Early 1940's

scrubbing board. The scrub board was really helpful as Mom would rub out all the stains and spots before rinsing. This tub is a bit more modern on rollers.

Ours was just a round silver metal tub without rollers.. This is also where we took our baths every Saturday night. I was first and my brothers were next to bathe.

Judy says "I remember my mother washing clothes when I was young 
in the 1930's & 40's.

Mondays were washing days.
Mother would warm water on a hotplate. Two big metal tubs were in the kitchen.
One was for wash water and the other rinse water.
She had a scrubbing board where she would rub each soiled piece of clothing after she had rubbed soap on it.
Bleach rinses and bluing were common laundry helps as well as
Tide, Dreft, Duz, or Rinso White Laundry detergents
Next the article of clothing would go into the wash tub.
A big rubber stomper would work on all the clothes before putting them into the rinse water.
Some of the advertising slogans are well remembered and learned like the Nursery Rhymes.

Little Bo Peep and Little Bo Peep Blue. The magic drops that make your clothes white.

Duz Does Everything!
New tiny diamonds of LUX keeps colors brighter longer.
Rinso White. Rinso White. Washes your clothes whiter and brighter.
Tides In Dirts Out! Tide gives you white, bright, dazzling clean clothes.

A few years later she had a washing machine.
It stood on 4 legs with rollers on the feet so it could be moved.
It had rollers attached over the top back of the tub so when the electricity was connected
she could turn the rollers on and the two rubber rollers being close together would
squeeze out the water as she put the material through them.
The articles would then be put into a second tub which had clear water in it to soak out the soap.
She moved the set of rollers over the rinse tub and then put each piece of clothing through the
rollers again to squeeze out the water.

We had a Natural Clothes Dryer. (Clothesline)

All of the laundry was hung on a clothes line outside, and there it would blow in the wind and dry. When a new baby came into the family there were clothes on the line everyday. Diapers by the dozens. It was a challenge but very important to keep them white. I liked the gauze kind which dried quickly and and to be folded several times to make them thicker to absorb moisture. We soaked them and made sure all the stains were out of them and it wasn't easy as we couldn't use bleach which would have been hard on a delicate baby's skin. Then there were many bibs and burp towels everyday. We used the burp towels so we wouldn't have to wash our clothes as often as the baby's clothing. Outfits were changed every time they were soiled and that was certainly more then twice a day. Most babies my mother had wore "soakers" which were knit pants to just fit over the diaper. They were passed down from one baby to the next. Later when Chuck was born in 1948, mother got some rubber pants which we thought was so much better. (The war was over now so rubber was more available.)

We never got wet when we put those on the baby!

Tablecloths, linen, and napkins were a weekly part of the laundry as we used them on Sundays. It was a good experience we thought to teach the children formal table manners.
Today, 2003, we use paper napkins and often paper plates.

Formal dinners are few and far between. Thanksgiving, Christmas and when special company visits we use the dining room and set special tables. Our kitchen is where we eat most every meal and tablecloths are no longer a part of our setting.

In the winter everything freeze dried as we lived in Wisconsin where it was very cold. Clothes would be very stiff and would be stacked to bring into the house where we hung them around where ever we could until they dried out completely.

Tuesdays were for ironing.

Hints on Laundry and Ironing
Most everything needed to be ironed and then folded and put away in drawers and on shelves in closets. Mother ironed all day. Sometimes I could help by ironing the flat things like hankies.  I would also get to iron the pillow cases.

In later years when Mom, was working away from home helping Dad so much we had a housekeeper who did ironing among other things. 

In the 1960's, Mother would take baskets of ironing to a lady who did her ironing for her at 10¢ an item. Mom just supplied the hangars and would pick up the clothes the next day.

Wednesday was Darning & Sewing Day

When mother had any extra time it was always spent darning holes in our socks. She had a large bag of socks and a "darning egg" and needle. Embroidery thread worked good. Grandmother took apart socks that were bad and used the yarn or threads to darn other socks with smaller holes.

PATCHING was something done in every home. Holes in the knees of the boys pants and any rip or hole was patched and worn again. Sometimes 2 or 3 patches might be on the pants so they could continue to wear them.  We took pride in making nice patches to match or work well with each item of clothing.

Check out Household hints for Sewing and repairing clothing.

