I was pottering about this morning stuffing washing in the machine and huffing and puffing about how much effort it was 'to do the washing' . Unbidden , came the fantastic smell that used to infuse Beast Towers when we were small kids as Ma Beasty used to fire up this monster gas fired washing boiler and manually stir the washing , then rinse it in the sink followed by a good mangling .The whole performance used to take hours .Lighting the boiler with a taper of newspaper , the hiss of the gas , then the load bang when it ignited used to frighten the bejasus out of us kids , but you never forget that clean , boiling washing smell , it was wonderful.
Eventually a better off relative passed on their knackered old twin tub.
Man what luxury , the damn thing used to tie the washing up in a steaming great knot , and it had a laughable 'Automatic rinse and spin function' which involved much malarkey with hoses , but you still got the whole house infused by the marvellous fragrance and for a while Ma Beasty must have had a Paris Hilton vibe going on , having been freed from the tyranny of the dreaded mangle .
Then came the first automatic washing machine we got , the whole family sat and watched its first cycle , like we were watching a Saturday night TV show , we even had snacks and much spirited conversation and joshing as Ma Beasties Knickers levitated on the spin cycle . Marvellous fun , but you just don't get that 'clean' washing smell .
I still miss it maybe I should boil my undies in some washing powder solution on the stove , just for old times sake
23 comments:
FIRST POST! EVEN FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE AFRICAN JUNGLE! THE WORLD CHAMP NEED NOT WEAR LYCRA IN THE BUSH!
My old Ma used to add a few sprigs of lavender from the garden, for that 'freshly washed waft'.
I'm surprised that the 'waft' wasn't ever so slightly tainted due to the fact that we used to empty the cat turds in the same place as where the lavender bloomed.
World Champ Stephen Neal said...
FIRST POST! EVEN FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE AFRICAN JUNGLE! THE WORLD CHAMP NEED NOT WEAR LYCRA IN THE BUSH!
Steady on old chap. One should maintain certain standards even when 'Going Native'. Its only a wisp of lycra between god fearing civilisation and heathen barbarism
Never Mind The Bollix said...
My old Ma used to add a few sprigs of lavender from the garden, for that 'freshly washed waft'.
I'm surprised that the 'waft' wasn't ever so slightly tainted due to the fact that we used to empty the cat turds in the same place as where the lavender bloomed.
Cat Turd and Lavender wasn't exactly what I remember , maybe you could interest Lenor in that particular fragrance Mr Bollix
Ma Beasties Knickers levitated on the spin cycle
Not while she was still wearing them, one hopes. Take care how you describe these event, Beast, you never know what kind of perverted fiend is reading your blog.
"involved much malarkey with hoses"...
Are you referring to that enema I gave you?
Good heavens. Who let Bollix in?
Hello Champ. I'm ready with the hairbrushes and detangler.
Gorilla Bananas said...
Ma Beasties Knickers levitated on the spin cycle
Not while she was still wearing them, one hopes. Take care how you describe these event, Beast, you never know what kind of perverted fiend is reading your blog.
Mr GB the knickers were in the washer at the time , this is a washing related post not demonic possesion . Any perverted fiend who fancies taking on Ma Beasty is more than welcome to try
MJ said...
"involved much malarkey with hoses"...
Are you referring to that enema I gave you?
Point taken about perverted fiends Mr Bananas Hello Miss MJ
Good heavens. Who let Bollix in?
You must have left the door open
Hello Champ. I'm ready with the hairbrushes and detangler.
I dred to think what Miss MJ will get up to with those
***shudders ***
beast my grandmother had one of those wringers, still does in fact and as she has Alzheimer's often forgets she has a regular washer...she still likes to do a load or two with the wringer...as odd as this sounds i used to like doing it as well...gives your mind some relax time and really works your arm muscles...and the clothes never smelled as clean, i will agree...
Did Ma Beastie have a pair of wooden prongs as well? They used to go all soft because of the boiling, but I used to like sniffing them.
Sx
Daisy said...
beast my grandmother had one of those wringers, still does in fact and as she has Alzheimer's often forgets she has a regular washer...she still likes to do a load or two with the wringer...as odd as this sounds i used to like doing it as well...gives your mind some relax time and really works your arm muscles...and the clothes never smelled as clean, i will agree...
There is nothing like a good wringing , mind you it would probably get right on your wick if thats all you had to do the washing
scarlet-blue said...
Did Ma Beastie have a pair of wooden prongs as well? They used to go all soft because of the boiling, but I used to like sniffing them.
Sx
Miss Scarlet , I had forgotten about the prongs , altho I wouldn't advocate sniffing them , thats the start of the slippery slope to snorting class A drugs....or bike saddles
beast...let's put it this way...if that were the case (wringing only) i would not be the only one doing the washing...while it's not bad for a short period of time...i couldn't imagine doing it when the boys were home and going through a load of clothes every other day!
We never had a washing machine or a dryer. Mom did the washing and we hung up the clothes on the lines to dry. Then when we got bigger, we had to do our own washing.
I don't think anyone in town back home had a washer or dryer back then; come to think of it, many still don't. I luv that sun dried smell of clothes.
Daisy said...
beast...let's put it this way...if that were the case (wringing only) i would not be the only one doing the washing...while it's not bad for a short period of time...i couldn't imagine doing it when the boys were home and going through a load of clothes every other day!
I guess we didnt go thru so many changes of clothes in them days
eroswings said...
We never had a washing machine or a dryer. Mom did the washing and we hung up the clothes on the lines to dry. Then when we got bigger, we had to do our own washing.
I don't think anyone in town back home had a washer or dryer back then; come to think of it, many still don't. I luv that sun dried smell of clothes.
I have a drier now , but I think Ma Beasty would regard it as the work of the devil
my granma used to have an old gasoline powered washing machine with a kick start! it got rolled out onto the porch on nice days and all the wash got hung out or laid out on the grass to dry. she made her own soap with slaked lye too; lemme tell you, NOTHING got clothes cleaner than lye soap. take the skin off your hands, too. it did smell nice, didn't it?
FirstNations said...
my granma used to have an old gasoline powered washing machine with a kick start! it got rolled out onto the porch on nice days and all the wash got hung out or laid out on the grass to dry. she made her own soap with slaked lye too; lemme tell you, NOTHING got clothes cleaner than lye soap. take the skin off your hands, too. it did smell nice, didn't it?
Wow A washing machine with a kick start.....how cool is that :-)
I hate doing laundry, maybe if it smelled good I would be inclined to wash clothes more often.
I hate folding stuff after its dried , and matching up pairs of socks is the worse Mr H.
Match the socks up when you hang them up to dry . . . and put them in net type bag thingy in the washing machine to keep them together . . . deary me . . .
Sx
Miss Scarlet , thats washing for girls....boys just chuck everything in , colours, whites the lot and always use the same program (delicates ....PAH )
ah yes... that ever popular spin cycle... heh heh..
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