The Laundry
Washing and ironing the hard way
Ted Blowers
No central heating, no hot water, water for washing and bathing etc. had to be boiled in a copper, usually heated by wood or coal. When the washing was in, it was stirred and agitated by muscle power using a piece of wood referred to as the copper stick, or you would boil water in kettles on the fire unless you had gas, in which case you would boil the water on the stove. No disposable diapers or tissues, no paper towels all nappies or diapers, handkerchiefs, washcloths, had to be washed by hand.
When the washing was finished it was taken outside, where if you were lucky enough to have one, the big items like sheets were put through the mangle or wringer. This was a large contraption with two heavy wooden rollers one on top of the other which were compressed together by turning a drive screw at the top of the frame. There was a set of cogs on the side which had a handle attached, which the women had to turn while feeding the sheet between the rollers to get as much water out as possible.This was caught in the tin bath for use on the garden later - this was heavy work. Small stuff like shirts and underwear was wrung out by hand, then it was all hung on a clothes line which was strung between the house and a pole. To stop the washing dragging on the ground a clothes prop was used which was made by cutting a V in the top of a piece of 2x2 about 10 ft long, or getting a long branch with a fork at the end from a tree. These were usually sold door to door along with wooden clothes pegs by the gypsies. The poles would be used to catch the line in the groove or fork and lift the line up as high as you could. The weight would keep it there. The wind would blow and clean lines of washing would be billowing in every garden. Women who experienced life without, still say that there is nothing better then wind dried laundry, though no doubt they would have appreciated the convenience of a drier, especially in the winter when the frost would freeze the washing solid and the poor women would have to bring it inside to try to dry it. Many would suffer from split fingers and chilblains. Moisturizer and all the array of cosmetics used today were unheard of and what was available most could not afford.
Once done it had to be ironed and there were no electric irons, just flat irons that had to be heated on the gas if you had it, or the fire. Blankets were usually washed by putting them in a bath, adding the water and washing soap, then taking your shoes and socks off and treading them like grapes, then rinsing them the same way.