Reality #2 Saturday night bath.
Reality #2 SATURDAY NIGHT BATH:
Our house had no bathroom as there was no running water, no tub, no indoor toilet. On Saturday morning, the reservoir end of the wood stove was filled. This was a container built into the stove to keep water piping hot. Saturday was baking day so the wood stove was on anyway. Also the boiler was filled and left on the stove. The boiler was a large oval shaped container that Mom used when canning. It held about twelve quart ceilers when used for canning. The best water for bathing was "run off" rain water(caught in a barrel from the roof) or melted snow as this was "soft" water whereas the well water was "hard" water. The well was in the "Well House" attached to the garage across the yard. Water was pumped by hand into pails and brought into the house. In winter the tub ( a 3 foot by 3 foot metal tub that was otherwise known as the wash tub) was placed on a rug in front of the wood stove in the kitchen for warmth. (I do recall having a round tub for a short while). Everyone but the bather was swished out to another part of the house during bath time. Being the youngest and ,at that time, the smallest in the house, meant I got to bath first. I remember being told to hurry as the water would get cold. Sorry folks, no emptying the tub between bathers. All this water was hauled into the house in pails and out of the house the same way. We were cleaned, our hair was washed and curled if you were a girl, all for church on Sunday morning. In our house there were 7 people to bath. I heard a story up here a couple weeks ago where there were 21 to bath in their house. Wouldn't want to be LAST in that home.
Our house had no bathroom as there was no running water, no tub, no indoor toilet. On Saturday morning, the reservoir end of the wood stove was filled. This was a container built into the stove to keep water piping hot. Saturday was baking day so the wood stove was on anyway. Also the boiler was filled and left on the stove. The boiler was a large oval shaped container that Mom used when canning. It held about twelve quart ceilers when used for canning. The best water for bathing was "run off" rain water(caught in a barrel from the roof) or melted snow as this was "soft" water whereas the well water was "hard" water. The well was in the "Well House" attached to the garage across the yard. Water was pumped by hand into pails and brought into the house. In winter the tub ( a 3 foot by 3 foot metal tub that was otherwise known as the wash tub) was placed on a rug in front of the wood stove in the kitchen for warmth. (I do recall having a round tub for a short while). Everyone but the bather was swished out to another part of the house during bath time. Being the youngest and ,at that time, the smallest in the house, meant I got to bath first. I remember being told to hurry as the water would get cold. Sorry folks, no emptying the tub between bathers. All this water was hauled into the house in pails and out of the house the same way. We were cleaned, our hair was washed and curled if you were a girl, all for church on Sunday morning. In our house there were 7 people to bath. I heard a story up here a couple weeks ago where there were 21 to bath in their house. Wouldn't want to be LAST in that home.
posted by Bev at 2:56 PM
