Back In The Day

[cbk]

I was watching an HGTV show, and shaking my head in amazement at all of the whistles and bells that one can equip a home with now days. The washing machines and dryers could run the space station with all of the computer chips they have. Although with the NSA scandal and the ability of government to spy using those same chips, one wonders if the good old days weren't better. LOL And, of course, that got me to thinking of when I was a child and what went in to keeping clothes clean.
Most women had a specific day on which they washed the clothes. In our home it was Monday. Clothes were gathered up into piles of whites, lights, and darks. If the lady of the house was lucky she had a washing machine. Those of you, who are my age know that the washing machine of 1930-40 were NOT the labor saving devices of today. You filled them up with hot water and then grated some Felts Naphtha soap into the water and waited for it to dissolve. Then you added the clothes. You let them agitate until you though they were clean. Of course you'd used your scrubbing board to remove stains before putting the clothes in the washer. I scraped my knuckles on that darn board more than once. After the washing one took each article of clothing and sent it through the wringer and into the tub filled with rinse water. A paddle was used to push the clothes around and get out the soap. Then another trip through the wringer into a basket that would be taken out to the line for hanging. Most women used the wash water a couple of times...heating water was expensive. However, my Mother insisted on using fresh water for the whites. The woman was absolutely fanatical with having sparkling whites. After all, the other women in the neighborhood would be looking at the clothes hanging on the line. Although our water heater did a good job it wasn't hot enough for her. She'd take one of the kitchen pots and heat a big load of boiling water which she also poured in to the mix. We children were always made to sit on a chair and not move when she transported the water from stove to washer. Soap and bleach were then added, agitated, and the clothes and bedding put in. If all of that didn't get everything whiter than new there was always the bluing in the rinse water. When I was old enough I was employed in the stretching of the sheets. We'd fold them lengthwise and then pull to stretch out the hems in the sides so that they wouldn't pucker when drying. My Mother would almost pull my arms out of their sockets getting the bedding smooth enough that the sheets wouldn't need to be ironed. The pillowcases were ironed though. They were starched too. No spray starch in those days. It was another step in the rinsing. After the soap was out it was another trip into the sink with the starch in the water. Each woman had her own formula of starch powder to warm water for that procedure. As you can see, keeping the family clothes clean wasn't a simple thing in those days. It's no wonder that it took an entire day to accomplish it. And that doesn't count the day used for ironing. The morning was for sprinkling the clothes with water, rolling them up, and placing in the frig. Then after lunch the ironing would commence. I must say my Mom could iron beautifully. I can do a pretty fair job myself, thanks to her instructions. When old enough the girls in the house would be allowed to iron the handkerchiefs. Then she graduated to the pillow cases. Since the cases were starched, one quickly learned not to scorch the material with too hot of an iron.
Now it might be enjoyable to remember those days, but I must say I appreciate wash & wear and the automatic machines that make life so much easier. In fact I need to go put a load in the washer right now. It will take care of itself while I do something else. Maybe the good old days weren't so good after all. ;D

[jb]

Chris, women from your era were WOMEN that never rested!!!

[cbk]

That never bothered me when I was young, j.b. But now days it takes me a week to accomplish what I did in one day.
It's a good thing I have a nice washing machine and dryer or I'd be wearing dirty clothes. I would like to have a drying line though. I love the way sheets and pillow cases smell when they have been dried in the sunshine and fresh air.

Oh BTW, my Mom was an inventor of sorts. When I was a baby she sewed corners into the crib sheets to keep me from kicking them into a ball. Some of the first "fitted" sheets, I guess. But she didn't think it was anything special and never even tried to patten the design. Some more millions lost!

[nancy]

I well recall those wash days, Chris! My Mama had a Maytag wringer washer that was still working 50 years later. We spent one day washing and one day ironing. I learned how to iron too starting with the flat pieces of linen. We always used a white tablecloth and napkins so there would be lots of napkins and several tableclothes plus all the clothes. I don't know how my Mama did all the work that she did but it must not have caused her any problems. She lived to be just past 99 years and never had any severe illness in her life.

[jerrycsmith]

I never saw any real benefit from ironing; in fact, I don't even own one. Cloth is normally wrinkled anyway, so who were we fooling? But I do use a portable clothesline for sheets and towels, because I like the rough texture and sun-smell. A nice souvenir from the past. It's just a pre-cut piece of rope with loops at both ends that I stretch between bolts on a sweet gum tree and the end of my trailer. Naturally, there's a long stick to prop up the middle, and Mom's clothespin bag she made from an old striped pillow ticking.

[nancy]

I have clothes that really have to be ironed or they would not be fit to wear such as all cotton things. There are certainly a lot less clothes these days that need ironing and that does make life easier.

