Short Takes

Doing Laundry

I'm not sure if I wrote on this subject or not.

My earliest memories of laundry day are varied. I remember Mom down on her knees rubbing clothes over a washboard set down in a tub about 2 ft. in diameter. She was doing the wash in a partially dug basement with a dirt floor. We called it the cellar. I don't recall the rest of the process. The reason for that is that John and I, at ages about two and three, spent wash day(Mondays) outside, each of us tied to the trunk of a large tree. We had toy cars and other toys to occupy our time. Every so often Mom would emerge from the cellar carrying the clean clothes to hang them out to dry. She would check on us, perhaps sit and rest a spell, then return to her work. I don't remember not liking our "exile." I think I understood the necessity of it. Sometimes Gail at age 8 0r 9 would be prevailed upon to carry the clean laundry outside. She always grumbled about having to help.

Later I recall that we had a wringer washer. I don't know whether it was electric or not. It seems like Mom had to turn a crank to operate the wringer. That process involved the washer and three tubs on legs arranged so the wringer was in the center and could be swung around to each tub. One tub had clear water in it. One tub had bluing in it. The third was starch water. The first load of wash was always the sheets or other whites such as table clothes. The same wash water was used for each successive load. Next came the white underwear, the pre-boiled white handkerchieves, etc. Then the light colored things were done. Last came the dark clothes and/or heavily soiled items such as throw rugs and rags. The whites were put though the bluing rinse after the clear rinse. Dad's dress shirts, aprons, and some blouses were put through the starch rinse.

Drying always took place outside. I don't remember any lines indoors until later.

Tuesdays were always ironing days. Monday evening Mom would "sprinkle" the items to be ironed, roll up each item, then place it in a bushel basket lined with a liner she had made of cotton cloth. When done , she covered the basket with a damp towel. The items to be ironed were "ripe" by Tuesday morning so she could begin the ironing. I liked to get to do the sprinkling. Funny that I don't remember anything but an electric iron. When I got older I learned to iron the handkerchieves. I liked doing Dad's because they were plain. Some of Mom's had lace edges that were too hard for me. I think the ironing board was made of wood.

You all remember the newer wringer washer, as Mom used it until she died. I think she bought the last one that Maytag made. When we lived in Idaho there were some inside lines, but not very much, so the drying continued to be done outside. Back in Omaha there were inside lines, but the clothes were always hung out when possible. To this day I prefer the crisp line-dried sheets to the softer ones out of a dryer. I can still remember the unique smell of sun dried laundry. It beats any perfumed laundry detergent available today.