Ok, now I understand, but have never seen it done. Both my grandmother and Mom had the washers like you describe. I don't remember 'tongs', Mom had a piece (24") of broomstick handle to lift the pieces out of the hot water. She did have the convenience of hot and cold running water that Dad had provided at the washer station. She just needed a short piece of hose to fill the tubs. We are certainly lucky with what we have today. And this reminds me I need to do a load or 2 today.
Lorri boiling up the copper Boiling up the copper isn't an Aussie phrase - my mum and my gran both did that. In my case, a large copper tub with a gas ring underneath. Filled with water by bucket from the top, but emptied through a small tap at the base a bucket-full at a time. Detergent was added and the gas provided the heat to boil the clothes in the water - before the days of washing machines. They had a pair of wooden tongs to lift the washing out of the water. I fact, I had a pair of those tongs to lift the washing out of my first washing machine which had to be filled with hot water and detergent. All the electrical power did was to rotate the impeller backwards and forwards to swish the washing. I lifted the washing out of the tub into the jaws of the rollers of the small mangle that was attached to it, which was also electrically powered. Then into the bath to rinse with cold water before mangling again and hanging out on the washing line. No wonder DH says I don't do the washing nowadays - the washer/dryer does. He's right in saying that all I do is load it and unload it. Jean in Poole, Dorset, UK To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com.
