Wash Day

Back in the day before plumbing and washing machines, mothers and Grandmothers used to wash their clothes in a tub and scrub it clean on the old scrubbing board. I even remember standing up in the tub and getting scrubbed myself. All the clothes were wrung out by hand. I do remember, however, that some tubs had an old roller that would be mounted on the side of the tub and a crank handle allowed it to be turned thus rolling the clothes through and squeezing out the water.

Over the years progress was made and at my boarding house in Long Beach where I went teaching in 1961, Mrs. Vey had an old wringer washer that was run by a Briggs and Stratton gas engine.I remember putting in gas and starting it for her several times.

With the old galvanized tubs, washing was usually done in the kitchen or porch. But Many times on fine summer days the tub was put outside.