My grandmother would collect rainwater strain it thru muslin and the heat it on the stove. Outside we would go with a porscelain dishpan and she would wash my hair after rinsing she would add a dash of vinegar for the final rinse. Very few young people know rainwater is soft water. One of my fondest memories is doing dishes. Grams never had hot water in her kitchen. Dishes were placed in a large dishpan filled with water and put upon the stove to heat slightly, the teakettle was heated to boiling for rinsing. Everything was washed, dried and placed in the Sellar type cupboard manys the night we laughed about something till we cried. She taught me how to crimp a pie shell edge (I was 6) to this day whenever I do this she is standing right by my side. She would pull out her fabric scraps and make my tiny doll a bonnet, skirt and apron with only a needle and thread. I asked her to do my hair up in rags as she did this with all of her 6 girls a hair full of rags is hysterical but did I end up with beautiful long curls! She was an angel to me.