In the past, people used to wash their clothes by

In the past, people used to wash their clothes by
hand. They would rub the clothes with a bar of
soap and then rinse them in clean water. There
were many different objects to help with the
washing, such as a washboard, but it was always
hard work.
Heating the water
Water was heated over a coal
fire or in a gas boiler. After
soaking, the washing was
put into a big dolly tub.
Drying
After rinsing, much of the
water could be removed by
squeezing the clothes through a
mangle (also known as a
wringer).
A dolly tub and dolly peg
dolly peg
2
A long wooden device which
would be turned back and
forth up to 100 times to
remove dirt from the clothes.
Poster
Jana2-2b.p65
Glossary
Literacy Time 1/2
1
No 10. Spring term. © Scholastic Ltd 2004.
dolly tub
A big tub in which the clothes
could be washed in hot water,
using the dolly peg.
Ironing
Once the washing was dry, it would
be time for the ironing. A heavy flat
iron was heated over a fire, wiped to
remove soot and ashes, and then used before it
cooled. Irons were used in pairs, with one
heating
mangle
flat iron
iron
while
the
A machine with wooden rollers
A triangular-shaped piece of
turned by a handle. The
iron with a handle on top
other was
clothes were fed through the
which could be made very hot
rollers to squeeze out the
being used.
by standing in the fire.
water.
09/10/2003, 10:28
© ILLUSTRATION © SYD BRAK, IRON © TOPHAM PICTURE POINT.
Cleaning the clothes
A dolly peg was twisted
backwards and forwards in
the tub, to agitate the
clothes and remove the dirt.