On 1/29/2024 12:25 AM, itsjoannotjoann@webtv.net wrote:
> On Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 2:53:43 PM UTC-6, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>> On 2024-01-28, itsjoan...@webtv.net <itsjoan...@webtv.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> Cotton is my least favorite fabric except for dishcloths/towels/dishtowels
>>> and sheets.
>>>
>> Polyester? Silk? Wool?
>>
>> Cindy Hamilton
>>
> I like T shirts with a bit of polyester in the blend of the material. It prevents
> shrinkage plus shirts don't look wrinkly when coming out of the dryer. Silk is
> ok, I do like wool, and sometimes rayon. Linen is very nice, but it's terrible about
> wrinkling but is comfortable to wear.

The great thing about linen is everyone expects it to be wrinkled. :)
In the deep south no one looks askance at a wrinkled cotton or linen
garment.

Jill

On 1/29/2024 12:25 AM, itsjoannotjoann@webtv.net wrote:
> On Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 2:53:43 PM UTC-6, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>> On 2024-01-28, itsjoan...@webtv.net <itsjoan...@webtv.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> Cotton is my least favorite fabric except for dishcloths/towels/dishtowels
>>> and sheets.
>>>
>> Polyester? Silk? Wool?
>>
>> Cindy Hamilton
>>
> I like T shirts with a bit of polyester in the blend of the material. It prevents
> shrinkage plus shirts don't look wrinkly when coming out of the dryer. Silk is
> ok, I do like wool, and sometimes rayon. Linen is very nice, but it's terrible about
> wrinkling but is comfortable to wear.

Everything I wear has mostly cotton. Just looked at a couple of my
shirts, they are 60% cotton.

Life was tough back in the 70s when much of the modest price slacks were
100% polyester. Horrid stuff I'd not wear. Seems that was the heyday of
Polyester.

On 1/29/2024 10:06 AM, Ed P wrote:
> On 1/29/2024 12:25 AM, itsjoannotjoann@webtv.net wrote:
>> On Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 2:53:43 PM UTC-6, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>> On 2024-01-28, itsjoan...@webtv.net <itsjoan...@webtv.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Cotton is my least favorite fabric except for
>>>> dishcloths/towels/dishtowels
>>>> and sheets.
>>>>
>>> Polyester? Silk? Wool?
>>>
>>> Cindy Hamilton
>>>
>> I like T shirts with a bit of polyester in the blend of the material.
>> It prevents
>> shrinkage plus shirts don't look wrinkly when coming out of the
>> dryer.  Silk is
>> ok, I do like wool, and sometimes rayon.  Linen is very nice, but it's
>> terrible about
>> wrinkling but is comfortable to wear.
>
> Everything I wear has mostly cotton.  Just looked at a couple of my
> shirts, they are 60% cotton.
>
> Life was tough back in the 70s when much of the modest price slacks were
> 100% polyester.  Horrid stuff I'd not wear. Seems that was the heyday of
> Polyester.

Leisure suits! Drip dry fabric. No dry cleaning required.

Jill

On 2024-01-29 10:06 a.m., Ed P wrote:

>> ok, I do like wool, and sometimes rayon.  Linen is very nice, but it's
>> terrible about
>> wrinkling but is comfortable to wear.
>
> Everything I wear has mostly cotton.  Just looked at a couple of my
> shirts, they are 60% cotton.
>
> Life was tough back in the 70s when much of the modest price slacks were
> 100% polyester.  Horrid stuff I'd not wear. Seems that was the heyday of
> Polyester.

Natural fabrics are almost always more comfortable. When I had a summer
job in an alloy smelting plant we had to wear long underwear, and it had
to be wool or cotton, not synthetic.

On 2024-01-29 10:11 a.m., jmcquown wrote:
> On 1/29/2024 10:06 AM, Ed P wrote:
>> On 1/29/2024 12:25 AM, itsjoannotjoann@webtv.net wrote:
>>> On Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 2:53:43 PM UTC-6, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>>> On 2024-01-28, itsjoan...@webtv.net <itsjoan...@webtv.net> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Cotton is my least favorite fabric except for
>>>>> dishcloths/towels/dishtowels
>>>>> and sheets.
>>>>>
>>>> Polyester? Silk? Wool?
>>>>
>>>> Cindy Hamilton
>>>>
>>> I like T shirts with a bit of polyester in the blend of the material.
>>> It prevents
>>> shrinkage plus shirts don't look wrinkly when coming out of the
>>> dryer.  Silk is
>>> ok, I do like wool, and sometimes rayon.  Linen is very nice, but
>>> it's terrible about
>>> wrinkling but is comfortable to wear.
>>
>> Everything I wear has mostly cotton.  Just looked at a couple of my
>> shirts, they are 60% cotton.
>>
>> Life was tough back in the 70s when much of the modest price slacks
>> were 100% polyester.  Horrid stuff I'd not wear. Seems that was the
>> heyday of Polyester.
>
> Leisure suits!  Drip dry fabric.  No dry cleaning required.
>
>

Thank god leisure suits were a short lived style. They were a joke. I
am happy to say I never had one, nor did any of my friends.

