This is an old article I've read in the past but saw it again and thought you might enjoy it if you've not seen it.
Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe: this is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - with spelling errors and all.
WARSHING CLOTHES
Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.
Sort things, make 3 piles 1 pile white, 1 pile colored, 1 pile work britches and rags.
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch. Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.
Hang old rags on fence. Spread tea towels on grass. Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water. Turn tubs upside down.
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs.. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.
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I do enjoy that and surprisingly to some, it's really not all THAT long ago that a lot of laundry was done that way or close to it! I remember using a scrub board and scrubbing laundry as a kid! We did have big "laundry tubs" in the basement so were inside but still hung them outside. I still prefer to hang my clothes outside to this day. Winter gets rough though as the clothes freeze faster than one can hang them and it's even worse on the hands!
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