History
Mama and the New Washing Machine
Family Experiences Washing Clothes
Washers
My grandmother had washed clothes in the kitchen sink until my mother had me, my sister, and more clothes. She kept her old washboard but used a wringer washing machine.
I remember seeing her washboard. It was wooden, but the ridges on it were hardened glass. Most washboards at the time were metal, either tin or aluminum. She only used that implement when she had a touchup job to do. She used Ivory Soap.
Mom Joke
My mother told me a joke about that when I was in first grade.
A little boy went into a haunted house but was brave and not frightened when he heard a spooky voice say, “It floats.” The little boy went farther into the house, and the voice said a little clearer, “It floats.” He thought it was coming from the dark kitchen and went in and up to the sink and heard the voice say, “It floats” again.
The boy said to the voice, “What floats?” And the voice said, “Ivory soap!”
Upgrades Needed
Mama wanted to have a better washing machine than the ones like her friends had. After all, she had a glass washboard instead of a metal one.
