news-record.com

I love to hang my clothes out when the weather is nice.

No detergent or fabric softener can duplicate the fresh-air smell of clothes after they have hung in the sunshine. If at all possible, I always try to put my sheets, pillowcases and towels out for that fresh-air smell. I do place them in the dryer to soften them but only for a short time.

Seeing clothes on a line gives me a peaceful feeling — even if those clothes are on someone else’s line. Renowned local artist Mel Steele has painted several pictures featuring clothes (usually quilts) on a line, making me think he also has fond memories of those days before the invention of clothes dryers.

One of my fondest memories of childhood is helping my mother, Clara Somers, wash and hang out our family’s clothes. Granted, I often wasn’t too happy about it at the time, but it was something special I shared with my mother.

Monday was her wash day. She washed all the clothes for our family of four adults and two children. The night before, she usually sorted the clothes, putting all the whites together and soaking them in Clorox, then putting the dark-colored and light-colored in separate piles. The towels and sheets also were washed separately.

We had one of those old-fashioned round washing machines with a wringer on the top. Mother would place a tub of fresh water beside the washing machine. Often she had very hot water in the tub.

As Mother pulled the clothes out, using a pole to lift out the ones in boiling hot water, she ran them through the “wringer” part of the machine: two round cylinders, one above the other. She often let me help pull the wet clothes through the wringer into the rinse tub. The soapy water was pressed out of them.

We repeated the process to get the clothes as dry as possible.

Then, my job was to catch the clothes and place them in the basket. I didn’t dare let them fall on the ground.

While the clothes were washing, Mother took a wet cloth and ran it up and down the clothes line to get any dirt off. What was the use of washing clothes if you put them on a dirty clothes line?

As mother took each wet piece out of the basket, she shook it very hard to get the wrinkles out. Then, I would hand her the clothespins and she placed the clothes on the line.

Shirts were hung by the hems, my uncle’s pants by the cuffs. All like items were hung together. She matched up our socks as she took them out of the basket, then clipped each pair by the toes to the line. When she took them down, she folded them together so we didn’t have to sort them later. Larger items were hung first. Except for the socks, she hung the clothes together so one clothes pin would clip two pieces together, saving the need for so many pins.

Weather seldom postponed the chore. I remember it being so cold, the clothes froze before she got them on the line! Mother always said they “freeze-dried,” a term most people didn’t learn until years later when frozen foods were introduced. Mother was always happy when the wind was blowing since she said the breezes softened the clothes. (Remember, she couldn’t place her clothes in a dryer to soften them!)

I can remember running out to get the clothes in when a storm was coming and the clothes were almost dry. Then, we took them in the house and spread them over chairs, tables and anything else available to complete the drying process.

And we never, never left the clothespins on the line. My job was to place the pins Mother handed me as she took down the clothes in a special bag sewn by my grandmother, Annie Somers.

If the weather was nice, Mother folded the clothes as she took them off the line. Of course, when all this was done and the clothes were back in the house, Mother’s “Tuesday job” began — the task of ironing all of them.

My first ironing chores were the handkerchiefs my uncles used (tissues weren’t available then) and then I graduated to their boxer shorts (no briefs at that time) and T-shirts. Eventually, I got to iron larger items but I really didn’t like ironing much and still don’t. I’m so grateful for permanent press.

I enjoyed helping Mother do the wash. Often, as I put my clothes on the line today, my mind goes back to those happy hours I shared with her before she got one of those “modern” washing machines to use. We still had to put them on the line to dry.

Today, of course, I have a washing machine and dryer, but I still enjoy putting my clothes out on the line on sunny days!

Reidsville native Ann Fish has lived in Eden since 1979. Contact her at annsomersfish@yahoo.com.