1940s Laundry Tricks Our Grandmothers Used

For centuries laundry was the bane of many a woman’s existence. It was hot, the chemicals could be harsh, and thanks to a lack of machines until well into the 20th century you had to get your hands in the hot, soapy, caustic laundry water. By the 1940s a few modern conveniences made it easier than it had been decades prior, but it was still a complicated affair that usually took multiple days to complete. Even so there were a few tricks that ladies in 1940s used to make the most of their resources and to keep the cost of their time to a minimum.

Laundry on Hold

Most folks back then didn’t have a clothes dryer so even if you were lucky enough to have a washer there was still the hanging out to do. In warmer months this meant the possibility of mold. If you didn’t have time to hang them out some women would place their freshly-washed, wet clothes in freezer, provided there was modern icebox in the kitchen of course. Then the next day when you did have the time you could hang them on the line with no worry of mold, mildew, or funky smells.

If it was freezing outside then the laundry would still be hung outside. Instead of freezing solid the clothes would somehow dry- although they did need to be “un-stiffened” when dried this way.

Keeping Whites White

Ladies of the 1940s used blueing to make clothes look whiter, Mrs. Stewart’s was a common brand. There’s actually still a bit of blueing in some powder detergents today. The blue color counteracts yellow, like the stains from sweat or coffee, to make laundry look brighter.

Some used chlorine bleach, a product only nationally available for consumers beginning in the mid-1930s. So in the 1940s it was still new. And, if you didn’t have either of these then the sun worked wonders for keeping clothes from looking too dingy.

Grated Soap

Many women used soap grated by hand and Borax instead of what we know as laundry soap today. Some households even made their own soap. This was cheaper by far, but to encourage customers to buy boxed laundry soap some brands offered freebies or coupons in with the detergent, such as Jadeite or carnival glass dishes. No doubt all the time spent working by women when the men went off to war pushed ready-to-use household cleaners into popularity.

Make Your Own Starching Liquid

Today we can buy starching liquid, although few people use it as they did in the old days. Back then doilies, dresser scarves, collars, and many other items were regularly starched to keep them looking crisp just a little but longer. You could buy the special laundry starch powder or make do with a little cornstarch in water. Special sprinklers that looked like weird pepper shakers were used to gently apply the starch mixture to items just before ironing. It’s amazing to think how much effort used to go into to doing the laundry!

Through the Wringer

Without a dryer the use of a wringer would help speed up drying time. This seems so old fashioned to us today, but back then it was considered another piece of precious equipment to help shorten the laundry process.

Stocking Care

Many women were advised to rinse their stockings out each night instead of washing them vigorously- or to wash them very gently with soap every few days. Even before the start of the Second World War many women might have only had a few pairs to start. Silk stocking weren’t in use from the late 1930s on in the US with and nylon stockings went scarce once the war began since the fibers were needed to make parachutes for the troops. So it was best all around to take care of the ones you had because you’d have to wait a while for new ones. There were even special drying racks sold for stockings so you conveniently hang them inside.