Copyright © All rights reserved. Made by Dr. Joseph P. Kawoski.
Money was so scarce, few homes had many conveniences, so just doing the household chores was difficult along with life in general.
My mother, as many others, washed clothes by hand, using a washboard. Some women had hand cranked washers and wringers. Monday was almost an official wash day, and everyone’s yard was filled with clothes hanging on stretched lines. Tuesday was ironing day and since there was no polyester or wash-and-wear, or in fact any no iron fabrics of any kind, most everything had to be starched and sprinkled with water, rolled up and covered till ironed. And ironing day was a long tiring, dreaded day.
If you had no sweeper, carpets had to be taken up, thrown over a line and the dust beaten out with a wire carpet beater or hand-made wooden paddle. This was a long, hot, dirty task.