Posted by kathleen (elder) on July 20, 1997 at 14:17:04:
In reply to Re: Laundry days -- Great and small washes posted by Caroline on July 20, 1997 at 12:46:28
Thank you, Caroline, for your kind answer with details. The Wordsworth household was not wealthy, so Dorothy W obviously had a great deal of the work laid at her feet. In one journal it mentions that they had one servant woman, and they hired a washerwoman when they did their great washes.
In Nebraska, USA in the 1950's (and 1960's) many farm families had "conventional" washing machines -- electric powered wringer/washers -- and no automatic dryers. Much easier than described above, but still a half-day job at least to do one weeks' laundry. (We carried hot water from the house to the laundry shed, cold water from a nearby pump. Sheets and other whites were done first, then undies, colored clothes, jeans. Before the last load, more hot water had to be added to the washer. We used two rinse tubs, the second having bluing for the whites. Drying was on clothes lines, or in the house in the winter.)
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