Some Things Never Change: The Joys of Doing Laundry




Some things never change, we all have to do laundry sometime. The sorting, washing, drying, more sorting, then my least favorite-folding! After that entire process you still have to put away the loads of clothes. It can take a few hours or a few days depending on how much you have or how much time you have.

I confess, I find it to be the most tedious chore to do although I do count myself lucky that I don't have to wash my clothes by hand by scrubbing them clean!



If only doing laundry can look as glamorous as Clara Bow makes it look in the photo above. In reality for many decades it looked like the lady here. Scrubbing away in a wooden tub, piece by piece, ever so slowly.



And then invention of the automatic washing machine can into light in the late 1940's/early 1950's. That changed the lives of women everywhere! Can you imagine how much time and energy they saved by having access to such a machine? 



I never found doing laundry as much fun as the girls pictured below are having but I do find joy in having access to my own washing and drying machine. It is something many might take for granted. Until about seven years ago I was doing laundry in a laundry mat. I still adore using my own machines and I recognize the luxury of being able to wash my families clothes in the comfort of my own home. Ahhh, thank you General Electric!



I still find the folding aspect of the laundry process a tedious event, but I have a system-I separate the clothes according to tops, under things, jeans, boys, girls, myself, my husband and slowly work my way through the piles.

As I now finish putting  away my last bit of folded laundry and I can't help but ponder on how women managed to do this day in and day out without the use of the modern gadgets I so adore. My only wish is that someone will invent a automatic folding machine! And soon!

Here are some very helpful tips on how to wash and care for vintage clothing:

How to wash vintage clothes by Va-Voom Vintage

Cleaning vintage clothing by My Vintage Wear

A guide to cleaning vintage clothing by About.com

How to hand wash delicate vintage clothing by Kittys Vintage & Kitsch

Cleaning & Storing Antique Clothing by Vintage Connection

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7 comments :

  1. Thanks for this useful post! I get so lazy with my vintage a lot of the time, I almost dread wearing it because I know I'll have to hand wash it afterwards.

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  2. Great post. I do tend to take my washer and dryer for granted and they are great. I couldn't imagine having to do all of our laundry by hand. They didn't own as much clothing back then (the clothes were built to last instead of all of this throw away stuff we have now), but it still would have been a pain. I am okay with the washing, drying, and folding. The thing that I dislike is carrying the basket of dirty clothes from the second floor down into the basement, whatever happened to laundry shoots LOL. That and matching socks. I'll admit I have a whole basket filled with socks that I have never been able to match.

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  3. Speaking of laundry I have two baskets {one towels, one clothes} to bring up and fold. I rather enjoy folding laundry actually. I'd much rather do laundry than dishes, which is how my sister and I split up house work. I put on some music, close the door, and just take my time. :)

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  4. The separating, putting it in the wash and then the dryer is okay. Even hand washing clothes isn't that bad. It's the folding laundry that really gets me down!

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  5. Gaaahhh laundry, the bane of my existence! I am so grateful for my washer and dryer though, and I agree, if there was a folder machine I would be delighted. Want to hear something strange, I actually like hanging it on the line, in good weather. It's so zen and I like the old fashioned feeling.

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  6. Love the wonderful vintage images at work in this charming slice-of-timeless-life post. I personally don't mind doing laundry at all, save for ironing, which is hard verging on (and some days, flat out) impossible for me health wise. Much as I wish every last shirt, dress, napkin, sheet and tablecloth in our house was always ironed, it isn't and I've come to make as much peace with that point as I can.

    ♥ Jessica

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  7. Thank you everyone for your lovely comments! I hope someone invents a folding machine asap hehehe xox

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