2018.054.007 [Washer, Clothes]

Clothes were first washed on a wash board. Then a stomper was used and the washboard was used to rub spots. Eventually a washing machine came to be used. At first there was a lever that was pushed back ad forth to agitate the clothes. Later the agitation was powered by a gasoline engine. Water had to be hauled in from the cistern or the well and heated on the cook stove. This often happened on Sunday night so the water would be hot Monday morning. Homemade lye soap was added to the water. After the washing, the clothes were fished out of the washer and fed into a wringer and dropped into the rinse tub. Then run through the wringer again into a second rinse and finally into a basket so it could be hung out on the line. In the winter, the clothes would freeze. When they were brought into the house, they would need to be hung to finish drying. Content can be used with the following standards: 4th grade SS 4.25 Technological Change in a lesson on new inventions that helped with household chores. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions.