The 1940s housewife had lots to do before she even set to work with her washing machine, so I sat down this evening to sort my dirty laundry. Here are the steps my manual recommends for sorting:
1. Separate clothes into piles according to type and color:
Table linen - white and colored
Bed linen and towels - white and colored
White and colorfast cotton and linen garments
Colored cotton and linen garments, not colorfast
White silks and rayons
Colored silks and rayons
White woolens
Colored woolens
2. Subdivide these piles, if necessary, into lightly soiled and heavily soiled pieces.
3. As you sort the clothes, watch for spots and stains that have escaped notice, and remove them before the articles are washed.
4. Mend rips and tears before washing (except in undergarments and stockings) to save time and stitches later on.
5. Remove pins and clips.
6. Empty pockets.
7. If you are not absolutely sure that any new article is colorfast to washing, put it aside and wash it separately the first time.
8. Handkerchiefs that have been used by persons suffering from colds or sinusitis should never be put in the hamper, and should be laundered separately. (The use of soft paper tissues by these sufferers is to be highly recommended, as they may be disposed of quickly after use, lessening danger of infection.)
So my bedroom floor is now covered in piles of clothes:
Table linen - colored
Bed linen and towels - white and colored
White and colorfast cotton and linen garments
Colored cotton and linen garments, not colorfast
The sixth pile is a heap of garments made from substances not yet invented at the time the manual was written. All but two of them are a blend of cotton and spandex - which I've just learned was invented in 1959. Two items are made from blends of Modal with cotton or spandex. Apparently, this is a variety of rayon made from the cellulose of beech trees. It's been around since 1965, but is only now becoming a popular clothing textile. My manual doesn't give me any guidance about what to do with items made from a blend of fibers, so I'm going to sort them with the fiber that makes up the majority of the garment... Okay, my sixth pile now contains only one piece:
Colored silks and rayons
I'm reading a little farther on in the manual and it turns out that the only special washing directions apply to non-colorfast cotton and linen, silks and rayons, and woolens. Would the authors frown on me for combining the rest of my items - sorting only for color? That brings me down to just four piles, one of which contains only a single "rayon" item and that can probably be washed by hand. Two of the three remaining piles are big enough for the washer. I'd like to use a bleach with the whites, so I think I'll save that pile for next Monday.
1. Separate clothes into piles according to type and color:
Table linen - white and colored
Bed linen and towels - white and colored
White and colorfast cotton and linen garments
Colored cotton and linen garments, not colorfast
White silks and rayons
Colored silks and rayons
White woolens
Colored woolens
2. Subdivide these piles, if necessary, into lightly soiled and heavily soiled pieces.
3. As you sort the clothes, watch for spots and stains that have escaped notice, and remove them before the articles are washed.
4. Mend rips and tears before washing (except in undergarments and stockings) to save time and stitches later on.
5. Remove pins and clips.
6. Empty pockets.
7. If you are not absolutely sure that any new article is colorfast to washing, put it aside and wash it separately the first time.
8. Handkerchiefs that have been used by persons suffering from colds or sinusitis should never be put in the hamper, and should be laundered separately. (The use of soft paper tissues by these sufferers is to be highly recommended, as they may be disposed of quickly after use, lessening danger of infection.)
So my bedroom floor is now covered in piles of clothes:
Table linen - colored
Bed linen and towels - white and colored
White and colorfast cotton and linen garments
Colored cotton and linen garments, not colorfast
The sixth pile is a heap of garments made from substances not yet invented at the time the manual was written. All but two of them are a blend of cotton and spandex - which I've just learned was invented in 1959. Two items are made from blends of Modal with cotton or spandex. Apparently, this is a variety of rayon made from the cellulose of beech trees. It's been around since 1965, but is only now becoming a popular clothing textile. My manual doesn't give me any guidance about what to do with items made from a blend of fibers, so I'm going to sort them with the fiber that makes up the majority of the garment... Okay, my sixth pile now contains only one piece:
Colored silks and rayons
I'm reading a little farther on in the manual and it turns out that the only special washing directions apply to non-colorfast cotton and linen, silks and rayons, and woolens. Would the authors frown on me for combining the rest of my items - sorting only for color? That brings me down to just four piles, one of which contains only a single "rayon" item and that can probably be washed by hand. Two of the three remaining piles are big enough for the washer. I'd like to use a bleach with the whites, so I think I'll save that pile for next Monday.
Thank goodness my breakfast this morning gave me fuel for all this decision making!
Orange Juice
Buckwheat Griddlecakes
Sirup
If you've never had Buckwheat Griddlecakes before - like me! - you'll probably be pleasantly surprised. They tasted just like your basic Griddlecake, but they were as dark as gingerbread - and much, much moister and lighter than the Griddlecakes I've been able to make using the recipe in my 1945 cookbook. Must be the molasses. I made enough for leftovers, so that should make tomorrow's breakfast a little easier on the washerwoman. Off to soak some stains!
4 comments:
that's what I do, I just sort by colour... i usually end up with lights, darks, towels and sheets... and infrequently a handwash pile (that i put in the machine on the handwash setting)...
depends on if you think doing it that way would compromise the integrity of your project
The manual recommends washing white articles first, then running the colored articles through the washer. Some of the water used in the first load could be reused in subsequent loads. You wouldn't want to have any residue from darker dyes still in the water you were using on your whites, I guess. I've never used an old washing machine, so it's hard to tell exactly what the reasoning was - but I don't think the washers in my laundromat are going to allow me to reuse water from load to load, so I'm not going to worry about that step.
I'm not at all sure why they suggest separating table linens, bed linens, and towels from clothing. That's a real puzzler.
wow, you sound as if you are as insane as I am. Though I suppose I am more modern, my living in 1955. I probably have the benefit of a more modern washer and dryer. I am getting introduced to my iron, however. It is a lovely pink affair from my time period (1950's) thanks for stopping by. I shouldn't really be online right now, but I had a few minutes before I prepare to go out tonight ( I am currently sitting in my nylon penoir with my hair in curlers!)and wanted to go around and thank everyone who has started to follow my journey through 1955. Thanks so much, I will be back to read your blog. I may have my husband print it out for me, then I can read it with a cup of tea while the laundry is going, so I will not feel guilty about it, cheers!
Thanks for visiting, 50s gal! Yes, you must indeed have some luxurious appliances in comparison to what my '40s counterpart would have been using. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how a washing machine of the period saved any time at all. It sounds awfully complicated to operate.
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