Activities
In our modern world we take many things for granted. Washing our clothes is as simple as throwing them into an automatic washer and waiting for the timer to let us know they are finished. Doing the laundry in the homesteading days was not an easy task. To see whether you’d be up to the task, figure out in what order things needed to be done. Read the 13 steps below and then number them in the proper sequence.
| _________ | Rub dirty spots on a washboard. Rub hard. Then boil. |
| _________ | Cut up a whole cake of lye soap. Drop it into the boiling water. |
| _________ | Pour rinse water on the flower beds. |
| _________ | Stir some flour in cold water until smooth, then thin with boiling water (to make starch). |
| _________ | Set tubs so smoke won’t get in your eyes if the wind comes up. |
| _________ | Take white clothes out of the pot with a stick. |
| _________ | Hang old rags on the bushes to dry. |
| _________ | Turn tubs upside down to drain. |
| _________ | Start a fire in the firepit and heat a pot of rainwater. |
| _________ | Lay smaller towels on grass. |
| _________ | Put on your clean clothes and rest a few minutes before starting your next chore. |
| _________ | Sort clothes into three piles: one for colored cloth, one for white cloth, and one for work clothes and soiled rags. |
| _________ | Rub colored clothes but don’t boil them. Rinse and starch them. |