Next time when you think things are bleak, read it again,kiss that washing machine and dryer, and give thanks.


"Warshing Clothes Recipe" -- imagine having a recipe for this.
Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave a new bride the following recipe:

This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - spelling errors and all.


WARSHING CLOTHESBuild fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water.Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert.Shave one whole cake of lie soap in boilin water.Sort things, make 3 piles1 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 (rinse) 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.

Glad I don't have to do it that way now days.

Wonderful!! My Nana had a WOODEN washing machine!! I used to help her sometimes. Built like a barrel, it had a round lid with 4 dowels on a disk. There was a ratchet handle on the lid which you worked back and forth to make the dowels agitate!

Unfortunately my uncle destroyed it after she died! I would love to have kept it or put it in a museum. *sigh*

But she thought it a great luxury! Still boiled the "whites" on the stove, even the big sheets.

Thanks for the memory!

Love it! Thanks for sharing!

My Aunt Agnes always scrubbed her back porch (the porch that was used a lot) weekly with the remains of her washtubful of water after the clothes were washed. It dripped down on the flowerbeds.

Love it! Especially the set and rock a bit part - count your blessings. (The Whirlpool in the laundry room is certainly one of them! :) )

That's terrific. I sent it to my DD, who does a lousy job keeping up with her laundry.

No joke!!! Will definitely consider kissing them! Too cute!

I got to help with laundry on my grandparents farm in MO when I was about 10 yrs. old. what an experience....I will never forget it....such clean, clean clothes and so fresh smelling afterwards.....

Who had time to "set" after all that?