Washing Clothes Recipe

[Ann]

Years ago a Southern grandmother gave a new bride the following recipe:

This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - with spelling errors and all.

WASHING CLOTHES

Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes or house if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of lye soap in boilin water.

Sort things, make 3 piles

1 pile white,

1 pile colored,

1 pile work britches and rags.

Boil good whites first.

To make starch, get starch tub, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.

Take white things, rub dirty spots on scrub board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored. Wrench whites first. Don't boil colored, just wrench and starch.

Take things out of boilin kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench in wrench tub, and starch in starch tub.

Hang good clothes on line. Check clothespins for splintrs and clothesline for bird droppins.

Hang old rags on fence.

Spread tea towels on grass. Watch for rain clouds.

Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water. Turn tubs upside down.

Wash up, put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew up cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.

After a spell, take in, fold up dry clothes. Sprinkle water on ironin

peces. Roll up each pece tight in a wad. Put all together in ironin basket.

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Paste this over your washer and dryer. Next time when you think things are

bleak, read it again, kiss that washing machine and dryer, and give thanks.

First thing each morning you should run and hug your washer and dryer, also

your toilet---those two-holers used to get mighty cold!