On Monday, January 29, 2024 at 8:05:49 AM UTC-6, jmcquown wrote:
>
> On 1/29/2024 12:25 AM, itsjoan...@webtv.net wrote:
> >
> > Linen is very nice, but it's terrible about
> > wrinkling but is comfortable to wear.
> >
> The great thing about linen is everyone expects it to be wrinkled. :)
> In the deep south no one looks askance at a wrinkled cotton or linen
> garment.
>
> Jill
>
True, true. A few hundred years ago I had bought a lovely A-line linen dress
for Easter. I even went as far as having my initials embroidered on the front
in the chest area. But I'd stand as long as I could before sitting down knowing
once seated that dress would be terribly wrinkled in the front. It was such a
comfortable dress, though.

On Monday, January 29, 2024 at 9:51:57 AM UTC-6, Dave Smith wrote:
>
> On 2024-01-29 10:06 a.m., Ed P wrote:
>
> > Life was tough back in the 70s when much of the modest price slacks were
> > 100% polyester. Horrid stuff I'd not wear. Seems that was the heyday of
> > Polyester.
> >
> Natural fabrics are almost always more comfortable. When I had a summer
> job in an alloy smelting plant we had to wear long underwear, and it had
> to be wool or cotton, not synthetic.
>
Synthetics tend melt when hit with high heat such as you'd experience in
a smelting plant.

On 1/27/2024 11:04 PM, BryanGSimmons wrote:
> On 1/27/2024 8:26 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>> On 1/23/2024 9:59 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
>>>
>>> Towels get stiff in warm weather too. I confess to liking the feel of
>>> stiff towels.
>>
>> That's the fault of too much detergent left on the fabric. Using an
>> automatic clothes dryer can mask the stiffness of the leftover
>> detergent, but a splash of white vinegar in the rinse water makes all
>> the difference, whether line dried or into the automatic clothes
>> dryer. Cut back on the detergent a bit, also. I read this in a
>> "Hints From Heloise" column years ago, and it hasn't failed me since.
> >
> One can also set the washer to extra rinse, that is if one owns a decent
> washer.

That is, if one doesn't mind wasting that extra water. I can get three
loads of wash out of one tub of suds water in the wringer washer. Rinse
water is standing in the soapstone/concrete laundry tub. I can easily
tell if I used too much detergent, because if I use the right amount,
the rinse water won't be sudsy at all until all three loads are rinsed.
I do "cheat" and toss the rinsed clothes back into the mostly broken
automatic washer, and use the "spin" cycle before drying them.

On Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at 7:29:54 AM UTC-10, Michael Trew wrote:
>
> That is, if one doesn't mind wasting that extra water. I can get three
> loads of wash out of one tub of suds water in the wringer washer. Rinse
> water is standing in the soapstone/concrete laundry tub. I can easily
> tell if I used too much detergent, because if I use the right amount,
> the rinse water won't be sudsy at all until all three loads are rinsed.
> I do "cheat" and toss the rinsed clothes back into the mostly broken
> automatic washer, and use the "spin" cycle before drying them.

Our family had such a washer back in the early 60's. It was a lot of fun for me to see the water filling up the basin outside the house and then get sucked back again. I don't understand the concept of reusing water like that.. Mostly, it makes sense if water is scarce.
Yesterday, while we were waiting to pick up our granddaughter from school, there was a guy that put a guitar in the school dumpster. I'm not a guy to go dumpster diving but for a guitar I will. Turns out it was a bass guitar and it was pink. I always wanted a pink guitar. I've finally got the guitar that guitarists always hear about - the mythical dumpster guitar. Hee hee.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/H4W8JwgkCotmgHcN6

On Tue, 30 Jan 2024 12:06:02 -0800 (PST), dsi1
<dsi123@hawaiiantel.net> wrote:

