Washday Blues

What memories you jog with this very interesting post. Mother always let me iron pillow cases and handkerchiefs. She made me think it was a pleasure not a chore. The old irons she used had a detatchable handle with a wooden handle and two irons. I have two older irons I found at an estate sale that I use as book ends. Thanks for taking me back in time, Mom

A most fascinating treatise on the evolution of wash day! Indeed, takes us old folks back. I confess I liked hanging out the clothes, but not in winter! I have a line these days, big enough for sheets, for an occasional treat. Carol

You brought back some long-resting memories of wash days of my childhood. I helped my mother put clothes through the wringer and also scrubbed the sox on a washboard before she put them in the washer. We hung the clothes outside to dry, and for some reason, I found that a most satisfying job, so I always asked to do it when I was not at school. I much prefer the wash days we have today, however. They allow me time to write!
Nancy

Virginia, sure enjoyed your writing, as it brought back many fun memories. I especially like it when the white sheets were hung on the line as I'd open them up from one end, with the wind helping to billow them out, and then I'd dash through to the other side. The sheets had a sweet smell to them when wind/air dried. Unfortunately I can't hang clothes outside at our home now as the dust off the dirt road would settle on them. I do enjoy having a drier on these cold snowy days.

Those women were tougher than I am! Then again, they had no choice...very interesting piece and I enjoyed it.

Kathy Baker

Virginia, I could relate to this ritual of wash day. When I was a child, we had to get the water from the rain barrel, bring it into the house, fill the zink bath tub and boil the white clothes. It took ages and we hoped there would be no smuts from the coal fires to land on the white shirts while they billowed in the wind. Women worked hard on Mondays and Tuesday was ironing day. I enjoyed your nostalgic piece. Veronica Breen Hogle

Here are my friend, Theresa's comments on Washday Blues: "Thanks for sending your story to me. I really enjoyed reading it and it brought back good memories. My mother's first washing machine had the wringer and I remember being fascinated by it but also warned about keeping away so as not to get "anything" caught in it.

She also ironed just about everything and I loved the smell when she was doing it. She taught me how to iron using such things as pillow cases, hankies, aprons, and my father's boxer shorts!

Oh my, I had forgotten hanging clothes out in the winter----what fun having your fingers freeze. And then trying to pry them off the line while frozen. I always seemed to get this job because my sister if five years younger than I am.

You know, as much as I hated that job it was just taken in stride because it had to be done and my Mother asked me to do it. She called me her little helper and that's all the praise I needed.

Well, I hadn't thought about any of this for years and thanks for sending your story to me. It gives a new perspective and I don't think I will be complaining about going to do the laundry any time soon!

Glad you enjoyed the ham and bean supper last night too------not as good as those bean soups on laundry night but good enough for now, right?"

Last week's Madison (Kansas) News told about a spectacularly bad washday for the Barb family in its "Looking Back: 60 Years Ago" column: October 16, 1947 - "Billy Ray Barb, four-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Barb, fell in the garden at his home last week and cut his right hand so severely that six stitches were required to close the wound. A few hours later his two-year-old sister, Carol Lee, fell into a rain barrel full of water. Mrs. Barb heard the splash and rescued the child before any great harm was done. Kenneth Barb is the son of Clem Barb. Monday morning Mrs. Clem Barb caught her right hand in her washing machine and cut and mashed it severely."

WELL DONE. Ruth McGhee would be proud of your story, and of being acknowledged by our generation. I love the smell of sheets dried on the line, but I don't long for the rest. I recall my sister, a beautiful blonde, getting her curly locks caught in the ringer-washer. Ours had a safety release; if you hit the rollers with the heel of your hand, it would snap free and stop the rollers from turning. That saved her from loosing hair, but not her dignity. You've obviously done a lot of research on this story. Well done. Thanks for sharing. Janet

Here's a comment I received by email:
Wow, what a great site, and your "Washday Blues" article is sure a wonderful glimpse back to 1920. Thanks for sharing.

Whew, I'm trying to be optimistic here, after reading your article. Perhaps it was real "family-togetherness-time" -- at least for the female contingency. I think I'm exhausted just reading about all the items needed on wash day for clean clothes and linens! Loved the pictures accompanying your story, Virginia. Reckon "Blue Monday" got its name for the bluing agent used in the laundering process?
Lord, thank You profusely for letting me be born in America in the mid 20th century!

I remember hanging the clothes out during the winter months. We would bring the stiff boards into the house and hang them by the fire. My strongest memory was the huge iron my mother had. I can't remember the name, but you sit at it and put the clothes through a roller. I do still hang sheets on the line when I'm in Maine. I love that smell!

This was such a wonderful piece of memories and interesting information. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Hmm, would that be a "mangle" that you remember? Here are links to a variety of these machines: http://www.jitterbuzz.com/indirn.html#universal
Maybe you'll see one that matches your memories.