Beating & Scrubbing

Continuing our tour of the laundry room:

We have it so easy nowadays. I don't personally know anyone who uses a coal stove to heat their home. Coal stoves were dirty. Some people still use wood, but even indoor wood burners or fireplace inserts aren't nearly as messy as using fireplaces with open hearths as your only heat source. Everything in your home got so much dirtier back then. 

Plus, we have vacuum cleaners now! Gone are the days when we had to hang our rugs, cushions and bedding over a railing and beat the dirt out of them. Thus, I don't use my 3 rug beaters for their intended purposes. They just add to the ambiance of the laundry room!

The one on the left and the one in the center came from Michigan antique stores. The one on the right came from a shop at Washington's Crossing, PA (where Washington made his historic crossing of the Delaware).

We aren't scrubbing our clothes on washboards today either.

I have 4 old washboards, and I like the fact that 3 of them say Saginaw.

They have water stains on them, so you can tell that someone did once use them for their intended purposes.

I got the brass one at a Calumet antique store before we moved to the U.P., and the one on the right had been left in the basement of our Calumet house.

The 2 glass washboards came from my mom and Steve's mom.

Laundry was such a chore back then!

Stay tuned for more laundry room posts.

P.S. We've had an exciting week here in the Keweenaw. First, Steve found the long lost towel ring and t.p. holder for the powder room! And he installed them! No more t.p. sitting on the back of the throne! If that wasn't excitement enough, we also got the last 2 faucets out of their boxes and installed in the sinks in the master bath. Did you get that? We actually have running water in the sinks in the master bath! All the plumbing is D-O-N-E. I'm simply giddy!

All is well in the Keweenaw.