If It Is Monday, It Must Be Laundry Day. This was so when I was growing up in the 1940’s. Laundry day was very hard labor back then. This was before all the automatic washers and dryers. We had a MayTag washer. It had a deep tub with a motor-driven agitator and a rotatable motor-driver wringer. That’s the extent of the automation.
The Laundry Washer
The deep tub on our washer was filled once with hot water, and soap powder ready for the first load. The dirty clothes were separated into three batches: white, mixed pastel colors, and the dark heavy work items in the third batch. Separating the clothes this way had a reason. The same tub of water would be used all day for all three batches. You started with the whites while the water was still clean.
Each batch was allowed to agitate for about 15-20 minutes. Then, the wringer was used to move them from the soapy water into a tub of clear rinse water and the next batch was put into the soapy tub. Then the wringer was moved 90 degrees to be able to wring the items in the rinse tub into a basket. The wet clothes in the basket were then carried to the back yard to be hung on clothes lines hopefully to dry.
Rainy or winter days made drying the wet items difficult. Some might be hung on clotheslines in the basement. Otherwise, they might have to be spread out on racks in front of furnace vents to dry. A nice sunny breezy day on a Monday was a blessing.
Once the clothes were dry, they had to be taken down. Some would be folded to be put away and others would be kept aside for ironing.
Tuesday was Ironing Day
Tuesday would begin by sprinkling the clothes in the ironing basket. Why? Steam Irons had not been invented yet. Fortunately, our iron was electric. In earlier years, the iron had to be heated on the stove.
To Sprinkle, a bottle of water with a holey cap was used to dampen them. The dampened items were rolled, waiting for the iron. Some people did the sprinkling on Monday evening and put the damp clothes into the refrigerator overnight.
Men’s white dress shirts needed an additional preparation of starching the collars and cuffs. Ironing these shirts was the most dreaded part of ironing. I was lucky my mother did it. I, at age 10, would get my turn with the iron, doing the white handkerchiefs.
Sheets from the Line to the Bed
One of the things we miss today with all of our automated appliances is the marvelous feel and aroma of fresh bed sheets straight from the outside clothesline. I’m not sure when my mother had time on Monday to get all of the beds remade with the fresh sheets, but it was always a wonderful night to look forward to.
One of my favorite memories, in addition to the lovely fresh sheets, was going to bed with the radio next to my pillow and listening to the shows before we slept. Yes, this was in the days before TV. My favorite show was a bit scary. It was called Inner Sanctum and began with creaking doors and other sound effects to get our nerves revved up. Just picture lying in the dark listening to that. No wonder we had ghosts under our beds.
Wednesday and Thursday were Baking Days
Yes, we sometimes baked our own bread, and Grandma always made wonderful cakes and pies. There were always household tasks to do, but Fridays were always house-cleaning day. Cleaning from top to bottom with just mops, pails, and hand carpet cleaners. The Fuller Brush Man came periodically, door to door, to offer better hand tools for this job, and the Vacuum Cleaner salesmen weren’t far behind them.
Little by little. as the years went by, the household jobs became easier with automation, but the old days still hold memories. The Ice Man delivering large blocks of ice to our neighbor across the street, who still had an Ice Box in lieu of a refrigerator. We as kids could gather by the truck and get chips of ice to suck.
And the memory of the Milk man leaving us fresh milk every day. It came in glass bottles. We washed the empty ones and placed them on the porch steps the night before, to find new, fresh ones in the morning. And, occasionally, a fresh jar of cottage cheese as well.
These were not easy times, but they were tranquil times. Neighbors all happily existing. So many more inventions have entered my life since that time. TVs, first black and white, then color, with only three stations for a limited time each day, and no remote control. That’s a subject for another page. I have memories of Pearl Harbor, written on another page, and so much more, so please feel free to check the menu and explore on your own.