When we lived in Swedesburg, Iowa, I would often have a large basket of clothing in need of patches and mending. Mildred Bergstrom known to the children as "Mo", often asked if I had any patching to be done and would take it home and do it for us.

She was especially good at making patches for blue jeans or overalls for the children. She was a blessing to us many times, as she loved to baby-sit with the children too. All the children loved her. She was never married but a wonderful Aunt to all of the children.

Thursdays were free to go shopping or visiting for Mom

Fridays were for housecleaning.

We used out clothes lines for cleaning days too. We would hang out the rugs and carpets that couldn't be washed on the clothes lines. We had a "carpet beater" which we beat the dirt and dust out of our carpets. That was before vacuum cleaners. That was the way my parents first lived when they were married and was most common to our grandparents. Rugs were made of rags and old clothing and braided or put on a loom. Other carpets were store bought but only the "carpet beater" could get them clean as sweeping didn't do much good.

Kitchen rugs were made out of thinner cotton and braided or on a loom and they could be washed. They were lighter colors of white and light blues and greens and pinks.

Saturdays were baking days.

I could help mother at times bake cookies or cakes. She often made rolls. The weekly baking was done on this day.

Sunday was Family Day

We always did something together with our parents on this day. They made it special. They also allowed us to attend Sunday School so it was a special morning too.

I remember visiting grandparents and other family members when we lived closer in Eau Claire. After moving to Sioux City, we would take rides in the car together. Each week one of we three children took our turn telling dad where to go. We thought that was great fun. If we told him to turn right he did. If we wanted to go left he turned left.

One day we (I don't remember which one of us Judy, Jon, Or Gene) directed Dad until we arrived at what was called Roe Dairy. I remember the look on Dad's face when we drove into that parking lot. Dad stopped and said, "Get out". We did. Inside we went and we were allowed to order something. Malted milk was top on the list. I remember the girls making them took forever and it was so noisy. The machines the shakes were put on took a long, long time to mix that Malted milk. But Oh, were those malts good! That happened twice! We got smart and so did Dad! We moved to Morningside in Sioux City, and then the Sunday rides were not taken as often. Dad spent time playing basketball in the backyard with the boys. Broke his foot, too!

Summers they went fishing in Northern Minnesota.

Also, we rented a cabin at Lake Okoboji, Iowa with Chick and Marge Nagle and their children. We swam and fished. My girlfriend, Jackie Ohl, went along one summer, and we read love comics.

Also, got to go to the amusement park. There I saw Louie Armstrong play.

I was in high school, and didn't do as much with the family at that time. That summer I went to California by myself on the train. I saved for an entire year. My Dad gave me the last $20 if I would learn to swim. I did! I went! Another great experience!

1948 When I was 11 years old,
my mother was blessed with a new automatic washing machine.
It was a Kenmore from Sears & Roebuck.
The basement floor of our house had to have the cement taken out
in an area where it would stand and a much thicker cement
was poured there after which the new washing machine was bolted
to the floor so it wouldn't walk away. What an invention!
Mom just put the clothes, a whole tubful into the machine and ran water into it from a hose
which was connected to it. Hot and cold water could go into it
because we had a water heater in the house.
She would just put her soap in so it would dissolve
(soap was now in dry granules and would dissolve in the water when the machine agitated.

The machine would go through three cycles. Wash, rinse, and spin to take out the water.
This was so special!
When we heard the machine rocking we knew it was about time
to get the clothing out and hang it on the line in the basement. We had about 6 lines strung up and down the basement.

Later in the 50's my parents purchased yet another washing machine
and each one had a special spot to sit as they still needed to be bolted to the floor.
Clothes were hung outside to dry on the clothes lines which decorated every neighborhood.
The ladies would often visit across the fences as they hung their weekly laundry. 
This was a social time in the neighborhood."

1956 Del and I were married in August.
At this time Del was in college and we lived in married students housing.
The housing was made out of old Army Quonset huts.

The school (Midland College, in Fremont, Nebraska)
purchased the Quonsets for $1 each.
As students we were able to rent 1/2 the Quonset as there were apartments
on either end. We paid $35 a month with electric and water included.
We had to pay for gas for the heat and in the winter our highest bill ever was $15.
The second year married we put in a phone for $1.50 a month.

