Laundry nostalgia

A friend sent me a video clip showing the method used by my mother to do the laundry, when I was a child. This prompted me to re-create the experience for my children and grandchildren.

Here is the clip (on YouTube): Laundry
(Sorry, the titles are in hebrew)

I have the basic equipment - a large kerosene stove, and a suitably large galvanized laundry pot. Yesterday I built the tripod to hold the pot, and all I need now is a soap "brick" and a "laundry blue".

This is the setup, action photos will follow some time soon.


(You may recognize the rose in the background from my "Spring" post).

Yonadav

 

Hi Yonadav nice set up watched the video just shows how much harder every day chores were compaired with today i will look forward to the action photos

 

Hi Yonadav, great find on the video.

For the action shots -- Are you going to iron the sheets also? Near the end of the video you have to catch the human spray nozzle used to get out those last wrinkles.

 

Unfortunately I lost the coal-heated iron I once had, and never had a stove-top model either, so we shall limit the show to the laundry plus hanging-to-dry.

Yonadav

 

Yonadav get yourself a gasoline fired iron of the Coleman style and have them use it for a time. It won't be long before they decide they like living in this age and not back when your country was first being formed following the British occupation.

lance

 

Hi Lance, what is your justification for calling the British presence in Palestine an 'occupation'?
Regards,
Kerophile.

 

Palestine was actually liberated from the Turks by the British, which eventually made it possible for Israel to be created...

Yonadav

 

Going one step further, today I bought the two required ingredients: a "block" soap, and "laundry blue". I'm actually cheating a bit on both. The soap is about half the size of the real thing, and is slightly perfumed. The original, as I still remember, had quite an ugly odor.

Laundry Blue is nowhere to be found, so I bought a blue toilet sanitizer, and put a piece in a cotton rag.







Yonadav

 

Hi Yonadev

You may find this link nostalgic:

Carbolic Soap

Cheers

 

Thanks, Ian,

What a frustration!

They do carry the laundry blue I could not find, and soap flakes too. And even the price is decent, until you come to the shipping part (yes, I know, Royal Mail again).

They offer two shipping options:
- RM surface (5 months + mutilation) at 4 GBP,
- or FedEx at 15 GBP.

Bottom line - I'm looking, drooling, and not buying.

Yonadav

 

Next step - test run of the stove and pot. Only a video clip at this time, but you can hear the roar. I will add stills tomorrow.

Test run - video clip

Yonadav

 

I think blueing is still available in the USA, comes in a small bottle (its a liquid). I haven't noticed a "rub board" in your photos and you can't give the kids the full experience without one. One of the DIL's collects then for old timey display type stuff.

Just googled and found this site telling you how to make it,
http://www.ehow.com/how_6637876_make-laundry-bluing.html
It is still available here (and I bet there also). Locally its brand name is Mrs. Stewarts Blueing.

Okay, here's a story about wash pot washing a soap making.
http://www.writingroom.com/viewwriting/Elton4562/Old-Times--Washing-clothes-ironing-making-lye-soap
Best,
Bob

 

Bluette laundry whitener is sold in Wal-Mart But don't look for it in the laundry detergents. Some putz in corperate inventory decided it was a bowl cleaner. So it leads a lonely life over in plumbing chemicals. Dan

 

Yes, I still don't have a rub board - they used to come in two flavors - wooden and galvanized steel. I guess it requires another visit to the flea market.

Yonadav

 

Here are some photos of yesterday's trial run:









Yonadav

 

Yonadav,

Please make sure that the bottom of your wash pot is in good condition. I have heard that in days-of-yor that many suffered from burns/scalding as a byproduct of laundry day. Hate to hear that the "bottom dropped out". Looking at large quantities of hot liquid i.e. turkey fryers, make my guts roll & posterior pucker up. Keep a watchful eye on the lil' kids too.

Now that I've said that, I love these big burners. Admire your ingenuity in creating the pot stand as well as the "back-up" plan for domestic water & laundry detail.

Love the brick patio.

AR

 

Thanks, Anlrolfe,

The warning is well placed, as this pot indeed has rusted areas, and must be over 60 years old. (I tried to keep the "good side" showing to the camera.)

Yonadav