Tuesday, December 1, 1925
Gilbert fixed the washing machine last week, so I washed all the baby’s things and our sleeping garments that weigh so heavy. Mama wanted me to go to the O.E.S. bazaar but I just couldn’t get my work done in time. I wanted to finish my waist so I could go the last of the week.
(Marjorie provided more information on how they used the washing machine to wash clothes.
"Mother had a roller-type washing machine. She had 3 galvanized tubs to rinse the laundry. She could open the drain in the bottom of the washing machine, but the large rinse tubs had no drains. She used a bucket and dipped out the water to the floor (there was a drain in the basement floor) until there was only a little water in the large galvanized tub - then she could tip it over and let the rest of the water run out."
It sounds like washing clothes was a completely manual effort. Wash the clothes, rinse them several times, and run them through the rollers to get the water out of them. It must have been a lot of work to do the "heavy" laundry like blankets, flannel garments, etc.
O.E.S is Order of the Eastern Star. I provided information about that with this diary entry and this one.)
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Mother would never let me (and I assume, Marjorie) use the ringer washing machine. She was afraid I would get a hand or arm caught in the ringers. It could have a common accident back then.
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog and have spent hours reading all the entires. It is like a book that I couldn't put down. I can't wait to come back now every day and learn more!!
ReplyDeleteAutumn, happy to have another reader of these diaries!
ReplyDeleteEleanor... Marjorie did use the washing machine. Marjorie wrote this comment and sent it to me in the US mail: "Mother had the roller-type washing machine until David (Marjories oldest son) was a baby at which time I ran my right hand and arm almost to my shoulder through the roller. It supposedly had a bar to hit which should have released a part instantly. Instead, I, in a panic, reached across to the switch and wrung my arm out. Once the feeling came back in my arm, it hurt! Around that time automatic machines came on the market (1947+) and after that dryers became available. (I had heard of people losing an arm in their washing machines.) I had a rough time pinning safety pins on David's daipers for awhile)."
So, it was a dangerous machine, and Marjorie was lucky to still have her arm after that!
My Mom had a wringer in the basement and used it for some stuff [especially blue jeans] until the late seventies. She was very adamant about letting us kids near it, but I think one of my brothers managed to get his fingers caught - have to ask my siblings about this one!
ReplyDeleteAnnie at the Transplantable Rose
I am a bit late on responding about wringer washers. We too had one in the basement. Mom never wanted an automatic because she liked to get all her washing done in one morning (Monday) and not take all day waiting on the washer to run through all the cycles. Of course in later years she did use an automatic at Huntingburg house in 70's and at the apartment.
ReplyDeleteI did agree with her that you could do laundry much faster with it. First she washed good whites, then heaverier whites and then towels. She would change water and do good coloreds, medium and then jeans. Sometimes it was new water and then do towels then rugs. It was washer, and two tubs. If final rinse needed to be changed she would do that so it was always clean. But she would drain the water into a bucket and put into the washer so as not to waste good water. Then all clothes were hung outside or in the basement in the winter and the furnace had a blower to blow warm air out over the clothes. This was in the 50's and 60's. I am sure in the 20th it was much harder as the water would have to be warmed and clothes hung on lines stretched in the house, as there was no basement in the 20's. Usually wash day was vegetabe soup day. Mom would have beef cooking all morning then when laundry was all on the line she would fix lunch and them finish the soup for supper. I loved her vegetable soup--it is still my favorite soup. I usually spent laundry day laying on a pile of dirty clothes talking to mom while she worked and then would help her hang them outside. As I got older I did more of the task. I am glad she taught me so many skills.