Today is laundry day. I always do the laundry on Saturday. I just got to thinking about how doing laundry has changed since I was a kid. My earliest memory of washing machines was the old wringer type similar to the one pictured above. My grandmother had one on her screened in back porch. We never had a washing machine in our home, or I should say "many homes" because I couldn't even count the number of different places I lived as a child.
We always did our laundry in a help-yourself laundry where they had old wringer type washing machines. Going to the laundry was always kind of exciting for me. I can still almost smell the soap and bleach that permeated those places. Usually there were several machines with rinsing tubs by them in an open kind of building with a cement floor. There were two or three big tubs next to the machine so when you ran the clothes through the wringer they went into the rinsing tubs. You would start with the white clothes and end up with dark ones washed in the same water. By the time you got to the last load, the water was pretty dirty. I loved to put the clothes through the wringer. My mother would always warn me not to get my hand caught in the wringer. I was very careful because I sure didn't want that to happen. Even when I was in high school, we were still going to this old kind of laundry. We would bring the clothes home and I would help my mother hang them on the clothes line. I remember we always ran a damp rag over the lines to clean them off before hanging the clothes. It was kind of amazing to me how that in Oklahoma when the weather was freezing, the clothes would freeze as soon as you hung them on the line. They went ahead and dried though. I guess they were freeze-dried.
When I got married, we had an automatic washing machine on our screened in back porch but we didn't have a dryer. The clothes were still hung on a line. I remember when we got our first clothes dryer. I loved the way it made the towels so soft. We have a very nice Maytag washing machine and dryer now and let me tell you, I do appreciate them. For fifty years now I've been doing the laundry in an automatic washing machine but I'm kinda glad I grew up in the wringer machine days. I do have fond memories of those days, but I sure wouldn't want to go back to them.
Charlotte, When I first got married in 1972 I used a wringer washer for years and hung my clothes outside on the line to dry. Actually, I loved.. my wringer washer. Thanks for the memories. Hugs, Terrie
ReplyDeleteI remember helping my mom with the ringer washer too. The water was very hot, and we would fish the clothes out with a broomstick and put them through the ringer. It really got the water out of the clothes, but they were wrinkled. Then hanging them out to dry on the line in the breeze helped the wrinkles to blow out. Those were the days. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGreat memories! I too watched my mom and grandma with the wringer washer. Then the clothesline. I had my own little one...hung up doll clothes, hankys....I remember our first dryer, big old thing with a window! Now with just my hubby and me, I have these beautiful uprights and hardly have enough clothes for a full load! Life is funny!!
ReplyDeleteI do the bed sheets on Saturday, as a matter of fact they are swishing away as I type...LOL!
ReplyDeleteI don't remember the wringer washers much but Hubby does. I do remember going to laundry mats and I have a scar from a fall from one of the wheeled baskets!
Have a great laundry day!☺
I remember the old ringer type washing machines, too. Like your grandmother, we had one on our screened in back porch. Momma would have the clothes on the clothes line to dry. I always liked the way the clothes smelled so fresh and clean after being put outside to dry. Even after we got an automatic washing machine and dryer, Momma would still hang clothes out to dry until she got where she couldn't. Then she used the dryer. Thanks for bring up these old but sweet memories.
ReplyDeleteHi Charlotte
ReplyDeleteI remember as a child having to help my Mom hang clothes out on the line...in the cold sometimes and my fingers would freeze. And then the sheets and towels always felt stiff. Thank you Lord for washers and dryers.
BTW....I keep forgetting to tell you. Everytime I visit you, the song No One Like You by Sarah Brightman is playing and something is wrong with it. It sounds like it's in fast speed. Almost spooky sounding. All the others songs sound okay.
Hugs!
Kat
Hi Charlotte,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your laundry memories. My mom had a wringer washer when I was small and I remember the same caution not to get my hand caught. She always hung our laundry outside and wiped the lines first too.
When Bill and I married I didn't have a dryer until after our first child was born. What a luxury and blessing
that was!
xo
Charlotte..I am glad too that I grew up washing like you did!! My mother would hang out our clothes and come in with the reddist hands from the cold. We lived in Illinois. When she could not hang them out, we had lines all over the house with clothes hanging. Then of course once they were washed and dried then she would dampen them, roll them in a ball and then next day IRON all the whole day!! YUCK!!
ReplyDeleteHi Charlotte, your post reminds me of a cute story about my Grandma. Of course, she used the wringer washer and long after the 'modern' ones were out. One day she informed us over the phone that Grandpa had bought her an electric washer. We thought that was great. Next time we visited, she proudly showed us her new electric WRINGER washing machine! She passed away right after Christmas. I'm glad to have had a wonderful grandmother who loved the Lord! Fun memories, for sure.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week.
Brenda :)
Its funny because there are still people that use those old ringer types out in the country here in SC. Also back in the 70's when I was in Japan that is what was used!
ReplyDelete