Maytag forever! ( Archived) (7)

>>
>> Old Time Washing Clothes Recipe
>>
>> 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.
>>
>>
>>
>> ================================================
>> 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. First thing each morning you should run & hug your
washer
>>and
>>dryer, also be thankful for your toilet- those outhouses used to get
>>mighty
>>cold! (Careful how you give thanks for the toilet, however.)
>>
>>
>>
>> For you non-southerners: wrench means rinse
>>

Them newfangled machines aren't always a bad thing.

Sad thing is: I still remember having to do laundry the hard way.

Mom's old wringer washer is still behind the junk pile here. I can remember dad making wine in Granny's old boiling kettle and all our whites coming out a pretty lavender.

holy crap...me, too.

and we HAD an outhouse.

Ohhhhhhh, the old outhouse. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. My memories are vivid there. Brrrrrr, verrrry cold in the winter. And jumping over the snakes when leaving was not a pretty site either! Scared the bajeebers out of me.

Kat