L.A.C.E.~ Love Your Laundry

Dear friends, how much do you love your laundry.. or do you loathe it?

Do you look forward to gathering up the household washing to see the transformation take place in that whirling box beside the tub?

Or do you groan at the overflowing baskets of never-ending dirty washing?

As modern housewives, we often tend to forget how blessed we are to have the luxury of washing machines and dryers that  lighten our laundry load.

Our forebears laboured hard to do chores that we only need to press a button to achieve today..and yet we grumble!

Let's encourage one another to see, not only the dignity of our calling as homemakers; but also the wonderful ways in which God has supplied us with the means to fulfil our role with such ease!

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Washing day was a major event in the Victorian household.

Due to the labour involved, it was also infrequent, occurring perhaps once a month to be more economically viable. The less frequent the washing, the more affluent a family could claim to be, as they would have sufficient clothing to wear until next wash day.

Large country houses would have a purpose-built laundry, an idea which was copied by larger homes and farmhouses.
Smaller homes had to content themselves with using the kitchen or the yard for the purpose. Before indoor plumbing, water often had to be carried some distance. Efforts were made to store rainwater, and rural communities could still use streams for washing.



The use of soap for washing increased throughout the second half of the nineteenth century after the tax on it was abolished in 1853. Over a stone (16lbs) of soap per person was being used by 1891. In addition, sometimes bleaches and 'blue' were used for white clothes. Starch was used for linens, aprons and collars and this was often regarded as a specialist skill.
Washing was done in tubs or bucks. These were usually wooden, although metal ones were becoming more common. The actual washing was done with a 'dolly' - a pole with one end shaped either like a cone or a small three-legged stool. This was used to plunge and agitate the clothes in the boiling water. Washboards were becoming more popular, used with a wider, bath shaped tub; these were easier and quicker to use than the old dollies. Clothes would be rubbed with soap to remove stains.
Washing machines, although in existence in 1891, were not generally popular and were expensive to buy and run.
The process of washing lasted for most of the day and had to be started early in order to get it all dried.
It was still quite usual to dry washing on hedges or even on mown fields, or on clothes horses and lines in the house in wet weather.

When the items were fully washed and rinsed, they would be wrung to remove excess water, and hung to dry. Once dry or nearly dry, clothes and bedding would be mangled to smoothe them, sometimes taking the place of ironing. Mangles might also be used for wringing clothes. Mangles were widely owned as they became smaller and more affordable.

 Finally the items would be ironed.



Large houses could employ a maid specifically to deal with the household washing, but smaller households had to fend for themselves or employ the services of a laundress. Sometimes these would be women who would come into the house to do the washing, rather like a maid, but more often they took washing to their own homes.
This was an invaluable way to augment the family's income for a married woman, and for a single or widowed woman it could be crucial. The work could be very skilled and laundresses could make quite a healthy income. However, it was always arduous. The women would work six days a week and in many cases would do the work for the whole of their lives. ( source)

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My how things can change in one generation!

Now..I wonder where I could find 50 good men to take on my washing today lol!!

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Hello everyone - a warm Wednesday welcome to L.A.C.E.

Thank you for joining me - it's always such a blessing to see you!

I

Just a reminder of the rules for this weekly meme based on Philippians 4:8

I invite you to link with posts that encourage us to be godly christian women, and which promote the beauty of our vocation as homemakers with joyful femininity.
Whatever is..Lovely Admirable Cheerful Encouraging ~ LACE
Link to the actual post you are submitting and not to your homepage.
You are welcome take the button on the sidebar and display it in your post.
Please leave a comment after linking, and try to visit each other with an encouraging word.
blessings..Trish