>On Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at 7:29:54 AM UTC-10, Michael Trew wrote:
>>
>> That is, if one doesn't mind wasting that extra water. I can get three
>> loads of wash out of one tub of suds water in the wringer washer. Rinse
>> water is standing in the soapstone/concrete laundry tub. I can easily
>> tell if I used too much detergent, because if I use the right amount,
>> the rinse water won't be sudsy at all until all three loads are rinsed.
>> I do "cheat" and toss the rinsed clothes back into the mostly broken
>> automatic washer, and use the "spin" cycle before drying them.
>
>Our family had such a washer back in the early 60's. It was a lot of fun for me to see the water filling up the basin outside the house and then get sucked back again. I don't understand the concept of reusing water like that. Mostly, it makes sense if water is scarce.
>Yesterday, while we were waiting to pick up our granddaughter from school, there was a guy that put a guitar in the school dumpster. I'm not a guy to go dumpster diving but for a guitar I will. Turns out it was a bass guitar and it was pink. I always wanted a pink guitar. I've finally got the guitar that guitarists always hear about - the mythical dumpster guitar. Hee hee.
>
>https://photos.app.goo.gl/H4W8JwgkCotmgHcN6
>
I like that guitar. No confusion about which string to pluck.

On 1/29/2024 3:27 PM, itsjoannotjoann@webtv.net wrote:
> On Monday, January 29, 2024 at 8:05:49 AM UTC-6, jmcquown wrote:
>>
>> On 1/29/2024 12:25 AM, itsjoan...@webtv.net wrote:
>>>
>>> Linen is very nice, but it's terrible about
>>> wrinkling but is comfortable to wear.
>>>
>> The great thing about linen is everyone expects it to be wrinkled. :)
>> In the deep south no one looks askance at a wrinkled cotton or linen
>> garment.
>>
>> Jill
>>
> True, true. A few hundred years ago I had bought a lovely A-line linen dress
> for Easter. I even went as far as having my initials embroidered on the front
> in the chest area. But I'd stand as long as I could before sitting down knowing
> once seated that dress would be terribly wrinkled in the front. It was such a
> comfortable dress, though.

I have a lovely linen dress I bought to wear to the office in west TN.
The dress got wrinkled on the drive to work. But yes, it's a very
comfortable dress. :) These days I wear jeans to work. I could even
wear shorts if I wanted to. Back then, jeans were only allowed on the
occasional "casual Friday". I never quite understood that. We didn't
interact with the public yet everyone was expected to dress up.

Since this thread started out being about bad weather I was reminded of
a time in the early 2000's when Memphis was hit with an ice storm
(nothing special about that, happens every year). That particular
morning I decided I was going to wear black jeans to work. I figured if
my car slid off the road at least I wouldn't be wearing a dress. When I
got the office only a handful of people had come to work. The
department manager came to my desk and chided me, saying, "You know
you're not supposed to wear jeans to work!" I looked around at all the
empty cubicles and offices and said, "Really? You're worried about what
I'm wearing?"

Jill

dsi1 wrote:
> On Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at 7:29:54 AM UTC-10, Michael Trew wrote:
>>
>> That is, if one doesn't mind wasting that extra water. I can get three
>> loads of wash out of one tub of suds water in the wringer washer. Rinse
>> water is standing in the soapstone/concrete laundry tub. I can easily
>> tell if I used too much detergent, because if I use the right amount,
>> the rinse water won't be sudsy at all until all three loads are rinsed.
>> I do "cheat" and toss the rinsed clothes back into the mostly broken
>> automatic washer, and use the "spin" cycle before drying them.
>
> Our family had such a washer back in the early 60's. It was a lot of fun for me to see the water filling up the basin outside the house and then get sucked back again. I don't understand the concept of reusing water like that. Mostly, it makes sense if water is scarce.

yes, we had a shallow well, if overused it would go dry.
the rinse tub helped. cut water use by half or more.

> Yesterday, while we were waiting to pick up our granddaughter from school, there was a guy that put a guitar in the school dumpster. I'm not a guy to go dumpster diving but for a guitar I will. Turns out it was a bass guitar and it was pink. I always wanted a pink guitar. I've finally got the guitar that guitarists always hear about - the mythical dumpster guitar. Hee hee.
>
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/H4W8JwgkCotmgHcN6

happiness. :)

songbird

On 1/30/2024 12:29 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
> On 1/27/2024 11:04 PM, BryanGSimmons wrote:
>> On 1/27/2024 8:26 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>> On 1/23/2024 9:59 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Towels get stiff in warm weather too. I confess to liking the feel of
>>>> stiff towels.
>>>
>>> That's the fault of too much detergent left on the fabric.  Using an
>>> automatic clothes dryer can mask the stiffness of the leftover
>>> detergent, but a splash of white vinegar in the rinse water makes all
>>> the difference, whether line dried or into the automatic clothes
>>> dryer.  Cut back on the detergent a bit, also.  I read this in a
>>> "Hints From Heloise" column years ago, and it hasn't failed me since.
>>  >
>> One can also set the washer to extra rinse, that is if one owns a decent
>> washer.
>
> That is, if one doesn't mind wasting that extra water.  I can get three
> loads of wash out of one tub of suds water in the wringer washer.  Rinse
> water is standing in the soapstone/concrete laundry tub.

