Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe. This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook – with spelling errors and all!
Washing Clothes
Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke won’t blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boiling water.
Sort things, make 3 piles.
1 pile white,
1 pile colored,
1 pile work britches and rags
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard and boil, then rub colored don’t boil just wrench and starch
Take things out of kettle with broomstick handle, then wrench and starch
Hang old rags on fence
Spread tea towels on grass
Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water
Turn tubs upside down
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs
Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings
