I found this photograph on the Internet and it brought back so many memories. This almost looks like the basement at 319 South Brown Street in Dayton, Ohio when I was growing up.
Monday was always wash day, and in the Summer, when school was out, I always helped my Mom with the laundry. But, always with the caution, "Be careful with the Wringer," the dreaded wringer. I guess many a child had a deformed hand or arm because of them. I forget how old I had to be to even feed the clothes into the ..... wringer.
We started by putting water, from the hose, into the machine. Generally pretty hot water for washing in those days, and Oxydol soap. Then the clothes, all whites first. Not sure how long the washer ran, maybe 15 minutes or so. Then, with a long wooden pronged piece, take the clothes out, one piece at a time, and run them through the dreaded wringer, into tub 1, which had clean warm rinse water in it. Squish them around a bit, move the wringer between tub 1 and tub 2, and feed the clothes, through the wringer, from tub 1 to tub 2.
Then, from tub 2, through the wringer, into the laundry basket. Then, outside, to be hung on the line to dry. While clothes were rinsing in tub 1, a new batch would be put in the machine to be washing, a veritable assembly line. Nothing quite as "fresh smelling" as those clothes that have been hung outside in the sun and fresh air, to dry.
I have spent many quality hours around the old wringer washing machine, kids today miss out on that experience, too bad. Quality time with Mom, just be careful with that wringer though.
