Washing clothes recipe

[mesewnice]

Never thought of a 'washer' in this light before.
' Washing Clothes Recipe' -- imagine having a recipe for this ! ! !
Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe:
This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - with spelling errors and all.

WASHING CLOTHES

Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.
Sort things, make 3 piles
1 pile white,
1 pile colored,
1 pile work britches and rags.
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.
Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.
Hang old rags on fence.
Spread tea towels on grass.
Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water. Turn tubs upside down.
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.
================================================
And we thought we had it tough!
Paste this over your washer and dryer. Next time when you think things are bleak, read it again, kiss that washing machine and dryer, and give thanks.

For those who don't know - wrench means rinse.

[windstar]

This is so cute. Thanks for posting. Hadn't come across this before.

[pennykasteel]

We,ve come a long way haven,t we? Even in my lifetime there has been progress. We settled in a new irrigation area when I was young & we were without electricity for a year or so, and this doesn,t sound too foreign to me, but my mother, a city girl whose parents had a maid & washerwoman wasn't too impressed.

[Dreama]

This is cute. Glad "we have come along way baby" since those days. I'm afraid my clothes would not be sooo clean. Dreama

[annmarie]

thanks for sharing
Its a good one!

[watermelon]

How cute and I remember my Granny making Lye soap outside in her big ole cast iron pot. I think my mama still has a small chunk of that soap.
This would be adorable to print out and frame for the laundry room for sure. Thanks bunches for sharing with us. I love it!

[Siobhan Shadow]

That was adorable. I hate to think back to a time I washed clothes out side in the yard because the washer leaked bad. Winter time and all. Darn it was cold then hang clothes out side. bring them in hang them over the doors to dry. What can I say I was married to a jerk at the time.

[sharong]

excellent , thank you so much!

[la_cole]

Thank you, mesewnice. I will remember to appreciate my washer and dryer all over again.

[quilt-silly]

Thank you for that, it's cute! You could embroider it and frame the embroidery with quilt squares for the laundry room.


There's a series called the "Foxfire" books - they tell you how to do everything like "the old days," including how to drip water throught wood ashes for lyewater to make soap.

The books were created to preserve the knowledge and folklore of Appalachia - you can learn how to butcher livestock, build a log cabin, make a fireplace that draws properly, cook in a fireplace, make a quilt - if you ever wonder how people got along without electricity or indoor plumbing or modern appliances, just read that series - they're just plain good reading, too. Fascinating.

Here's what they look like:
http://shop.ebay.com/items/_W0QQ_dmp...w=foxfire+book

[ginny1960]

I am so happy to have my washer and dryer, I do prefer when the wheather is nice to hang my clother outside. I do remember the old washing machines that one the clothes were washed them you put them trough the ringer to rid of the excess water, I did have a serious accident with my hand getting stuck in the ringer. I am so glad I never had to was my clothes the way that you described. I will now deeply appreciate my washer and dryer much more after this story. Thanks for sharing.

[windstar]

Thank you for that, it's cute! You could embroider it and frame the embroidery with quilt squares for the laundry room.


There's a series called the "Foxfire" books - they tell you how to do everything like "the old days," including how to drip water throught wood ashes for lyewater to make soap.

The books were created to preserve the knowledge and folklore of Appalachia - you can learn how to butcher livestock, build a log cabin, make a fireplace that draws properly, cook in a fireplace, make a quilt - if you ever wonder how people got along without electricity or indoor plumbing or modern appliances, just read that series - they're just plain good reading, too. Fascinating.

Here's what they look like:
http://shop.ebay.com/items/_W0QQ_dmp...w=foxfire+book

That sounds like good reading except for the butchering animals part. Might have to check it out.

[la_cole]

That sounds like good reading except for the butchering animals part. Might have to check it out.

Oh, Molly. If you want to eat, you have got to butcher. I helped butcher and preserve deer, rabbit and chicken as young girl.

[ginny1960]

Oh, Molly. If you want to eat, you have got to butcher. I helped butcher and preserve deer, rabbit and chicken as young girl.

la cole, That is true, it is just something I would be unable to do is butcher an animal myself. When I had gone to some family outings and there was a whole pig that my BIL cooked I was unable to eat the pork after seeing the pig.

[la_cole]

I think many people would become vegetarians if they ever saw a skinned animal.

[ginny1960]

I think many people would become vegetarians if they ever saw a skinned animal.

la cole, I would probably be one of those that would become a vegetarian.

[la_cole]

I suppose it could be washed down first with lye soap so the skin would nice and clean. lol

[windstar]

Oh, Molly. If you want to eat, you have got to butcher. I helped butcher and preserve deer, rabbit and chicken as young girl.

Yeah but if I had to I could do without meat if it meant I had to do the butchering or help with it.

[quilt-silly]

I do wish I had a clothesline, here. I love the roughness of towels dried on the line - and the crispy smell of sheets dried on the line - now that's perfume! Sunshine does a lot more to make fabric smell beautiful than any fabric softener can do.

[windstar]

I do wish I had a clothesline, here. I love the roughness of towels dried on the line - and the crispy smell of sheets dried on the line - now that's perfume! Sunshine does a lot more to make fabric smell beautiful than any fabric softener can do.

That's a first...the roughness of towels. Usually people like them fluffy and soft.