Do you really think you're getting your clothes clean using the same
sudsy wash water (and the same rinse water in the laundry tub) three
times over? I don't even want to think about bath time at your house.

>  I can easily
> tell if I used too much detergent, because if I use the right amount,
> the rinse water won't be sudsy at all until all three loads are rinsed.
>  I do "cheat" and toss the rinsed clothes back into the mostly broken
> automatic washer, and use the "spin" cycle before drying them.

"Cheating" is an odd word to use. Do you feel guilty using the spin cycle?

Jill

On 1/30/2024 5:40 PM, jmcquown wrote:

>
>
> I have a lovely linen dress I bought to wear to the office in west TN.
> The dress got wrinkled on the drive to work.  But yes, it's a very
> comfortable dress. :)  These days I wear jeans to work.  I could even
> wear shorts if I wanted to.  Back then, jeans were only allowed on the
> occasional "casual Friday".  I never quite understood that.  We didn't
> interact with the public yet everyone was expected to dress up.
>
> Since this thread started out being about bad weather I was reminded of
> a time in the early 2000's when Memphis was hit with an ice storm
> (nothing special about that, happens every year).  That particular
> morning I decided I was going to wear black jeans to work.  I figured if
> my car slid off the road at least I wouldn't be wearing a dress.  When I
> got the office only a handful of people had come to work.  The
> department manager came to my desk and chided me, saying, "You know
> you're not supposed to wear jeans to work!"  I looked around at all the
> empty cubicles and offices and said, "Really? You're worried about what
> I'm wearing?"
>
> Jill

Only worked for one company with any sort of dress code. Men had to
wear a tie except from Memorial Day to Labor day. No one wore shorts,
except the shop workers.

Last place I spent 29 years,shorts and T-shirts was fine. Never wore a
tie. If you waled through the place you could not, by dress, tell the
president from the shipping crew.

On 1/30/2024 6:23 PM, jmcquown wrote:
> On 1/30/2024 12:29 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>> On 1/27/2024 11:04 PM, BryanGSimmons wrote:
>>> On 1/27/2024 8:26 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>>> On 1/23/2024 9:59 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Towels get stiff in warm weather too. I confess to liking the feel of
>>>>> stiff towels.
>>>>
>>>> That's the fault of too much detergent left on the fabric.  Using an
>>>> automatic clothes dryer can mask the stiffness of the leftover
>>>> detergent, but a splash of white vinegar in the rinse water makes all
>>>> the difference, whether line dried or into the automatic clothes
>>>> dryer.  Cut back on the detergent a bit, also.  I read this in a
>>>> "Hints From Heloise" column years ago, and it hasn't failed me since.
>>>  >
>>> One can also set the washer to extra rinse, that is if one owns a decent
>>> washer.
>>
>> That is, if one doesn't mind wasting that extra water.  I can get
>> three loads of wash out of one tub of suds water in the wringer
>> washer.  Rinse water is standing in the soapstone/concrete laundry tub.
>
> Do you really think you're getting your clothes clean using the same
> sudsy wash water (and the same rinse water in the laundry tub) three
> times over?  I don't even want to think about bath time at your house.
>
> Jill

When we were younger, my wife and I would sometimes shower together. It
was good to have someone wash your back.

On 1/30/2024 7:27 PM, Ed P wrote:
> On 1/30/2024 6:23 PM, jmcquown wrote:
>> On 1/30/2024 12:29 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>> On 1/27/2024 11:04 PM, BryanGSimmons wrote:
>>>> On 1/27/2024 8:26 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>>>> On 1/23/2024 9:59 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Towels get stiff in warm weather too. I confess to liking the feel of
>>>>>> stiff towels.
>>>>>
>>>>> That's the fault of too much detergent left on the fabric.  Using an
>>>>> automatic clothes dryer can mask the stiffness of the leftover
>>>>> detergent, but a splash of white vinegar in the rinse water makes all
>>>>> the difference, whether line dried or into the automatic clothes
>>>>> dryer.  Cut back on the detergent a bit, also.  I read this in a
>>>>> "Hints From Heloise" column years ago, and it hasn't failed me since.
>>>>  >
>>>> One can also set the washer to extra rinse, that is if one owns a
>>>> decent
>>>> washer.
>>>
>>> That is, if one doesn't mind wasting that extra water.  I can get
>>> three loads of wash out of one tub of suds water in the wringer
>>> washer.  Rinse water is standing in the soapstone/concrete laundry tub.
>>
>> Do you really think you're getting your clothes clean using the same
>> sudsy wash water (and the same rinse water in the laundry tub) three
>> times over?  I don't even want to think about bath time at your house.
>>
>> Jill
>
> When we were younger, my wife and I would sometimes shower together.  It
> was good to have someone wash your back.
>
That's a little different but unless you had dual shower heads someone
was always left standing outside the hot water.

