Step-by-Step Vintage Laundry Lesson

This lesson will represent the morning after the clothes have been soaked overnight.

First, wring out the clothes. Wash the tubs and fill nearly full of, hot water. Fill the boiler half full of cold water and add enough dissolved soap to make a light suds. Put a coarse, clean cloth in bottom of the boiler, to prevent scorching of clothes. You are now ready to wash [...]
In clothes, as in dishes, the cleanest are washed first.

  • Table and Bed Linen.
  • Put these in one tub of hot water; use soap freely. As each piece is washed wring it with the hands and drop it in the next tub of water. When all of this first lot are in the second tub, wash again with soap, as before; as each piece is washed and wrung from this tub, drop it in the boiler of cold water. When the boiler is full light the fire, if it is a gas stove; pull it over the hot fire, if it is a coal stove. Press the clothes down with a wooden stick, which is also necessary to turn the clothes and take them from the boiler.
  • While the first tubful of clothes is scalding in the boiler, rub out the second tubful of underclothes, which are the next cleanest, in the same manner.
  • When the second lot is ready for the boiler, the first should have finished boiling and be ready to take out. Put these in a tub of clear water.
  • Wash the third lot, which will be the very soiled clothes and towels, while the second lot is in the boiler.
  • Take the second lot from the boiling water and put them in the tub with first clothes, and then put third washing in the boiler.
  • It is now time to rinse the first and second clothes. First, wash out and thoroughly clean the tubs that have been used in washing, as they are to be used for the rinsing. Fill both tubs with clear hot water; rinse and wring from one tub into the other, then wring out into bluing water. The last boiler of clothes should be rinsed in the same way and blued. As the clothes are wrung out from the bluing water separate those that require starching.

Bluing Water.
Use clean cold water, and have the bluing ball tied in a cloth, to prevent specks coming on the clothes. Never allow the clothes to stand in this water, as they will become streaked, and never, for the same reason, allow them to rest on the bottom of the tub.
Hanging.
Be sure the lines are clean and tight. Every time they are used they must be wiped with a clean, damp cloth. See that the clothes pins are clean and not broken. Hang clothes of a kind together, and hang white clothes in the sunlight, if possible. All articles should be hung on the wrong side. Hang the sheets out first, as they take the longest time to dry.    In hanging fine pieces, and the underclothes, be careful that the clothes pins do not tear the garments.

A second course in homemaking, with two hundred inexpensive cooking receipts by Kittredge, Mabel Hyde, 1867-1955

Solving the Dilemma of High Food Prices in the 1920′s – Gardening

From Gardening for Little Girls, 1923
It is predicted that this year, 1917, will be the greatest year for gardening that the country ever has known!

The high cost of living first stimulated interest. Then after war was declared, the slogan, “Food as important as men or munitions,” stirred young and old. Garden clubs sprang up everywhere, and in free lectures people were instructed how to prepare, plant and cultivate whatever ground they could get, from small backyards to vacant lots.

In our neighborhood last year a man with a plot of ground less than half the size of a tennis court, 82
grew $50.00 worth of vegetables,—enough to supply his whole family! He got his planting down to a science, however,—what he called “intensive gardening,” so that every foot of the soil was kept busy the whole summer. He fertilized but once, too, at the beginning of the season, when he had a quantity of manure thoroughly worked in. Then between slow growing crops, planted in rows as closely as possible, he,planted the quick-growing things, which would be out of the way before their space was needed.

Incidentally he worked out a chart (which he afterwards put on the market), ruled one way for the months, and the other for the number of feet, with name cards for the vegetables that could be fitted in so as to visualize—and make a record of the entire garden the entire season. Such a plan means a great saving of both time and space.

Vintage Gardening Tips – The Sandwich System

Now that it is fully gardening season I thought it appropriate to post some vintage gardening tips. It seems, the more I read that everything new was once old. Here are some tips to apply the well known Sandwich System to your gardening beds for good results. I’m sure this is best done in early spring. It’s too late for me this year but I will probably try this come next gardening season.