[H Abiff]

Yes, Thursday was wash day, I had to build the coal fire in the water heater. Grandma used two rinse tubs. The washer was copper. Of course it was also bath day, the only day with hot water!

[H Abiff]

Hah and you thought rich Yankees had better

[cbk]

When we were stationed in Germany the first time, we lived on the economy in Bavaria. Talk about a hard day of work. It was a matter
of waking up early and building the fire for the hot water. Then the woman of the house got her wash board and started rubbing. Edith did have one modern piece of equipment though. She had what looked like an old fashion washing machine. But it was called a spinner. It took the place of a wringer. Then the washing of people commenced. They had these metal tubs that were made to look sort of like a coffin with out a top. And there was a Papa tub, a Mama tub, and a kid tub. Since that part of the first floor was already warm from the fire, they all took their baths then. All except the "Omar" (grandmother) She never got in a tub because she thought it was unhealthy. She had her own little apartment on the second floor, and she'd heat water in her kitchen and do the sponge bath thing. People in Germany weren't big on bathing in the 60's. They also didn't believe in deodorants...thought they would give you cancer. Shaving legs and underarms was not the most popular thing either.
Things changed a little when we rented the small apartment on the other side of the first floor. The army mandated that any rooms rented by members of the military had to have access to either a tub or shower. So with our deposit money, Max built a tub room with a kerosene water heater. From then on they bathed once a week instead of once a month.
That tub room got nice and warm once we fired up the water heater. The rest of the work area had no heat....including the water closet at the end of the hall. It was so much fun to have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It was an adventure living there that was for sure. But the scenery more than made up for any inconvenience in not having American living quarters. We were young and we had a ball. We used to do day trips with our landlords and their kids. That little car was sure packed tight. But no one minded. One time we spent half of Saturday trying to find some Hitler vacation house. Max finally said that he had to live under Hitler, he wasn't too interested in finding something that had belonged to him. Poor old Max had been drafted into the submarine service; which he hated. Said it scared him to death. He was only 17. So towards the end of the war, when there weren't too many subs left, Max left and went home to Bavaria. He said the S.S. came looking for him but no body in Bavaria would tell them anything because they were all Catholics and they hated the S.S. The war soon ended and Max tried to surrender to the Americans but they just told him to go home to his Mother. Some G.I. even gave him a candy bar. So he loved Americans. They were great landlords and we kept in touch for many years. Their grown up daughter even looked me up in Hawaii one summer.
The military can be a pain, but it also gives you the chance to experience things you'd never get to know otherwise. And frankly, I'm grateful for the things I experienced in my 15 years as an Army wife.

[jb]

Chris, very interesting stories!!!

[nancy]

I loved that story, Chris. You have certainly had an interesting life!

[cbk]

Thanks, j.b. How are things going for you out in the HOT West? The temps have just been unreal. We in the South usually have to put up with hot and humid. But y'all have us beat this year......not that I want to win that one. Happy air conditioning!

[cbk]

Nancy, I'm sure you have stories about how things were done in your childhood too. We were brought up in a differeent time with different values. I know it proves that I'm an old biddy, but I wish we could go back to those values.
I don't know if you get the same feeling as I do when I watch a movie set in the 40's or 50's. I just feel at home in those times. It's funny, but I don't feel as if I belong in this day and age. It's as if I somehow have landed in a place where I don't belong; a place I don't like too much.
I keep asking myself; how did we get here?
Although I don't agree with him, I can understand why Jerry wants to just ignore it all. It's hard to go from a place where you feel that you belong and that you understand, to a place where it all seems so foreign.

[nancy]

I am thankful to have grown up in the time that I did too, Chris! And I am older than you by quite a few years I believe. One of my fondest memories is growing up in Pell City and all the children knew each other. We had small groups and large groups that got together and really played...no organized anything. We would spend hours playing kick the can or dodge ball in the street. We all got along and if someone got mad about something they just took off for home. By the next day all was forgiven. Small groups of girls would get together and play hopscotch...again in the middle of the street. We just moved out of the way when the occasional car came by. I sometimes feel so sorry for kids today that don't know the joys that I knew when I was a kid. Yes, I agree that it is a different time! I don't think I am a prude but I still cringe at the f-word that is thrown around so freely! I have been able to adjust my attitude about a lot of things and there are others that I will never like or understand.

[cbk]

Nancy, your memories of your childhood are identical to mine. And at 72, I don't think you're that much older than I. Did you have to go home in the evening when the street lights came on? One of our group once got the "brilliant" idea that if we broke the lightbulb in the street light we'd have an excuse to stay out playing for a longer time. Boy, did we all get in trouble for that. My excuse that I hadn't thrown any rocks didn't cut any mustard with my Father. No playing after supper for a week. Some of those boys probably still carry the scars on their bottoms from their father's belt. No worry about child protective services showing up for a well deserved hide tanning in those days. ;D