Miele USA

[ronhic]

Well from an Australian perspective...

....Some do it gradually through the week and others in one hit.

Personally, I do most at the weekend (he says with the 2nd load in on a Tuesday!) particularly sheets and towels but it all depends on when certain items are needed.

As for hanging washing out, at least 80% of Australians hang theirs on the line as to use a dryer here is considered one of the most wasteful things we can do unless it is the middle of winter (and you have no clothes airers) or raining.

...and 'only' 56% of Australian households have a dryer (Australian Bureau of Stats Mar 2008)

 

[ronhic]

And here are

....the stats...

It makes quick and interesting reading....

http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Latestproducts/0E43C98B32A7FE85CA25750E00109A1D?opendocument

 

[rayjay]

Washday MOnday

Hi Mike, When my wife and I got married, we first lived in a 2 family home. I rented from an aunt and uncle of mine. I had a Whirpool washer and dryer. She had a Maytag wringer. Every SUnday night, the white clothes came down to the basement and was soaked overnight. At 6am my aunt came done to the basement and started washing and hanging the clothes out or in the basement if the weather was inclement. I am with you too. I like to get all the wash done in one day. Maybe a load or two of towels during the week.

BTW: I see that your birthday is a day before mine. lol

Ray

 

[launderess]

Laundry was always a one day a week affair on both sides of the pond, well the actual washing anyway. It may have been proceeded by a day or two of soaking and such before the actual manual labour, and followed by one day of drying,then another for ironing, finally perhaps one day for mending as well.

What changed in Europe is simply the fact as automatic electric washing machines became the norm, the small front loading washers (required design for fitting into most "small" European/UK homes), they were too small to do the vast amounts of laundry in one day, so housewives spaced things out.

Europeans who went to laundrettes, still did their laundry on one day, as did those with access to larger washing machines, and or had domestic help to do the deed.

By the way, Monday was not the universal day for washing. In some countries it was Tuesday, or even Wednesday. Washing on Monday would have involved gathering and soaking wash on Sunday, which for many was a religous day where no work should be done. Indeed was probably the only day a housewife would have as a "day of rest", aside from getting the usual Sunday roast/joint on the table.

L.

 

[askomiele]

Well thanks guys! I knew that monday is washday, like tuesday was ironing, wednesday was for ironing and repairing, thursday for sewing new clothing and friday for cleaning the house. Still I'm not convinced that machines where so small to fit in kitchens. Actually when washers and automatics where introduced, there was less laundry per person than now. Two sets of clothing per week + whites for over a week... I mean when you see today, some people change daily their clothing... Still do see the need of washing multiple loads a day, see more advantage in washing bigger loads.

 

[launderess]

Less Laundry?

Not exactly true, at least for much of Europe.

Remember modern appliances did not truly spread throughout the Western European and UK populations until the post WWII era. Prior to that many, many, many homes lacked much of the mod-cons Amercians had taken for granted by and large for years. This included automatic washing machines, fridges and even indoor plumbing.

The generations of Europeans born, growing up from say the 1950's and 1960's came into a world vastly different from their parents. For one thing they certianly ate better, this resulted in children growing taller than their parents.

Post war Europe also saw the beginnings of mass consumerism, long part of American culture. Instead of owning say one or two items, people, especially the younger generations began to want and aquire wardrobes of clothing. While nothing as what was going on, on the other side of the pond, it still was much more than say their parents or grandparents would have had when it came to the lower and even middle classes.

As for large amounts of laundry, actually there certianly was, going back ages. Even though bathing everyday may not have been a habit in many European homes, changing of body linen (undergarments, shirts, and so forth), was a bit more frequent. Of course the higher up one was on the class ladder, the more often clothing was changed. Considering the vast number of undergarments women wore until the 1920's or so, this could produce vast amounts of laundry. In the homes of the upper classes, where women and even men changed clothing several times a day, this also generated lots of laundry.

Then there was bed and table linens to be laundered as well.

When laundry was sent out or done at home in coppers, wash tubs and so froth, they tended to be rather large so one could get one with all that washing.

 

[toggleswitch2]

~Two sets of clothing per week + whites for over a week...
I mean when you see today, some people change daily their clothing...

Only some?

 

[launderess]

"Only Some"

Then as now one assumes certian items are not cleaned after each wearing, but merely aired, brushed and put away.

Woolens such as skirts, suits and so forth are not and indeed should not be cleaned after just one wearing. Even modern dry cleaning methods will greatly shorten the lifespan of a garment if it is cleaned too often.

The closer to the naked body a garment is worn, then obviously the more often it should be laundered. Still have heard horrible stories of persons who do not change undergarments daily.

Still, considering modern santitation and hygeine, especially for most Americans, people in the West are far less dirty than previous generations. Whereas a Saturday night bath did for many, today many Americans bathe twice or more a day. This holds true for persons working in air conditioned offices, arrive there in air conditioned cars, and most every place they go is air conditioned as well.