MONDAY "THE" WASH DAY!

       When I was a kid, back in the 1950's, Monday was wash day and it was at least an all day ritual. And, the hub of the operation was that southwest room in our basement. My mom would roll out the old wringer washing machine along with a pair of rinse tubs. 

      I never paid much attention just exactly how she sorted out everything and what she used for detergents, bleaches, etc., but, she had to hall it all down from upstairs from the main clothes hamper in the bathroom. She pretty much had to stick around and keep an eye on the who;e operation from start to finish. That included running clothes through the ringer to the rinse tubs and back again. She was always shifting that lever on the washing machine to change its direction.

      The next hard exercise was carrying the first load up the stairs in a lined clothes basket. Then it was out to the heavy wire gauge clothes line that was behind our house. I can still see my poor mother, especially on a colder day, wiping the lines with a damp washcloth and her red hands before hanging the clothes with wooden clothes pins. There was a talent hanging sheets so they would blow just right with a "billow." Nothing today compares to the smell of fresh sheets hung out or towels. Nothing!

        On rainy or cold winter days, clothes would be hung up on lines that remained up in our middle room of the basement. And, of course, Tuesday was ironing day and as I remember that was also pretty much an all day deal. To think that today I hesitate from throwing a load of clothes in the washer and then bringing up a load from the dryer and folding them while watching TV--rain or shine! Poor me!