The Sandwich System

The METHOD herein described of growing vegetables of superior
earliness and finest quality is new and entirely unique. By it the
products of the garden are always earlier, and at the same time
of better quality than can possibly be produced in any other way.
Why is this method or superior to other methods?

First : Finest vegetables can be grown on hard, stony, or alkaline soils,
where ordinary cultivation would be utterly fruitless. Even where “made”
soils consisting mainly of brick-bats and old wall plaster, the Sandwich beds
flourish. A solid rock, a paved street, or the tops of flat-roofed buildings
could be made into a successful garden by this method.

For best results plants need aeration of the roots. If air cannot penetrate to the roots
the plant languishes and dies from suffocation. When surface of ground is covered
with water,the plant suffers in same way, and for the same reason.
The Sandwich beds can neither be drowned or smothered.
The air circulates through the .several layers of material, and if too much
water is applied, it readily passes through the fibrous beds, and does no harm.

Second: Fertility is placed just where it can easily be absorbed and
assimilated by the plants.

Third: The fibrous nature of the bed causes it to warm up earlier than
does the natural soil.

Fourth: While hydrant water must be supplied as often as needed, in
practice it is found that this form of bed does not require as much water as
would be supposed, for the decaying mass of fibrous material retains moisture
in a way that is surprising.

All kinds of vegetables, and most of flowering plants do wonderfully
well on Sandwich beds. Celery, Spinach, Endive, Chard, Egg Plant,
Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, Brussel Sprouts, etc., do exceptionally
well. For Peas, Radishes, Carrots, Salsify, Parsnips, etc., where the soil is
fairly good, it seems best to first spade the ground, as described in the “Modi-
fied Sandwich bed,” mixing in manure, and after raking fine and level,
make the regular Sandwich bed on top. This is true of those plants that
have long, penetrating roots like carrots, etc.


DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING SANDWICH BEDS

First: Place a layer of straw, or stable litter, or leaves from the trees,
about five inches deep. Tramp or pack pretty firm and smooth.

Second: Spread over this a layer about one inch deep of rich, fine,
stable manure.

Third: On this place another layer of stable litter about two inches
thick.Tramp or pack this down firm. Then turn on the hose and give the
mass a thorough soaking, but stop before leaching begins.

Fourth: Spread evenly over the bed at least four inches of street
scrapings, but avoid streets that have oil or asphalt in their make-up. If
street scrapings cannot be readily obtained, use instead, a compost of equal
parts of fine river sand, rich garden soil, and old, fine stable manure. Mix
by shoveling over in the heap.

After all is in place, tramp till firm, and it is ready to plant.

It sometimes happens that the real Sandwich bed is not possible or
practicable; in such cases if the soil is reasonably fertile, and in good con-
dition, the following method may be successfully adopted.

~The Gardenette , 1912

Airing the Home

In this dead of winter I’ve been noticing the indoor air of our home becoming stale. To deal with this I open the windows each morning upon rising to air out the home. Especially in the bedrooms. It makes it a bit chilly for a few hours but oddly refreshing and clean.

It had already been my year round habit, much to the chagrin of my mother who thought I was not making the beds, been airing the beds each day. It is my daily habit to not make the beds until well after breakfast which makes some early visitors to my home think I do no housekeeping.

