few days ago I happened to find a picture of my "ideal" washing machine on Lehman's website. Mr. Honeysuckle thinks I'd regret it....LOL But, I would LOVE to have it! The only problem....it is $949.00! Wow! I'm sure it would have costed WAY less than that "back in the day".
Pure Mild Lye Soap
I have the ingredients to make some old fashioned lye soap, and would like to know if any of you have tried it... And I'm wondering if you use it for bathing or just doing laundry?
WASHDAY COBBLER
CLEVER IDEAS FOR WASHDAY
Mrs. Stewart's Bluing
A few days ago I happened to find a picture of my "ideal" washing machine on Lehman's website. Mr. Honeysuckle thinks I'd regret it....LOL But, I would LOVE to have it! The only problem....it is $949.00! Wow! I'm sure it would have costed WAY less than that "back in the day".
Pure Mild Lye Soap
I have the ingredients to make some old fashioned lye soap, and would like to know if any of you have tried it... And I'm wondering if you use it for bathing or just doing laundry?
WASHDAY COBBLER
CLEVER IDEAS FOR WASHDAY Monday: Wash Day
Tuesday: Ironing Day
Wednesday: Sewing Day
Thursday: Market Day
Friday: Cleaning Day
Saturday: Baking Day
Sunday: Day of Rest
I just did my Blue Monday post a couple of weeks ago on my Mama's Blue Mondays, her wash day. She kept to a schedule much like the one in your post. She accomplished so much in a day. I had no idea that wringer machines were still made. They really got the clothes clean. Unfortunately the wringer was not always a good thing. When I was little My hand and really all the way up to my elbow went through the wringer. Luckily no bones were broken. My Mama on the other hand was not so lucky. A few years after my incident, her arm also went through the wringer. She was alone when it happened and she had a terrible time shutting it off and getting her arm out. I was across the street playing with my friend, when she came to get me I could see
ReplyDeletethat her arm was in terrible shape. She was in such pain. My Aunt drove us to the dr's and my Mama was in a cast for many months.
I enjoyed this post. It is fun to remember how wash days were back then.
Iris
Oooh, I hope you do try to make the soap. I started making soap last February with lye ... and won't go back to store bought. I've also made laundry soap ... and other cleaners. There are some soap articles on the sidebar of my blog (The Thrifty/Garden Home at blogspot).
ReplyDeleteMay I come back and copy the cute Iron/Wash day transfers? They will be perfect on some dingy white kitchen dish towels that I gave a nice tea bath yesterday.
Sure...that's why I posted them. Yours should look very nice with the tea stain!
ReplyDelete