That's "weekly", by the way. ;-O > ---------- > From: Woodard, Larry[SMTP:Larry.Woodard@CAS-INC.com] > Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 1997 7:05 AM > To: PENNA-DUTCH-L@rootsweb.com; 'bosevich@ilinks.net' > Subject: RE: Monday Was Warsh Day! > > I guess that means you never participated inthis great weakly ritual > of > your forebearers? > <G> > > ---------- > > From: Sue Bosevich[SMTP:bosevich@ilinks.net] > > Reply To: bosevich@ilinks.net > > Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 1997 11:51 PM > > To: PENNA-DUTCH-L@rootsweb.com > > Subject: Re: Monday Was Warsh Day! > > > > Monday has been "warsh" day since way back. Per "Our Own Snug > > Fireplace" by Jane C. Nylander whose book covers 1760-1860(excuse > the > > typos): > > > > Laundry was always a difficult task, especially for large families > and > > for those caring for infants or the cronically ill. Family members > > dreaded laundry day, which was often the subject of jokes and satire > > focused on bad tempers, cold food, and exhausted women. If men and > > boys > > were advised to keep out of the house on laudry day, it was for good > > reason. Mondays were the favored day for this hard work, probably > > because women were relatively rested after the tranquility of the > > Sabbath, and they wished to complete the heaviest part of their work > > early in the week. In the best of weather, doing laundry meant a > day > > outdoors carrying large quantities of water in heavy and awkward > > wooden > > containers, maintaining fires, and tiresome lifting, rubbing, and > > scrubbing. In wintertime, when laundry was done inside, warm steam > > from > > the boiling water filled the room, but spilled water might freeze on > > the > > floor, and drying was never accomplished easily. In the coldest > > waeather, clothes put out to dry would freeze stiff. The > recommended > > washday procedure was: > > > > "Assort the clothes, and put the white ones to soak the night before > > in > > warm water. In assorting the clothes, the flannels are to be put in > > one > > lot, the colored clothes in another, the coarser white clothes in a > > third, and the fine clothes in a fourth lot. Wash the fine clothes > > first in suds and throw them, when wrung, into another tub of suds. > > Then wash them in the second suds, turning them wrong side out. > Then > > put them in the boiling bag and let them boil in strong soapsuds for > > half and hour, moving them about with the wash-stick to keep them > from > > getting yellow in spots. Take them out of the boiling water into a > > tub, > > and rub the dirtiest spots. Then rinse them, throwing them, when > > wrung, > > into a tub of blueing-water....Then wash the courser white articles > in > > the same manner. Then wash the colored clothes....Lastly wash the > > flannels". > > > > This is an utterly fascinating book. It's primarily about New > England > > homes, however, when New England subject matter is lacking, the > author > > looks to Pennsylvania German sources to fill in the gaps. Almost > > makes > > you appreciate the days of the wringer-washer.....(well almost!). > > > > Sue (Miller) Bosevich > > >