Monday was Wash Day

Today we do laundry in the blink of an eye. We throw our clothes into an automatic washer to wash on the just-right setting, and then throw them into the dryer. If necessary, in an hour we can wear or use what we just washed. Laundry used to be an all-day event. There was washing, wringing, and hanging out to dry on clotheslines. In bad weather, women would hang clothes on inside clotheslines in the basement. The next day would be ironing day, often another all-day event.

Today, particularly in apartments and condominiums, stackable washers and dryers
take up minimal room, with few accessories needed to get the job done. How times have changed. Here are some items that were a must only a few years ago:

Tubs Washtubs were a standard tool in getting the laundry done. For washing,
bleaching, and dyeing clothing items, tubs were essential. They were usually made of
galvanized iron, soapstone, porcelain, or enameled iron.

Washboards Washboards were used at an angle in the tub, and clothes were rubbed against the surface to remove stains.

Soaps Many homemakers made their own lye soaps. Naptha was considered a good all-purpose soap.

Boilers Boilers, usually round or oblong, were made of tin, tin with a copper bottom, or all copper. Boiling clothing was thought the best way to get items clean.

Wringers These were appliances with adjustable rollers, used to press
water out of clothes after washing, a more efficient way than doing it by hand. They
operated by motor or hand power.

Clothes baskets Materials and size were personal preference, depending
on what made sense for your situation.

Clothes hamper It was often placed in bathrooms or bedrooms and was
where family members could place dirty clothing items until laundry day.

Clothesline Often made of rope, galvanized wire, or wire covered with cloth,
clotheslines were strung from poles. In big city apartments, they operated on a pulley system from one building to another. Some fold-down clothesline drier systems also were used.



Source: Creating Together Journal ©2011