 A Hoover machine - just a single tub. It did the washing for you.
It was easier on the hands.
You put the clothes into the container?
Yes, it agitated the clothes. There was no scrubbing
involved, unless there were very dirty necks of collars but no, that made life
a lot easier.
So there wasn't the blue?
All of that process still happened, because all the
machine did was actually wash it, so you still had the rinsing and the blueing
and the starching. But the actual washing and the carrying of water didn't
happen because you had a hose attached to the pipe in the sink. Electrically
the water was got rid of down the sink, so you didn't have to lift that water.
You still had buckets of blueing, starch and water. Likewise the big wooden
mangle in the garden became one with rubber rollers, which was kinder the hands
if you happened to get your fingers in the wrong place, and it was lighter to
carry around - it could be put in the shed and out again. I can actually
remember my Mother's hands-red raw, and later in life she had severe arthritis,
and really, when you think she stood out in all weathers, wringing and washing
clothes, hanging them out, bringing them in. The wind would blow, brilliant
sunshine, and scorch your hands. We had the best washing in the village - we
were very proud of our washing.
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