Washing Days

On Mondays Mum would pull out the Hoover washing machine, fill it with hot water and do the washing.   

After soaking items in the sink she put them in the washer in order; first the whites and sheets, working her way down to the things requiring a cooler wash and finally whatever was dirtiest.  That way the water didn’t have to be changed until she’d finished.   The soak water for things going in became the rinse water for stuff coming out.  

Until she acquired a spin dryer in 1977 everything was wrung by hand and hung out on the line to dry.  There was a mangle but it was used so much that in a few years the rollers were too worn to be of much use.

Blodfa’s garden had been arranged partly with washing in mind.   

There was a T shaped washingline arrangement along and across the garden, with a cinder path alongside so wet ground didn’t matter.  

Washing went out in anything short of a downpour.  

Mum reckoned frost was good at killing germs and sometimes washing came back in as stiff as a board.   

Frosted and sun dried washing smells lovely once it’s dried and ironed.

Dad’s shed had originally been built 

(in 1926 before mains water arrived) as his grandmother’s washhouse.  Although it was mainly old railway sleepers and corrugated iron there was a brick fireplace and chimney where she used to boil the copper for hot water.   

In later years our Grandma used it to boil layer’s mash for the hens.

From Facebook archives

16 February 2014 at 09:46

The sun is out!

So is the washing!!

And I don't care if I've puddled the lawn putting it out as I'm the only bugger that uses our garden anyway.

Miss Fiddle  Mine's out too!

Dulcima  Wow! Sun!

Henlady  My hens are loving the sun, lying in it- on a dry spot !

Bentonbag  One of the nicest sounds in the world is a happy hen crooning in the sunshine.  At home we had some fir trees (leylandii) on the southern side of the shed/garage in the field/orchard/henrun.  It was almost always dry under there and it was their favourite place for dust baths.  After which they would stand on one leg and croon to themselves in the afternoon sunshine.

16 February 2023 at 08.48

Took the day off blogging yesterday and:-

    Put on a small load of washing (60⁰ whites and undies).

    Took Ferretfingers to the day centre.

    Popped into LDNE on the way home with something I'd signed as a trustee for 

        insurance.

    Phoned Middle Sister.

    Took down washing in loft and hung up load of washing.

    Put on a load of washing (40⁰ socks, tights, pyjamas, trousers, leggings, hoodie, 

        jumper).

    Did the washing up, which in my case includes doing all the pans, plastics for 

        recycling and worktops.

    Collected Ferretfingers from the Gary Mather Centre.

    Stopped off at the Rising Sun Earth & Fire bakers to collect bread.

    Took Ferretfingers to Molineux centre so the dental nurse could scrape his teeth.

    Came home and after tea, having forgotten it, hung up the second load of washing.

Today the plan is Sainsbury's with Thunderthighs and, possibly, some ironing.

One day I shall get to the sewing machine...

It's a great life if you don't weaken.