Seriously, reusing sudsy washing machine water three times and the rinse
water in the laundry tub sounds incredibly cheap. I wouldn't want to be
wearing those clothes.

Jill

On Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at 6:55:33 PM UTC-6, jmcquown wrote:
> On 1/30/2024 7:27 PM, Ed P wrote:
> > On 1/30/2024 6:23 PM, jmcquown wrote:
> >> On 1/30/2024 12:29 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
> >>> On 1/27/2024 11:04 PM, BryanGSimmons wrote:
> >>>> On 1/27/2024 8:26 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
> >>>>> On 1/23/2024 9:59 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Towels get stiff in warm weather too. I confess to liking the feel of
> >>>>>> stiff towels.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> That's the fault of too much detergent left on the fabric. Using an
> >>>>> automatic clothes dryer can mask the stiffness of the leftover
> >>>>> detergent, but a splash of white vinegar in the rinse water makes all
> >>>>> the difference, whether line dried or into the automatic clothes
> >>>>> dryer. Cut back on the detergent a bit, also. I read this in a
> >>>>> "Hints From Heloise" column years ago, and it hasn't failed me since.
> >>>> >
> >>>> One can also set the washer to extra rinse, that is if one owns a
> >>>> decent
> >>>> washer.
> >>>
> >>> That is, if one doesn't mind wasting that extra water. I can get
> >>> three loads of wash out of one tub of suds water in the wringer
> >>> washer. Rinse water is standing in the soapstone/concrete laundry tub.
> >>
> >> Do you really think you're getting your clothes clean using the same
> >> sudsy wash water (and the same rinse water in the laundry tub) three
> >> times over? I don't even want to think about bath time at your house.
> >>
> >> Jill
> >
> > When we were younger, my wife and I would sometimes shower together. It
> > was good to have someone wash your back.
> >
> That's a little different but unless you had dual shower heads someone
> was always left standing outside the hot water.
>
> Seriously, reusing sudsy washing machine water three times and the rinse
> water in the laundry tub sounds incredibly cheap. I wouldn't want to be
> wearing those clothes.

I had "work" jeans and shirt used to install fiberglass insulation. I didn't want to mix them with regular wash so I used the laundry sink and waited for the washer to drain. The work stuff got hand washed and dried. Next time I'll toss them into a regular washer load.
>
> Jill

On 1/30/2024 7:55 PM, jmcquown wrote:
> On 1/30/2024 7:27 PM, Ed P wrote:
>> On 1/30/2024 6:23 PM, jmcquown wrote:
>>> On 1/30/2024 12:29 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>>> On 1/27/2024 11:04 PM, BryanGSimmons wrote:
>>>>> On 1/27/2024 8:26 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>>>>> On 1/23/2024 9:59 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Towels get stiff in warm weather too. I confess to liking the
>>>>>>> feel of
>>>>>>> stiff towels.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> That's the fault of too much detergent left on the fabric.  Using an
>>>>>> automatic clothes dryer can mask the stiffness of the leftover
>>>>>> detergent, but a splash of white vinegar in the rinse water makes all
>>>>>> the difference, whether line dried or into the automatic clothes
>>>>>> dryer.  Cut back on the detergent a bit, also.  I read this in a
>>>>>> "Hints From Heloise" column years ago, and it hasn't failed me since.
>>>>>  >
>>>>> One can also set the washer to extra rinse, that is if one owns a
>>>>> decent
>>>>> washer.
>>>>
>>>> That is, if one doesn't mind wasting that extra water.  I can get
>>>> three loads of wash out of one tub of suds water in the wringer
>>>> washer.  Rinse water is standing in the soapstone/concrete laundry tub.
>>>
>>> Do you really think you're getting your clothes clean using the same
>>> sudsy wash water (and the same rinse water in the laundry tub) three
>>> times over?  I don't even want to think about bath time at your house.
>>>
>>> Jill
>>
>> When we were younger, my wife and I would sometimes shower together.
>> It was good to have someone wash your back.
>>
> That's a little different but unless you had dual shower heads someone
> was always left standing outside the hot water.
>
> Seriously, reusing sudsy washing machine water three times and the rinse
> water in the laundry tub sounds incredibly cheap.  I wouldn't want to be
> wearing those clothes.
>
> Jill

I've heard stores of bathing in the same water years ago. Before
running water, the tub would be filled with water hauled from the well
and heat over the fire. Then they took turns.

