EARLY DAYS - Homesteaders

EQUIPMENT FOR DOING LAUNDRY

wooden tub, washboard, washer and wringer for heating water - metal wash tub, iron kettle, metal wash boiler pails (for carrying water) and a dipper (to add more hot water while washing)

Laundry was washed by hand with a tub, washboard and homemade lye soap. The tub was placed on a bench. Laundry was hung outdoors on a clothesline. In the winter laundry was hung indoors to dry. Sad irons or flat irons were heated on a stove. Some had stands to place the iron on. Irons with detachable handles were handy so you could iron while another iron was heating on the stove. The irons were heavy. Handles were wooden or metal. A long narrow board served as an ironing board. The board was placed between two chairs or between a table and a chair. A thin blanket was used for an ironing pad. A hand-operated wringer was attached to the tub with clamps. It was hard to turn the rollers but it removed a lot more water than trying to wring out by hand. Then the laundry did not take as long to dry. The wringer was good for larger items like towels, blankets and sheets. The first washing machines were hand-powered. The crank was turned by hand and the laundry was swished around to loosen the dirt. Metal tubs replaced wooden tubs.