REMEMBER THE CLOTHES LINE

3-28-09...REMEMBER THE CLOTHES LINE

Does anyone remember the clothes line? I'm sure many of you do. If not then you probably wont enjoy this.
I remember first washing the clothes on a wringer washer. Now Mama washed the clothes with a rub board in a iron kettle before we got electricity at our house. I can barely remember that but I know Mama was pregnant with Norman and she had to reach out because her belly wouldn't let her get close to the kettle.
When she finally got the wringer washer I know she was sure she was rich. The wringer washer was hard to use too. Water had to be drawn from the well, heated on the stove, and poured in the washer. Then there were two rinse tubs, one warm, one cold. The cold water had Mrs. Stuarts bluing added to it to help keep the clothes white. The washer was then started and it would agitate the clothes in the home made lye soap that Mama had melted and poured in the water. Now folks if you want clean, fresh smelling, and white clothes, this is the only way to really get them. SOOO! Not possible today. Mama got her hair hung in the wringer one day but thats another story for another time.
After the clothes were wrung out of the bluing water they were carried to the clothes line to be hung to dry. Mama had an apron that Grandma had made especially for hanging clothes. The whole front had a deep pocket to carry the clothes pins. Mama had already took a wet cloth out and walked the length of the three lines washing the line. Some people had fancy plastic but ours were wire. Kinda like barbed wire without the barbs. The washing was done on Monday, always. Why? Heck I don't know, but everybody washed clothes on Monday. YEP!
Now back to the clothes line. Everything was hung in proper style. Meaning, sheets in the front to hide the undies on the middle line. Towels and wash rags were hung by the sheets. Back line was for our colored clothes so the sun wouldn't bleach them out in the hot summer. Shirts were hung by the tail, skirts were hung by the waist. Dresses were on hangers with a clothes pin to hold it on the line. Women and girls undies were never hung by mens and boys undies. Oh Heck No, just wasn't done.
The clothes were watched closely from the kitchen window making sure birds didn't poop on them, (mostly an impossible task) dogs didn't chew on them, and mainly that they stayed on the line. If the wind was blowing you had softer clothes. If the sun was bright (especially in the summer) you had whiter clothes. In the winter they would freeze dry on the line. Yes they really would. A threat of rain? Shoot the clothes had to be hung anyway. If they were dry when rain started you hurried out and brought the clothes in. If not, you waited till rain stopped and they got dry. If it rained too long the clothes were brought in and hung all over the house. You NEVER! Left clothes on the line overnight. Just not an option. Why the neighbors would call you lazy. Can't have that. I really believe that people watched your clothes line to see if you had anything new, holes in your drawers, whether or not you kept your sheets clean, etc. And if you left clothes out overnight some neighbor would come running the next morning to see if someone was sick. They were really concerned, not nosy.
The last thing about hanging your clothes on the clothesline was that wonderful smell they had. No fabric softeners can imitate that smell. It is indescribable. No way to duplicate that smell and no way to describe it unless you have experienced it. I hope you have!