No bathtub in my house. I have two very nice showers instead. Did the
same in the last house.

In article <nyfuN.67791$zqTf.45093@fx35.iad>,
j_mcquown@comcast.net says...
>
> On 1/30/2024 12:29 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
> > On 1/27/2024 11:04 PM, BryanGSimmons wrote:
> >> On 1/27/2024 8:26 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
> >>> On 1/23/2024 9:59 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> Towels get stiff in warm weather too. I confess to liking the feel of
> >>>> stiff towels.
> >>>
> >>> That's the fault of too much detergent left on the fabric.  Using an
> >>> automatic clothes dryer can mask the stiffness of the leftover
> >>> detergent, but a splash of white vinegar in the rinse water makes all
> >>> the difference, whether line dried or into the automatic clothes
> >>> dryer.  Cut back on the detergent a bit, also.  I read this in a
> >>> "Hints From Heloise" column years ago, and it hasn't failed me since.
> >>  >
> >> One can also set the washer to extra rinse, that is if one owns a decent
> >> washer.
> >
> > That is, if one doesn't mind wasting that extra water.  I can get three
> > loads of wash out of one tub of suds water in the wringer washer.  Rinse
> > water is standing in the soapstone/concrete laundry tub.
>
> Do you really think you're getting your clothes clean using the same
> sudsy wash water (and the same rinse water in the laundry tub) three
> times over? I don't even want to think about bath time at your house.

Back when we lived in a house with NO plumbing, every
drop of water was fetched in a bucket from an outdoor
communal cast iron pump shared with neighbours. The only
place to heat it was in pans on the kitchen stove, or the
electric kettle. You bet we made optimum use of every
drop. Saving water, labour and power.

For laundry, we washed the lightly soiled items first,
and re-used the same hot soapy water for the medium-dirty
, followed by anything absolutely filthy. Ditto with the
rinse water. The laundry was done in a tin tub using a
posser and a washboard like these

<https://www.facebook.com/TamesideLibraries/photos/a.34216
0882599844/1986952524787330/?type=3>

The bath was kept on a hook on the wall, which when
laboriously filled was then used by each member of the
family in turn, sharing the water.

After baths and laundry, we used the same water to wash
the kitchen floor, then the rest of the water kad to be
laboriously bucketed out of the bath (and tossed out of
the kitchen door).

Laundry, and having a bath, were real hard work. People
didn't wash laundry or take baths nearly as often as they
do today.

Even in houses with bathrooms and running hot and cold
water, most of my generation shared bathwater (minimum
depth); a power-saving left-over from WW2.

When J and I got married, we lived in a couple of rented
attic rooms and shared the only bathroom (down two
flights of stairs) with the landlady and other tenants.
The landlady controlled the hot water supply and rationed
baths to one per person per week. John and I shared ours.

Janet UK

On 2024-01-31 02:00:56 +0000, Ed P said:

> On 1/30/2024 7:55 PM, jmcquown wrote:
>> On 1/30/2024 7:27 PM, Ed P wrote:
>>> On 1/30/2024 6:23 PM, jmcquown wrote:
>>>> On 1/30/2024 12:29 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>>>> On 1/27/2024 11:04 PM, BryanGSimmons wrote:
>>>>>> On 1/27/2024 8:26 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>>>>>> On 1/23/2024 9:59 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Towels get stiff in warm weather too. I confess to liking the feel of
>>>>>>>> stiff towels.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> That's the fault of too much detergent left on the fabric.  Using an
>>>>>>> automatic clothes dryer can mask the stiffness of the leftover
>>>>>>> detergent, but a splash of white vinegar in the rinse water makes all
>>>>>>> the difference, whether line dried or into the automatic clothes
>>>>>>> dryer.  Cut back on the detergent a bit, also.  I read this in a
>>>>>>> "Hints From Heloise" column years ago, and it hasn't failed me since.
>>>>>>  >
>>>>>> One can also set the washer to extra rinse, that is if one owns a decent
>>>>>> washer.
>>>>>
>>>>> That is, if one doesn't mind wasting that extra water.  I can get three
>>>>> loads of wash out of one tub of suds water in the wringer washer. 
>>>>> Rinse water is standing in the soapstone/concrete laundry tub.
>>>>
>>>> Do you really think you're getting your clothes clean using the same
>>>> sudsy wash water (and the same rinse water in the laundry tub) three
>>>> times over?  I don't even want to think about bath time at your house.
>>>>
>>>> Jill
>>>
>>> When we were younger, my wife and I would sometimes shower together.
>>> It was good to have someone wash your back.
>>>
>> That's a little different but unless you had dual shower heads someone
>> was always left standing outside the hot water.
>>
>> Seriously, reusing sudsy washing machine water three times and the
>> rinse water in the laundry tub sounds incredibly cheap.  I wouldn't
>> want to be wearing those clothes.
>>
>> Jill
>
>
> No bathtub in my house. I have two very nice showers instead. Did the
> same in the last house.

