In 1946 when we married, we had no conveniences in the home. No washing machine, no dryer, no dishwasher, nothing to make things easier. We didn’t know much about these things, nor did we have the money to buy any. I though an automatic washer could not possibly clean your clothes. My Father had sold the big grey square tub Maytags. I went with him many times in the summer to homes in the country pulling a trailer with the washing machine in the back of the trailer. It was fun to me. We had to carry water to fill the tubs for rinsing the clothes. The family had to have electricity in order to use the washer. Some did and some didn’t. He sold a lot of washers, but drove a lot of miles.

I thought we would have to have a big grey tub Maytag to have a good washer. However, our budget would not allow that. When we moved to Duncan, I said we have to have a washer if I was to have a baby. We bought a round tub washer with payments monthly at an appliance store in Duncan.

I was so proud of my washer even though I had to rinse clothes in the bathtub which we shared with out landlord. It was a hard job even after the baby came as it took all day to fill the washing machine and bathtub, then wash the clothes and either go to the washateria to dry them or hang on the line. Most of the time I would have to go after Harry got in from work as I couldn’t take the baby with me. This was a real experience for newly weds.

When we bought our house, we had to wash in the kitchen. The garden hose would be brought in from then yard, hooked into the faucet on the sink to fill the tubs. We had a bench, which Harry had made to hold the rinse tubs. So that routine was, fill the washer, two tubs and then we were ready to wash. Oh, yes, one rinse had to have bluing in it for the white clothes. Actually we put all the clothes through the bluing water to keep them whiter. We had no room anywhere for a dryer if we could have afforded one.

When the wash was finished, there was the job of getting all the stuff out of the kitchen. This consisted of siphoning the water out of the washer, both tubs and returning all the articles to the garage. It was an all day task. But it was the only wash we did all week except for diapers. They had to be washed daily. I washed them in the washer and rinsed in the sink and hung out to dry. The

final process was starching all the clothes that we wore, shirts, dresses, baby clothes that needed it and work pants. Starch had to be cooked on the stove and just right so as not to be too stiff or not stiff enough for the clothes.

By the time all the clothes were hung out on the line, I was a tired little girl. No only was the washing being done, I had to watch the baby, then babies, and fix lunch and dinner. I don’t think I cooked much that day.

The next day was ironing day. This day started the night before with the sprinkling of the dry clothes and rolling them up and stacking in a big tub and covering so they would not dry out before morning.. After Harry left for work and I had the breakfast dishes done, the ironing board would be put up and the work started again. In later years I did have pants stretchers for Harry’s work pants so didn’t have to iron them too much. It was another all day job. But it was satisfying to know we had clean clothes for another week. I really didn’t mind the work as it was part of the way we kept house in those days.

I am grateful today for the conveniences we have but will never forget those long days without them.