Grandma's Recipe For Doing Family Wash

I found this recipe in an American Historical Society of German Russian cookbook called Kucke Kocken that a friend lent to me. It is filled with her ancestor's recipes. It reminded me of the description my Dad used to tell of his mother doing laundry every Monday. I remember Dad saying that Grandma would spend every Tuesday ironing. I have a handwritten line by Grandma Cluff saying that she thought her life was humdrum. To me, with such a different life, it sounds anything but humdrum.


"This is an authentic washday receipe in its original spelling as it was written out for a bride four generations ago:"

1. bild a fire in back yard to heet kettle of rain water.
2. set tubs so smoke won't blow in eyes if wind is pert.
3. shave one hole cake lie soap in bilin water.
4. sort things, make three piles. 1 pile white. 1 pile cullord. 1 pike work britches and rags.
5. stur flour in cold water to smooth, then thin down with bilin water.
6. rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, then bile--just rench and starch.
7. take white things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then rench, blew, and starch.
8. spred tee towels on grass.
9. hang old rags on fence.
10. pore rench water on flower bed.
11. scrub porch with hot soapy water.
12. turn tubs upside down.
13. go put on cleen dress--smooth hair with side combs--brew cup of tee--set and rest and rock a spell and count blessings.

Mrs. Gus Lebsack
Loveland, Colorado
Colony Frank