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The Wash House
Sundays were always set aside for church and related activities,
and Mondays were set aside for washday. Washday was an all day,
tedious operation, and everyone had a job. Much water needed to
be heated, clothes sorted, soap to be made as well as homemade starch
from flour and salt. Mrs. Gilbert managed the day with authority
and kept matters running smoothly. Clothing and linens were very
important to a good home and required care so they would last through
the years. The Gilberts were very frugal and this was one way of
keeping expenses under control. With seven children, clothing was
a big expense.
Before the washroom was built, the wash was done in the kitchen
with a washboard and tub which required lots of hard scrubbing.
The water was heated in a large copper boiler on the kitchen stove,
and sadirons were also heated on that stove for ironing; it was
quite an art not to get the iron too hot and ruin precious clothing
and linens.
Soaps were very harsh and in large bars so pieces were shaved from
the bars and softened in warm water to make a liquid soap to put
in the copper boiler. Most pioneers made their own soap, but bars
of Fels Naptha and others were available in stores. Exceptionally
dirty clothes were soaked and white things boiled to maintain their
brightness.
After the washroom was built, washday was much more convenient.
The potbelly stove was installed where water could be heated and
where the starch could be made to keep the mess out of the kitchen.
Since Mrs. Gilbert liked to try new things, the copper washing machine
with three stompers was a great addition to the washroom. The machine
was set up with two rinse tubs and the clothes were run through
the ringer into the first tub of clear water and then run through
the wringer again into rinse water with bluing. The clothes were
run through the wringer a third time into a clothes basket and then
hung out on the clothes line to dry. Women had to take care they
were not wearing long scarves or loose clothing that might catch
in the wringer. Children also had to be watched so they didn't get
arms caught in the wringer.
When electricity came to Yakima, and the washing machine was put
into operation, she added a mangle so all the linens could be neatly
ironed. People ironed everything in those days as there were no
wrinkle-free materials; all were cotton or linen. Mrs. Gilbert became
quite an expert at the mangle as she did shirts, ruffled dresses,
and most everything on the mangle.
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