A Future Homesteader

• Thursday, March 27, 2008 - Doing Laundry

Could someone tell me how to do wash laundry 'the old fashioned way'?
Or, at least links to sites that explain it?
It would be very helpful!

I am a christian, I know what my role is as a woman of God, and yet I don't understand why my mother won't help me. I am in one of the rare cases where I actually want to learn how to cook and clean and my mother doesn't want me to do anything and actively discourages me from learning any household skills. Is she expecting me to just instantly know what to do when I get married? And she gets the shivers whenever I mention this homestead thing. I know that if I tell people that I want a 'self-sufficent' life, they may think I'm really weird. I just didn't expect it from my own family.

Comments

• Thursday, March 27, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by glenda

When you say the old fashioned way what do you mean?? I have a washer now however i have in the past washed on a wash board and wringer.. It was a lot of hard work but was great. WE have even thought about going back to it as it saved us a lot of money on our water bill and our electric bill.. If you will let me know what you are really wanting to know i will be glad to tell you what i have learned in the past 20 years of house keeping.. ;-)
glenda

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• Thursday, March 27, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by smmagers

I was in the boat you are in many years ago. When I was growing up I had a maid. I did not know how to cook other than pop tarts and mac-n-cheese. I had to learn how to cook , use the washing machine, every thing. My mom did not teach me either.
My mom can not believe the way I am know. I cook , clean, can food, raise our own food and most of all love it. God Bless. mj

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• Thursday, March 27, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by seventhheaven

I think this is a wonderful place to learn how to be a homemaker the "old fashioned" way. Feel free to ask any question you need to know and Im sure someone on this blog site can help you. As for washing clothes the old way, and this is just my opinion, i think a washer is one luxury i would hate to give up. lol. A dryer could be optional, according to where you live, some places you can line dry most all year, and some the winters are so harsh you might would need the dryer.

One thing I do is make my own washing detergent. You can find a recipe for this at thefamilyhomestead.com. This would be a very helpful site. I read all of her blogs and she has incredible helps in starting to live the 'homestead' way.

Be encouraged. Although Ive just started trying to live like this I have encountered those who dont understand when I first started homeschooling. I knew absoultly nobody who homeschooled. It was a desire God gave me and although I often felt alone Ive never regretted it. God sometimes calls us to do just such things that everyone else just shakes their head at and will never understand. Remember Noah !!!!

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• Thursday, March 27, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by gabbie427

Many years ago I used to help my grandma do the laundry in her outdoor wringer washer machine. Nothing was electric back then and we would hang the clothes on the line to dry, but we always had too many clothes, so then we would hang the towels on the fence! It was nice to do in the spring or summer when weather was ok, but we always did this indoors and put the laundry on every chair we could find to dry them in the cold winter.

I don't remember if she made her own soap or not, but I bet she did. They didn't have all the pretty smelling soaps then, I just remember the clothes smelling clean, not like fragrance.

I am glad you feel comfortable to ask these kinds of questions here.

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo

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• Friday, March 28, 2008 - laundry and family

Posted by morningsunshine

First, welcome to homestead blogger! this is the place to be if you want to learn. I think it is great that you know you want to be self-sufficient, and that you found HSB2 so quickly! I thought I was a lone crazy wanting this life. my family still thinks I am nuts ("why make that - it is only $xx at the store"), but they sure do love the soaps & lotions I make them ("oh, this is so good, can I have more") and they love coming up here for meals ("you are such a good cook!" - no, I just make things from scratch without the junk in it!) family will be your greatest critic to this life. don't know why, but....
laundry... it sounds like you need to start from scratch. I sort my laundry into 4 piles - whites, darks (including reds and dark pinks), light colors, and towels, sheets, etc. sometimes if I do not have a full load of the last, I sort them into the other piles. and jeans I throw into whichever pile is the smallest, sometimes colors, sometimes darks, occasionally the towels. since my girls cannot possibly go a day without staining their shirts, I soak those first. I would like to line dry everything, but right now I only do the kids clothes (so the dryer doesn't set the stains I miss), my shirts (I should wear an apron more often!), the napkins and jeans.
You might could have a chat with your mom. remind her that although she doesn't want to think about you getting older, you are, and at 16 you are only a few years away from a place of your own. college, marriage, a job/career are all around the corner (I do not know which of those are for you, but that is what girls your age are going to be doing in the next 5 years.) remind her that as an adult YOU will be responsible for laundry and cooking, and you feel so unprepared. ask for her help in getting ready for that time. don't bring up the self-sufficiency, just that you need to know these things, because after all, does she REALLY want you to be living at home like a child in 10 years, still doing the cooking, doing your laundry, etc? she might just be having a hard time letting her baby grow up.

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• Friday, March 28, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by southernbelle

Don't be too discouraged if your mother or other people don't share your interests. My mother shakes her head in amazement at my way of life since it is so different from hers and the way I was raised. I love it though and there are many other ways to learn! HSB is a great starting point.

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• Friday, March 28, 2008 - How wonderful!

Posted by jenlow

How wonderful and refreshing it is to read of a young lady who actually wants to be a good helpmeet and the best person that she can be. I wish that I knew what to tell you to do......Keep on hoping and keep on praying. The Lord will either change your Mother's heart or possibly send a lady your way that will gladly take you under her wings. God bless you and keep strong!

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• Saturday, June 14, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by jesusbmylight

We're going to get to washing our clothes by hand this summer. I read that the simplest way is to fill a bathtub/trough (usually outside) with hot soapy water and dump in the dirty clothes. Then, let all your siblings stomp around in them for a few minuets, drain the water, fill it again and get them back in the tub. If I remember correctly, this is done 2-4 times or until the water runs clean. Then, you rise the clothes in clear water a few times and run them through a wringer (that's the muscle building part), hang them on the line and whaloa!

We haven't used our dryer in almost a year, it's not even hooked up. We hang our clothes out even in the winter. They'll freeze of course, and look like boards on the line. Eventually, after a day or two, they soften up and when they start to flap you know their ready to come in. The awesome part is, they smell heavenly! Especially if it had snowed while they were on the line. We have a smaller line inside that our white loads go on, it would be to hard to have little socks and undies blowing out in the snow, but winter line drying is fine for jeans and shirts and it saves a ton! We also make our own soap/laundry soap/ shampoo and that saves too.

Welcome and enjoy yourself here!!

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