The Warshing machine – lesson 5 dialogue

The Warshing Machine

“Why do I have to wash my own clothes? My Mom always does all the clothes washing” my Granddaughter complained to me.”

I had been called to come visit a week with my teen age granddaughter while her mother was in the hospital having a minor surgical procedure. This was no hardship for me to come to their luxurious condo in a pricey apartment building with every conceivable convenience a person could imagine. We were enjoying a leisure morning, setting at the breakfast table, looking out a huge window, at the city skyline. Enjoying our cup of coffee and contemplating the day. It would be just her and I alone, as her father hadn’t been in the picture for quite some time.

I didn’t say you HAVE to” I responded. “But I think you should do a load of washing. Your Mom will be in the hospital for a week and I’m sure you will need clean clothes. Did you even think about that?”

Sarah sarcastically blurted out “I didn’t think about it at all. Why would I? “

I gave her the “pity” look as I sympathetically said. “I realize it will be hard on you. After all you do have to put them in the machine and push the right buttons. Have you ever done that?

“Of course I have” she replied “Well, sort of – actually never,”. She gave me kind of a smirky little grin showing she wasn’t really angry, “I’ve had to take same clothes out of the dryer sometimes, when something was in there I needed and Mom hadn’t gotten them out yet.”

I laughed a little, trying to keep things light and not be bossy. “I hope it wasn’t too hard on you. I’ll show you how to put them in the washing machine, push the right buttons and wait for them to be clean. “
I knew she was having a hard time with all this. After all, it wasn’t her fault her Mother did everything for her and she never had to lift a finger. Maybe she was feeling a little sheepish. She’s really not a bad kid, just needing some extra attention right now. We got the clothes started in the machine.
I said “While they’re washing, I’ll tell you about something you won’t believe.”

“What’s that going to be, Gramma.” Sounding bored already “Let me guess, it begins with “When I was a kid”

“You got that right. Now listen. When I was a kid, the warshing( as it was pronounced in the Central Kansas farm country where I was raised) ,was kept on the back porch and brought into the kitchen on warshing day.”

What do you mean “brought it in”. Why didn’t you use it out there?” She asked, although looking perplexed, I could see maybe a little bit of interest starting.

“Just listen. It was a big tub with wheels, so it could be moved around. There was no connection to the water out there. It had to set in the middle of the kitchen and put the rinse tubs beside it, so you could fill it with water from the kitchen sink and empty it back in it when you were done. “

“What do you mean rinse tubs?” Ours just washes and rinses in the same tub. “Then added
“I think. I never actually saw it do that.”

‘You’re getting ahead of me, Missy. First you filled the machine with hot water and laundry soap. Then you put all the white clothes in the machine tub ans It agitates them. “

“Like you’re agitating me!” she smirked

“Don’t get smart-alecky.” I grin back, while trying to keep my cool.” I’m trying to get a point across to you.”

“Oh, Gramma , I was just pullin your chain.” now we both chuckled.

So I went on “You have to start with the white clothes first, then the next load is the colored clothes, then the real dirty work clothes.”

“You got to be kidding me. Why?” This time she asked a real question. I had finally got her interest

Now I threw in the real shocker. ‘Because you use the same water until you are finished with all the clothes.”

“E-e-e-u” she squealed “That’s unsanitary.

This time we both laughed out loud. “It swishes them around in the soapy water, rubs them together, and that makes them clean.”

“Now get this picture. The machine had a wringer fastened to the top of the wash tub. It had two rollers set close together,” I demonstrated by putting my first two fingers together strait out. “So when you put one in the wringer, it was pulled between the rollers.” I demonstrated, “and squeezed the water out. The water ran back into the machine tub and the article fell into the first tub of rinse water. “

“I sort of get the picture” she said “you put the clothes through that wringer thing, one at a time?” What a drag!. That would take forever.”

“That’s right. It seemed like forever. Then you move the ringer around to the second tub and repeat the process. This time they fall into the clothes basket so you can take them out and hang them on the line.”
She looked amazed “What if it rains.” she asked

“If they’re mostly dry you run out like hell and try to get them off the line before they get too wet again.” I explain. “Sometimes you can bring them in and hang them to dry on chair backs, hangers, or anyplace else you can figure out If that doesn’t work you just wait till it stops raining and let them dry some more. “

I continue “By this time you’re completely exhausted, but wait, you’re not done yet. You still have to empty the water out by sticking the drain hose in the sink, clean out the tub, and push the machine back out on the back porch. Empty rinse tubs and put them away.”

“And how often did you do all this?” Now she sounded a little concerned.

“Every Monday morning at our house. “ I sighed

“Gramma, that is a good story, but you just made it up, didn’t you?” She questioned.

“No, Honey, It was really like that.” I said, trying to be convincing “That’s the way it was done everywhere. And that wasn’t all. The clothes weren’t ready to wear yet. After you brought them in from the line, many of them needed to be ironed. This was another whole process. “

“Oh my gosh, Gramma.” Now being sympathetic “No wonder you didn’t have very many clothes”

“You realize it wasn’t just wearing clothes that had to be washed. Think about all the other items in your house that need washing. After you bring them in from the clothes line there are some that need to be ironed. You separate them and sprinkle them with water.”

“Now I know you’re makin this up.” She insisted “ Why would you sprinkle water on them when you just spent all that time hanging them on the line so they’d dry? That’s stupid.”

“Not on your life, honey.’ I went on to explain, “ Just to make them damp, not wet. Roll them tight and pack them in the ironing basket. The next day you get to spend most of the day ironing them. Put them away nice and tidy for everyone to use, so you can do it all again next week. Oh and I forgot to tell you about the ones that needed starch. I won’t go there, you’d never believe that. Go now and see if your clothes are done and can be put in the dryer.”

“So tell me, Gramma, she yelled back at me as she was going through the door, “why do they call those “the good ol days ?”