Wash day

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Amish women tend to wash clothes using old-timey tub-style wringer washers.  There’s usually a set schedule to it–wash day in Lancaster County for many families is Monday.

There are different ways to get clothing dry.  Many Amish, especially in the Midwest, use the traditional head-level T-pole clotheslines. 

A number, particularly in Lancaster County, rely on one or two extra-long lines strung up to a tree or high pole.  A rotating wheel mechanism brings the line in and out to hang the wash and collect it when dry.  The photo is  from the Holmes County settlement.  It was a great day for getting clothes dry.

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    7 Comments

    1. amanjo

      Lovely photo! You always present such nice images of Amish country.

      I have a pole to utilize laundry lines in my backyard, but I haven’t used it yet. Maybe someday…

    2. Emma

      I was very surprise to see the same device used here in the province of Quebec (I thought only the Amish used it!). It’s kind of neat in the country side but to have the underwears of your neighbours flapping under your nose in the city is not so neat anymore! 😉

    3. Thanks amanjo!

      I have a friend in Holmes County that claims that a PA Amishman he knows invented the device. Don’t know if he patented it or not or if it ‘spread’ to Quebec from PA soemhow–doesn’t seem too complicated yet brilliant in its utility.

      Again,simpler often means better. And I know what you mean about underwear flapping around–you see a bit of that in Poland as well.

    4. Linda

      Amish in Montgomery County-

      My husband and I recently visited an Amish area in Montgomery County, NY. The bonnets worn by women and girls are brown there, as are the buggies. But we could not find any Amish shops or stores. They seem to do business from their homes. Saw a sign outside one house for harnesses.
      Anyone know more about this area?
      Also, how do Amish women iron clothing? Thanks.

    5. Michelle

      Ironing

      The Amish iron by heating up irons on their stove (usually have more than one so they don’t have to stop and wait for it to rehead) – just as people did for hundreds of years before the electric iron was invented.

    6. Daviess County Indiana Wash Line

      here is a picture I took just a couple weeks ago in the beginning of Feb. here in SouthEastern Daviess County of a clothes line of an Amish Home. They use them a lot here….http://pinterest.com/pin/387239267929697338/

      1. Linda

        Thanks, Samantha, I enjoyed your 20+ pictures!