Washday Copper Boilers Mangles

[Richard Dye]

I was brought up in my Nan's house. We had a copper in the scullery and a mangle in what we called the lobby an outside area which led to the toilet and back door.
I too helped Nan feed the washing through a very scary job! I also remember the blue bag in the wash and the big wooden tongs. Writing this I can almost smell washing day in the 50s.

Ah, the blue bag! How can we forget that little thing! It seems like we are going full circle with things we drop in the wash so that they are soft or smell good! Great reminder cba!

 

[pjmburns]

Growing up we had an electric wash boiler (Dad worked for MEB).
It used to be filled on Sunday night. Put on early Monday morning to heat up so Mom could do the washing. It was next to the sink and Mom used a big stick to put items into cold water in the sink to rinse them. Taking care not to burn her fingers. Then they went through the wringer before being, hopefully, pegged out.
Everything seemed to be washed at the same, hot, temperature or hand washed.
I can smell the steamy kitchen now lol.

 

[mw0njm.]

I was brought up in my Nan's house. We had a copper in the scullery and a mangle in what we called the lobby an outside area which led to the toilet and back door.
I too helped Nan feed the washing through a very scary job! I also remember the blue bag in the wash and the big wooden tongs. Writing this I can almost smell washing day in the 50s.

mom had some of them too

 

[Richard Dye]

Growing up we had an electric wash boiler (Dad worked for MEB).
It used to be filled on Sunday night. Put on early Monday morning to heat up so Mom could do the washing. It was next to the sink and Mom used a big stick to put items into cold water in the sink to rinse them. Taking care not to burn her fingers. Then they went through the wringer before being, hopefully, pegged out.
Everything seemed to be washed at the same, hot, temperature or hand washed.
I can smell the steamy kitchen now lol.

Reading your post Janice, I am remembering in my teams all of those broken buttons from the mangle.

 

[Richard Dye]

mom had some of them tooView attachment 191955

My gran and mom always used an old stick, looked like a broken broom handle.

 

[cba]

I forgot about the broken buttons. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[pjmburns]

My gran and mom always used an old stick, looked like a broken broom handle.

Exactly. Bleached almost white from the hot water.

Reading your post Janice, I am remembering in my teams all of those broken buttons from the mangle.

I nearly put about the broken buttons lol.

 

[mw0njm.]

always carfull not to get your fingers in the mangle

 

[Richard Dye]

always carfull not to get your fingers in the mangle

Now you are telling me: been there done that

 

[Dave89]

Reading your post Janice, I am remembering in my teams all of those broken buttons from the mangle.

Hi Richard,

We used to feed the buttons through just past the right hand end of the rollers.
This position was very close to the gears, and you had to be very careful not to catch
your fingers. Lots of near misses!

Kind regards
Dave

 

[Richard Dye]

Hi Richard,

We used to feed the buttons through just past the right hand end of the rollers.
This position was very close to the gears, and you had to be very careful not to catch
your fingers. Lots of near misses!

Kind regards
Dave

Dave, my mom did that unfortunately I did not also those gears had a way of attracting my fingers, all too many times.

Best..........