We purchased appliances and furniture from the previous students who lived there.
Fully furnished less the bedroom furniture, our cost was $450.
This included an automatic washing machine which was in the kitchen area
and used as a counter top when not washing clothes. It was in our small kitchen
between the refrigerator which was also electric
and our apartment size stove which was gas.
The sink was next to the stove but a long hose connected to the washing machine
let the water out into a deep sink between the stove and a dishwashing sink.

We had it so good!
Only had to remove the clothes and take them outside our kitchen window
where many clothes lines were up between the Quonsets.
There we (4 families) had lines to hang all our laundry.
In the winter they would freeze dry. All clothes had a natural clothes dryer outside.
Oh, what a clean crip smell they had. We would bring them inside and thaw them out and
then fold them before putting them on the shelves.

Sometimes when it was unusually wet for many days, we would dry out clothes in the house
Here we put up lines from the hallway back near the bedrooms and bathroom to the front door. They would usually dry overnight.

Every Monday was wash day.

It was very important to always hang clothing together in categories you might say.

The ladies delicate undees and the men's underwear and shorts, especially were not to be seen from the outside. So they were always hung on the middle lines with towels and shirts or dresses on the outside of the lines. When it was very cold outside we might need to leave the clothes out overnight.

"Panty Thieves"

On occasion that happened and then we would have to beware of the "panty thieves". Yes, they always found them in the middle, but they had fun. We didn't when we found our selves "pantiless" & no brassieres. The word got around rapidly that the thieves were at work, and we then made sure our "undees" came in at night .

Soon that led to bringing everything inside. We hung them in our home which was a Quonset hut divided in half for apartments for married student housing. We hung about 3 or 4 lines from the front door down the hallway to the end just outside our bedroom doors. The clothes always dried overnight so it wasn't really a big problem at all.

Tuesday was for ironing.

Everything had to be ironed. I remember how excited I was that

I heard material was coming in no iron fabric. I really couldn't afford the

material but wondered what that might be like not to have to iron a

full day every week.

I ironed everything but socks and under shorts. Think I even ironed boxer shorts. Everything was touched up with the iron. People would iron clothes for 10 cents a piece. I thought about doing that for extra money.

Before ironing the clothing it all had to be sprinkled. I used a pop bottle with a cap that had holes in it. I would fill it with water and then sprinkle and roll up each piece of clothing and put it into the basket where it stayed until it was ironed and folded or hung on hangers.

I always ironed sheets and pillow cases as well as all of our other clothing.)
The only exception/ our socks.
Del wore kaki pants and those I put into pants stretchers. The pant stretchers were hung on the line to dry and then the pants were removed and hung on hangers. They dried with a crease so looked very nice.

When first married in Fremont, Nebraska, I loved to go to auctions.

One day I purchased a mangle iron and loved it. I found a mangle at an auction sale which I purchased for $1.00. I was able to do all the flat items easily. All sheets, pillow cases, hankies, scarves, tablecloths, napkins, and I learned to do other items on the mangle also so it did help with the all day job of ironing. I could sit down too. I thought this was a great invention!

This made it much easier for flat items to be ironed.
(A mangle had 2 rollers which pressed the clothes as you put them through the rollers.
It was electric so heat came through and did quite a good job.) It was special!

I ironed for others a few times to bring in a few extra dollars. I mostly babysat with children to bring in dollars to help out. My best job was for a couple of sisters who took me to one of the homes and I cared for a baby close to Wendy's age and one sister had a son in grade school. I cared for him getting him off to school and after returning home. Wendy went along with me to this home and we had $10 extra a week for 5 days of work from 7:30 until 4 PM.   These ladies, Susie and Donna, gave Wendy a new dress for her birthday. That was really special! It was like Bonus Pay!

Shoes were a big expense and Wendy and later Cindy grew out of them so rapidly. Shoes were something you couldn't receive as a hand me down.  They might hurt your feet as someone else wore them out differently than our children would.

Wendy and later her sister, Cindy, wore white high top shoes during their growing years. They certainly were known to give the most support for children’s feet.  White shoe polish was also a must. Shoes were regularly polished so they might be ready to go in a moment. Tennis shoes (known as sneakers today) were unheard of for children.

They were worn when playing tennis or walking, only. 
Hard leather or plastic shoes were best for growing feet.

1963After Cindy was born we purchased a clothes dryer
in Cozad, Nebraska.
It was much easier when it rained to dry our clothing.
I was still hanging clothes outside when President John Kennedy was assassinated.
I was hanging clothes out & when returned inside
TV had been on for a Children's Program,
but was interrupted to tell us the President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas.
The remainder of the day was spent before the TV watching the events of the day.

