Handwashing, the soaking bucket and getting things dry and the Clothes Horse

I was taught to hand-wash at home by my mum, and then it was backed up with laundry lessons in our Domestic Science classes at school  -what I would call life skills.  Mum]s motto was that you can always be untidy (although preferably not) but everything must be clean.  Some skills she taught me are now classed as old hat - particularly the routine for washing.  I also remember being taught how to iron; tray cloths at school if they were linen had to be washed and then starched and then pressed and rolled and were served on the side of a tea tray rolled up.  Embroidered items were ironed and pressed on the back to make the embroidery stand up from the cloth. How times have changed.

Washing day was always a Monday and anything that needed soaking was soaked prior to the main wash day and then popped in the tub.  Apparently mum had a copper (with the house we lived in), a posher and metal water butt that she used to do the washing in with the aid of a wringer when I was a baby and they used to have a copper that could be lit to get nice hot boiling water and the washing would go into that and then rinsed in the metal water butt in cold water. Sometimes a blue bag would be added especially to white items as it used to make them appear whiter.

Mum's first real washing machine was a twin tub and she had that machine for about 12 years until it packed in and was beyond repair.  She then bought another twin tub second hand and then her first automatic washing machine - the likes of which we are more familiar with today.

Mum used to tell me that her mum used to be up at 6:00am to light the copper and to set it on the go, and then with a posher and wash tub full of cold water she would rinse and then finally ring the clothes out through the wringer. She would not finish washing until 6:00pm - there were ten children and two adults in a two up two down.  Not finished there - 

Then the washing had to be dried and then pressed and aired. The airing part was considered the most important part as damp things or things that were not well aired could make you ill.  So there are reasons behind things that we take very much for granted.  After the ironing mum would pop them onto the clothes horse and it would be put in front of the fire to "air and warm" the clothes.  The clothes horses were not the concertina ones we have today but the bifold ones (and some houses had the laundry maid that was up on the ceiling for the clothes to dry and/or air).  Having the bifold clothes horse was a bonus as in the summer months it was turned into a tent for us kids on the back lawn with the aid of a blanket draped over it.  Much fun was had especially if the neighbours kids came in to play as well.  

As a result of my mother's training I am very particular about new items of clothing.  You never know whether the colour is going to run if you pop it into the machine so for first wash at least I always hand-wash the item to find out how it behaves and then take action accordingly.  Some items need constant hand-washing.  But what am I talking about hand-washing is pretty old-fashioned in this day and age, but I believe it still has its part to play especially with delicates like lace and linen and also wool jumpers.

When it comes to drying they are also spun to get rid of any water (they dry better this way then and more quickly then popped onto a coathanger and hung up in the doorways with the heat of the house to dry them  - well spaced out.  I never even tumble dry them for the first time.  I am the same with my clothes and with OH's as well.

When it comes to stains on clothing I have a couple of black buckets that I use for soaking the relevant items over night.  I use some of the Oxy powder and boiling water then soak.  Then once soaked straight into the washing machine with some more powder and soap powder and conditioner and nine times out of ten everything comes very clean.

When it comes to ironing I hate it with a vengeance but I always make sure I do it properly  - it is a discipline for me to stand and do it but equally it makes everything look lovely and nice and tidy and ready to wear.  If you look good you feel good about yourself.

These days I still air things around the house although I do not with the cats in the house have the clothes horse out. That I am afraid is tempting providence. More likely or not things are aired on coathangers and I never miss this part out.

Old habits die hard it would seem.

My hands are all now white  - they were wrinkly but that has died off a bit and the skin is coming back to normal.  One thing about the handwashing is that I now have spotless hands and nails and the clothes now they are dried smell lovely and oh so clean.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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