A bathtub in the house can be very handy if you ever need at home
hydrotherapy. I've needed it a number of times for sports related
injuries. I also have an ADA roll in shower that I hope I don't need
to roll in to.

On 2024-01-30 9:00 p.m., Ed P wrote:
> On 1/30/2024 7:55 PM, jmcquown wrote:

> I've heard stores of bathing in the same water years ago.  Before
> running water, the tub would be filled with water hauled from the well
> and heat over the fire.  Then they took turns.
>
> No bathtub in my house.  I have two very nice showers instead.  Did the
> same in the last house.

My SiL's father grew up in rural Manitoba and when he was young he
worked as a ranch hand. Saturday night was bath night. The all used the
same tub and, being the youngest, he was the last to get the tub and the
remains of the hot water.... after a half dozen others had washed off a
weak of farm grime.

On 1/31/2024 8:37 AM, bob wrote:
> On 2024-01-31 02:00:56 +0000, Ed P said:
>
>> On 1/30/2024 7:55 PM, jmcquown wrote:
>>> On 1/30/2024 7:27 PM, Ed P wrote:
>>>> On 1/30/2024 6:23 PM, jmcquown wrote:
>>>>> On 1/30/2024 12:29 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>>>>> On 1/27/2024 11:04 PM, BryanGSimmons wrote:
>>>>>>> On 1/27/2024 8:26 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 1/23/2024 9:59 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Towels get stiff in warm weather too. I confess to liking the
>>>>>>>>> feel of
>>>>>>>>> stiff towels.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> That's the fault of too much detergent left on the fabric.
>>>>>>>> Using an
>>>>>>>> automatic clothes dryer can mask the stiffness of the leftover
>>>>>>>> detergent, but a splash of white vinegar in the rinse water
>>>>>>>> makes all
>>>>>>>> the difference, whether line dried or into the automatic clothes
>>>>>>>> dryer.  Cut back on the detergent a bit, also.  I read this in a
>>>>>>>> "Hints From Heloise" column years ago, and it hasn't failed me
>>>>>>>> since.
>>>>>>>  >
>>>>>>> One can also set the washer to extra rinse, that is if one owns a
>>>>>>> decent
>>>>>>> washer.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> That is, if one doesn't mind wasting that extra water.  I can get
>>>>>> three loads of wash out of one tub of suds water in the wringer
>>>>>> washer. Rinse water is standing in the soapstone/concrete laundry
>>>>>> tub.
>>>>>
>>>>> Do you really think you're getting your clothes clean using the
>>>>> same sudsy wash water (and the same rinse water in the laundry tub)
>>>>> three times over?  I don't even want to think about bath time at
>>>>> your house.
>>>>>
>>>>> Jill
>>>>
>>>> When we were younger, my wife and I would sometimes shower together.
>>>> It was good to have someone wash your back.
>>>>
>>> That's a little different but unless you had dual shower heads
>>> someone was always left standing outside the hot water.
>>>
>>> Seriously, reusing sudsy washing machine water three times and the
>>> rinse water in the laundry tub sounds incredibly cheap.  I wouldn't
>>> want to be wearing those clothes.
>>>
>>> Jill
>>
>>
>> No bathtub in my house.  I have two very nice showers instead.  Did
>> the same in the last house.
>
> A bathtub in the house can be very handy if you ever need at home
> hydrotherapy.  I've needed it a number of times for sports related
> injuries.  I also have an ADA roll in shower that I hope I don't need to
> roll in to.
>
>

No one here, fortunately, has ever needed that. Meantime,the risk of
injury stepping over the side of the tub is eliminated.