1999...How times have changed through the years.
We were still using the same machines we purchased earlier
when we moved to Leisure World in 1999.
Remember, we were taught to take care of things and keep them for our lifetime.
This is where Del and I now live.
LW is a retirement community. Here you never see a clothes line.
All laundry is done in an automatic washing machines.
My parents purchased the machine in LW in 1977
when they first moved to Arizona.
We don't have basements here so our laundry room
is in the front part of the garage. I have a clothes dryer too,
and this is the first time that we have dried all
of our laundry in a clothes dryer.
Before moving here we always hung clothing outside as much as we could.
We used our clothes dryer only when it was too humid or raining for several days.
(You might know that does not happen often in Arizona.)

Wednesday.  I sewed and mended
I made all Wendy's clothes when first married as well as some clothes I might have needed. Mostly I mended socks with my little sock "egg" and darning thread to match the color.
I patched clothing a few times because of accidents, but not as often as mother did.

I learned to mend socks and other things while in Jr. High Home Economics Class. Mother always had a basket of socks to darn so I knew I had better learn to do this.
We girls all had to learn how to make a good home. Senior High we all took Cooking and Sewing. I did take a Woodshop Class and made a table. This was an unusual class offered for the girls. Most of the boys would be taking such classes, but girls? Our instructor liked the girls' class so we received extra help, I do believe.
Homemaking was considered our vocation!

Thursdays were more free days to visit or shop.

During canning season it was always taken up with canning and later freezing vegetables and fruits that were available. Of course we had to use time available during other days of the weeks for preserving our foods also. I did tomatoes, peaches, apples, beans, corn, rhubarb every year and by the bushels.

Fridays I Cleaned House

When we were married in 1956, I asked my Grandmother Johnson to make us a braided rug. She made me two large throw rugs out of old clothing and left over heavy materials, mostly wool and colored in dark colors. They were great and we used them for over 25 years!

We used out clothes lines for cleaning days too. We would hang out the rugs and carpets that couldn't be washed on the clothes lines. 
We had a "carpet beater" which we beat the dirt and dust out of our carpets. That was before vacuum cleaners.

We did get a vacuum the first year we were married. It was a Sears Kenmore tank. Del's Mother Ella Carstens, said I was "spoiled" to have to have a vacuum among other things.

She never had those things when she first was married!

I scrubbed all floors, waxed floors, washed windows, washed curtains often. Cleaned bathrooms, bedrooms as well as kitchen and front room. Dusted and polished all furniture. Shook or beat all rugs that couldn't be washed. It was a thorough job.

Saturdays were for weekly baking

For many years I baked bread, rolls, cakes, pies, cookies and other items for the entire week. Sometimes I was tired and dreaded the day, but most of the time I was happy when the results of my labor could be enjoyed. I  could display the finished product which was soon devoured.

When Cindy was very young she would help me make cookies and knead the bread. Then she would go outside and bake in the sand pile.

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In later years her sister Wendy took over making bread and cakes and cookies.

Cindy didn't take to housekeeping, she wanted to have her fun!

Today, I still like to bake and cook, however I do less with just the two of us.

1930's

Del talks about his mother washing with an old wash tub and what a chore washday was when he was growing up at home near Beatrice, Nebraska. (He is still growing up but mostly out.)

"Mother always waited for a warm sunny day on the south side of the house. They heated the water on the stove in the house and carried it outside in the sun where the clothes were scrubbed and washed in a tub and hung and freeze dried them on the fence outside." Later she had a wooden machine with hand wound rollers to get the water out and the machine was on rollers to move easily".

"We wore the same pants all week." We must have smelled, but everyone has Sunday Clothes and school clothes which were changed after coming home. Then the same play clothes were worn everyday. Washing was a big job for mother.

We were much cleaner than Grandpa Waltke. His pants were worn until they were like leather and they could stand up in the corner by themselves they were so dirty. When he went to town and church he wore bib overalls with a shirt and would change into those old pants when he returned home again.

Her job of washing and ironing was even more difficult as she used the sun to heat the water and all of the work was done outside. The iron had to be heated on the wood burning cooking range and it was a challenge to keep from burning the clothes and yet ironing them to look good.  Starch was always used to really shape things up.