This is a Vintage tip I learned in my readings long ago which I apply to today’s lifestyle. Read on…


“the room ought to be thoroughly ventilated, for
at least an hour, even in the winter season. If the weather
is such, that rain or snow is likely to come in at the windows,
on quitting the room leave the door open, or at least a-jar, that
as much air may be admitted as possible. The atmosphere of
no apartment can be wholesome, unless it is well ventilated, at
least once a day.”
~Miss Leslie’s Lady’s House Book

“let each member of the
family open her window and close her bedroom
door for a short time, then close her window and
open her door, and the fresh air will seem to warm
up even more quickly than the stale air.”
~Housekeeping for Little Girls
Caring for Your Bedroom

A girl’s own room should be her joy and pride.
If two girls share the same room, both should
be equally interested in the appearance and care of it. One of
the ways in which you may help your mother is to care for your
room every day. If there is some household help, you may be
relieved of some of the cleaning.
Daily Care
1. Air the bedroom every day. As soon as you get
up in the morning, throw all of the covers back over the foot of the
bed and spread them over some chairs. Open the windows wide and
let the bedding air while you get ready for school and eat breakfast.

2. Open the closets and allow them to air.

3. Make the bed before you go to school. Place a mattress
pad on the mattress for protection and comfort. This may be
a quilted pad, a blanket, or a quilt. Place a sheet, right side
up, over the mattress pad. Stretch it smoothly and tuck the
ends in firmly, then fold the sides in straight, making a neat corner.
Place the top sheet, wrong side up, over the first sheet. Pull it
smoothly and tuck it in firmly at the bottom. Place the blankets or
warm covers over the sheet. Put them on straight and smooth, and
tuck in firmly at the bottom. Fold the top sheet, at the head of
the bed, back over the end of the covers. Shake the pillows and
place neatly on the bed. Place the bedspread over the covers and
arrange neatly.

4. Pick up all clothing, papers, and books and put them in their
proper places.

5. Arrange your dresser in a neat and orderly manner.

Dust your room if necessary. “

~The Mode in Dress and Home

Care of the Bed and Mattress

With this new onslaught of bedbugs some age old wisdom might come in handy. Do read on…

  • Bedsteads and mattresses require vigilant care to keep them clean and free from dust or vermin, and protected against spotting of any sort.
  • The whole character of any housekeeping is unmistakably stamped by the appearance of the bedsteads and the mattresses when they are uncovered.
  • Mattresses once soiled are very difficult to clean without taking them apart. They should never be left uncovered for any great length of time, and when in use ought to have slip covers of strong muslin that can be removed and washed periodically.

  • When not so protected mattresses should be swept monthly with a whisk broom, and all of the tufts thoroughly brushed free from dust which may get around or in them during the intervals between the regular cleaning days.

  • Twice a year, in fine weather, mattresses should have a good sunning, in the open air, hanging over lines; while they are outside is a fitting time to have them well thrashed with a bamboo rug whipper. This need not cause an upsetting of all the rooms at once. They can be done, one or two at a time, gradually but methodically, in order not to overlook any one.
  • Once a month bedsteads should be washed in every unseen part. A little carbolic acid in the water is good for the purpose or, if disliked, household ammonia is efficacious. If there are slats each one should be lifted and wiped as well as the places where they fit in. This practice faithfully carried out will forbid the ” red rover “from ever gaining a foothold in the beds. That pest is only kept away by immaculate cleanliness and strenuous care. The name usually given to that insect is so suggestive of abominable uncleanliness I object to its use on the pages of this book. My readers will recognize the particular species of insect now under consideration, as few people reach years of discretion without becoming aware of its existence. Those who travel much make its hateful acquaintance early and learn its peculiar ways, which are dark, and its artful tricks which are not vain. In houses of families that journey a great deal, watchfulness is most important to destroy the first invaders and prevent their incalculable propagation. Some student of their obnoxious possibilities declares that they become ” great grandfathers in twenty-four hours ! “
  • It is a safe rule never to allow those who have been in public conveyances to lay their garments on a bed. Exceptionally nice housewives observe this rule at all times, even with persons who have only been walking, for, with their outside wraps they also deposit dust gathered while out.
  • No one can keep a bed nice who is indifferent in these particulars. A white bedspread soon shows soil and a colored one becomes dirty even if it does not show it.

~House and Home: a practical book on Home Management