Doing Laundry

RECIPE FOR WASHING CLOTHES












 1.  Build fire in back yard to heat kettle.
 2.  Set tubs so smoke won’t blow in eyes if wind is pert.
 3.  Shove one whole cake of lye soap in boiling water.
 4.  Sort things.  Make 1 pile colored, 1 pile white, 1 pile breeches and rags.
 5.  Stir flour in cold water to smooth.  Thin down with boiling water.  Starch.
 6.  Rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard then boil.  Rub colored but don’t boil.  Just  rinse and starch.
 7.  Take white things out of kettle with broom handle.  Then rinse, blue and starch.
 8.  Spread tea towels on grass, others on fence.
 9.  Put rinse water on flower beds.
10.  Scrub porch with soapy water.
11.  Turn over the tubs to drain.
12.  Go put on a clean dress.  Smooth hair with side combs.  Brew tea.  
Sit and rest.  Rock a spell.  Count your blessings… anonymous note c.1900

    I love this 'recipe' from 1900.  When we moved into our new house on Maxwell Road on our first anniversary, in the $1000.00 of furniture that we bought from Illinois Furniture was a Maytag wringer washer.  The basement in the little house had concrete built-in wash tubs, very modern (this is 1957).  Before we had moved in, Vern had put up metal laundry poles to string clothes lines.  Now, in those days, a woman was judged by how she hung her laundry.   Sheets, pillowcases and towels on the outside lines and trousers with pants stretchers in them to make those sharp creases as well.  Underwear and shirts on the inside lines.  Sox paired together and towards the end of the inside lines.  And in the very coldest weather, below freezing, we strung lines in the basement.
     Twelve years and six daughters later, when we moved to the old farm house in Washington, the laundry room was on the first floor - the basement was really a hand dug cellar and I got my first automatic washer, we already had a dryer both made by Kenmore.  I continued to hang out my sheets - still do, in warm weather.
    In this little house, the laundry was in the basement and I am too old now to go up and down stairs - or so I tell myself, so the first thing that was done was an attached single car garage that was used for storage is now a laundry room, bathroom and guest room.  I love it.
     Some years ago, daughter Angela suggested I start a website telling my favorite things and call it Auntie N's B&B.  So from time to time, Auntie N will do just that.  When I wash sheets, quilts and linens, I use Mrs. Meyers lavender scented laundry products, which makes the laundry room, bedroom and linen closet smell great.  You can buy those products at Kroger, Hyvee and on line, Mrs. Meyers.com.  For everything else, I use Seventh Generation products and they can be bought at most grocery stores.
     There is nothing quite like folding sweet smelling clean clothes and when I'm done, I too, sit and rest, rock a spell and count my blessings!