Laundry Day

2010 EXHIBIT: On laundry day, the copper boiler on the wood-burning stove was filled with boiling water and the clothes were boiled until clean.  To get stains out of table linens and little boys’ knickers a washbowl with scrub-board on the kitchen table, basket of laundry soaps at the ready and a little elbow grease when needed.  In summer, the laundry would have been done in the summer kitchen, removed from the main house. In winter, the kitchen would have been very steamy.

The ironing board is set up nearby,  flatirons and a ruffle-making iron heat up on the kitchen stove next to a boiler full of simmering laundry.  When an iron grew too cool to press the linens and clothing it was replaced with a hot iron. The ruffle-maker was used to create ruffled borders to clothing and fancier linens.

In the1800s many clotheslines were stretched in the back yard to accommodate all linens that would be washed along with all the clothing.   Our Hydrangea bushes would also be useful.  Laundry dried outside was naturally whitened by the sun.  The drying rack could be used outdoors or indoors near the wood-burning  stove to dry or heat clothing, sheets or blankets.

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