Last time a tub was used in our house is when the kids were little, that
was over 45 years ago.

jmcquown wrote:

> On 1/29/2024 3:27 PM, itsjoannotjoann@webtv.net wrote:
> > On Monday, January 29, 2024 at 8:05:49 AM UTC-6, jmcquown wrote:
> > >
> > > On 1/29/2024 12:25 AM, itsjoan...@webtv.net wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Linen is very nice, but it's terrible about
> > > > wrinkling but is comfortable to wear.
> > > >
> > > The great thing about linen is everyone expects it to be
> > > wrinkled. :) In the deep south no one looks askance at a wrinkled
> > > cotton or linen garment.
> > >
> > > Jill
> > >
> > True, true. A few hundred years ago I had bought a lovely A-line
> > linen dress for Easter. I even went as far as having my initials
> > embroidered on the front in the chest area. But I'd stand as long
> > as I could before sitting down knowing once seated that dress would
> > be terribly wrinkled in the front. It was such a comfortable
> > dress, though.
>
>
> I have a lovely linen dress I bought to wear to the office in west
> TN. The dress got wrinkled on the drive to work. But yes, it's a
> very comfortable dress. :) These days I wear jeans to work. I could
> even wear shorts if I wanted to. Back then, jeans were only allowed
> on the occasional "casual Friday". I never quite understood that.
> We didn't interact with the public yet everyone was expected to dress
> up.
>
> Since this thread started out being about bad weather I was reminded
> of a time in the early 2000's when Memphis was hit with an ice storm
> (nothing special about that, happens every year). That particular
> morning I decided I was going to wear black jeans to work. I figured
> if my car slid off the road at least I wouldn't be wearing a dress.
> When I got the office only a handful of people had come to work. The
> department manager came to my desk and chided me, saying, "You know
> you're not supposed to wear jeans to work!" I looked around at all
> the empty cubicles and offices and said, "Really? You're worried
> about what I'm wearing?"
>
> Jill

Same here after I retired. Bluejean Fridays. In the SQL programming
job, I taught a class once or twice a month and it's ok to dress up a
bit for that but the rest of the time, it didn't make sense.

Carol

PS: I got a lot of floor length 'crinkle' dresses in various colors and
patterns. Very comfortable and just wash then hang to dry. That's
what I wore with a nice jacket or sweater for my last 5 years. That or
long skirts with a silky blouse.

On 1/30/2024 3:06 PM, dsi1 wrote:
>
> Our family had such a washer back in the early 60's. It was a lot of
> fun for me to see the water filling up the basin outside the house
> and then get sucked back again. I don't understand the concept of
> reusing water like that. Mostly, it makes sense if water is scarce.
> Yesterday, while we were waiting to pick up our granddaughter from
> school, there was a guy that put a guitar in the school dumpster. I'm
> not a guy to go dumpster diving but for a guitar I will. Turns out it
> was a bass guitar and it was pink. I always wanted a pink guitar.
> I've finally got the guitar that guitarists always hear about - the
> mythical dumpster guitar. Hee hee.
>
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/H4W8JwgkCotmgHcN6

That's nifty... Are you going to restring it?

Sometimes the "hobos" (crackheads) bring junk into the antique mall to
attempt to get a few bucks out of it. One guy left a really rough
acoustic guitar, so the mall owner had fun painting it orange/green and
putting hippie flower stickers on it. If I were less lazy, I'd back
this post up with a picture.

On 1/30/2024 6:23 PM, jmcquown wrote:
> On 1/30/2024 12:29 PM, Michael Trew wrote:
>>
>> That is, if one doesn't mind wasting that extra water. I can get
>> three loads of wash out of one tub of suds water in the wringer
>> washer. Rinse water is standing in the soapstone/concrete laundry tub.
>
> Do you really think you're getting your clothes clean using the same
> sudsy wash water (and the same rinse water in the laundry tub) three
> times over? I don't even want to think about bath time at your house.

When my siblings and I were very young, we shared bath water. I think
most parents did this. The 7 and 9 year old here are beyond that now.
Point is, no, I don't live like 19th century farmers did where everyone
shared the same bath water once per week, in case you were concerned.

Yes, the clothes all come out smelling and looking clean. I usually
wash rugs, work clothes, or other soiled stuff in the last wash load.
You seem to forget that people lived like this, reusing suds water on
wash day, for many years. I don't know why people suddenly think it's
"gross" now, but it wasn't "gross" to your parents or my grandparents,
and prior generations.

>> I can easily tell if I used too much detergent, because if I use the
>> right amount, the rinse water won't be sudsy at all until all three
>> loads are rinsed. I do "cheat" and toss the rinsed clothes back into
>> the mostly broken automatic washer, and use the "spin" cycle before
>> drying them.
>
> "Cheating" is an odd word to use. Do you feel guilty using the spin cycle?

That was my attempt at humor. In reality, the wringer washer works
really well to clean, but it does a poor job removing water from
clothes. Straight from the wringer, very damp clothes would be in the
electric clothes dryer nearly twice as long.