That explains why a whole day - Monday - was devoted to washing. I think I'd need more than a cup of tea at the end of that day.

Love it! My MIL was a farm girl. She used the word "wrench" for "rinse" her entire life. She "warshed" on Monday, ironed on Tuesday for as long as I knew her.
My sweet MIL died years ago, but her words still echo in my mind when I perform tasks she thought were a privilege - she always said she was blessed to have cleaning & scrubbing to do as it meant she had a home & a family she loved deeply.

My grandmother used to tell me how glad she was when she got her first washing machine in the 50's. With eight kids I would've been glad too.

Never thought of it that way. She was a wise woman.

Funny!! I just found this same article in some of my genealogy stuff....was always going to print it and frame it with this photo of William's great grandmother!

Oh my aching back grandma...

I don't think i would have survived in the "olden" days. Just think, someday people will look back at this time in the same way.

I still wash clothes in a bucket with a brush for stains and a scrubbing board with Tide and either cold or boiled water, then rinse and rinse and wring and wring, then hang dry. For 4 people, whenever we "vacation" in Africa with my in-laws. Wrecks your hands, back, and clothes. Makes you appreciate your luxuries here. They do have fancy-schmancy washers there, but we don't in our homes over there...yet

love the story. thank you.

Thank you for sharing the story. It was a great one.