“'Washing Day” has an ill repute that it does not deserve, for laundering is a science and an art that it is a pleasure to practice, if one has skill. Make it one of the household arts which you must carefully study, and you will find it pleasurable as well as necessary."
Bringing beauty to the everyday in some little way is what makes a house a home and transforms a common task into a practical pleasure. Here is our collection of posts from the past, inspirational quotes, romantic homemaking tips and concepts which hope to encourage you to enjoy "wash day" in your home!
The Common Tasks
The common tasks are beautiful if we
Have eyes to see their shining ministry.
The ploughman with his share deep in the loam;
The carpenter whose skilled hands build a home;
The gardener working with reluctant sod,
Faithful to his partnership with God—
These are the artisans of life. And, oh,
A woman with her eyes and cheeks galore,
Watching a kettle, tending a scarlet flame,
Guarding a little child—there is no name
For this great ministry. But eyes are dull
That do not see that it is beautiful;
That do not see within the common tasks
The simple answer to the thing God asks
Of any child, a pride within His breast:
That at our given work we do our best.
~ Grace Noll Crowell (1877-1969)
To begin, here is some wash day inspiration in the way of pretty pictures, poems and a "Wash Day Prayer" printable. I think all the beautiful images and thoughts can be pondered as you begin your daily routine {
visit here for the complete article}.
Have you been contemplating a clothesline? I am in love with them!
Visit here for our clothesline collection which is sure to inspire. You will also find our seven favorite reasons for hanging clothes to dry.
To make it more enjoyable, we share a
tutorial here on how to make your own decorative clothespins. Sometimes it is the little details in life that make us smile during our daily duties!
"The Work of Our Hands ~ A Homemaker's Wash Day" shares the therapeutic and spiritual opportunities we have while managing our home {
visit here for the complete article}.
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Abigail Adams and granddaughter Susanna watch as a servant hangs laundry in the East Room– by Gordon Phillips
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Did you know that the First Lady, Abigail Adams had some very sobering thoughts about laundry for wives? Visit
Laundry Lessons from Abigail Adams for the complete article.
Laundry in our household is a family affair. Here are
some ideas to get your children involved (and learning at the same time) so that wash day doesn't overwhelm you. Between three and four years of age, children can begin to fold napkins, dishcloths, match socks, etc. A shorter clothesline at their level can be placed in the backyard where they can hang tedious items like socks and such for you. Older children can be taught to sort laundry (whites, lights, darks), remove all items from pockets as well as fold and put piles away. This will tremendously ease your work load while teaching responsibility and home economics to your children at the same time.
"Our Elizabethan ancestors dried their clothes and bed linen on rosemary or lavender bushes to infuse them with the smell and scented the washing water with orris root. We have many more possibilities, because although most of us haven’t seen a rosemary bush big enough to hang our double sheets over, we do have a multitude of essential oils which can be used in the wash, the dryer... And it is not just about making clothes smell sweet, as we shall discover....
If you have a washing machine put 3-5 drops of your chosen essential oil into the softener compartment. If hand-washing, put 2 drops in the final rinse water and swish it around. Avoid the resinous oils, and some of the heavier oils such as rose which tend to cling to the clothes in the wash but are fine to use when drying or storing clothes. To add delicious fragrance to your wash try lemongrass or lavender. If you prefer a more exotic perfume, try ylang-ylang or neroli. If winter colds or flu have struck the household, put eucalyptus, rosemary, or pine in the wash. These oils are especially beneficial on bed linen to relieve coughs and catarrh throughout the night. If whooping cough is in the house, use hyssop and peppermint. If insomnia is the problem, marjoram, chamomile, or orange blossom will help to aid sleep if used when rinsing the bed linen or nightwear. To infuse clothes with an essential oil when putting them through the tumble dryer, simply add 2 drops onto a piece of material no larger than 4 inches square and pop it in with the clothes.
Here are some oils you might like to try:
FRESH Lavender Bergamot Rosemary Pettigraine
FLORAL Geranium Neroli Palma rosa Bois de rose
ROMANTIC Ylang-ylang Jasmine Rose Vervaine"
"Another mode of systematizing relates to providing proper supplies of conveniences, and proper places in which to keep them. Thus, some ladies keep a large closet, in which are placed the tubs, pails, dippers, soap-dishes, starch, blueing, clothes-lines, clothes-pins, and every other article used in washing; and in the same, or another place, is kept every convenience for ironing."
The Victorian Era Beecher sisters would have loved the concept of a modern day "laundry room".
Visit here for a look inside ours. It was rather a dark and spooky space when we moved in. We painted it a cheerful blue and used some second-hand finds to make it into a pleasant place to work in. You will also find some printable laundry room labels and other thrifty ideas to perk up your room. We also share seven different styles and sets of
laundry room art for free here! Feathering your nest is so much fun.
In the cold months, I added a few homemaking touches to brighten those dark and dreary days. I called it the "winter blues". You will find a different set of laundry labels and other fun homemaking ideas to make your place special {
visit here for the complete article}.
Making your own fabric softener is a simple two-minute project that will save you money and lend a romantic touch to your wash day. You can decorate recycled bottles to store your fabric softener and display them in your laundry room. We share two recipes on our website: A
Scented Fabric Softener which utilizes essential oils and a
Frugal Fabric Softener which uses citrus peels and herbs. Of course, you can always use plain white vinegar during the final rinse but do be sure to prettify your container before displaying it in your washing area. It does make the work lovely!
{Note: When using vinegar based fabric softeners, do not add to loads containing bleach!}
A stain removal chart is also handy to have in your wash area. Here is a printable of
"Stain Removal Basics" from Martha Stewart. This can be hung in your laundry room in an inexpensive frame as practical decoration, tacked onto a bulletin board or placed in some other convenient location. You may also choose to store the chart inside of your herbal for reference in the
"Laundry Room" section {you will find our
printable herbal here which is simply a book of household wisdom}.
Here is also an easy recipe to make your own
stain removal spray. It takes only a minute to make but features all natural ingredients that even your children can use safely.
If you enjoy simple sewing and handcrafting, then you may be interested in creating a "clothespin apron". This is such an easy project! We used a large napkin and a vintage piece of linen to make ours (all you need to sew are four straight lines!). Visit here for the
tutorial.
“When you choose to work with a willing, happy heart,
you become a beautiful source of joy to all.”
I hope you have been encouraged to love your laundry just a little bit more. If we must do a task, we may as well embrace the task! Oh, and before you go, below is a bit of wash day advice from on old friend. Methinks there is a lot we can ponder on as we clear out our brimming baskets.
"There is so much dirty linen in our own house needing to be washed that none of us need to take in our neighbour’s washing. “Mind your own business,” is a command that might have been spoken by Solomon himself, and the apostle Paul was inspired to write to the Thessalonians, “Study to be quiet, and to do your own business;” and he and Peter very sternly condemned those who were “busybodies in other men’s matters.”
~ Charles Spurgeon
All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Good Morning Mondays, The Scoop, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop, Wow Us Wednesdays, Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up and Create, Bake, Grow & Gather. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them). For some laundry room clip art, visit here.
