| The Jolly Washerwoman Lily Martin Spencer, 1851 |
All the water used for washing must be soft, otherwise the clothes cannot be made clean.The Home Book of Household Economy goes on recommend treating hard or 'brackish' water with lye or soda before attempting to wash clothes; rain water is also recommended. (This message also appeared, verbatim, in Miss Leslie's Lady's House-Book, which was in its 11th edition by 1850.)
-The Home Book of Household Economy (1859)
"No washing can be properly done without an abundant supply of soft water; rain water suits the best for the purpose if collected in clean butts or tanks."--The Common Things of Everyday Life (1857)
The Economical Housekeeper (1860) favors spring or river water over rain water for laundry, citing a need to filter the rain water.
"A Chemist in the Laundry", a Scientific American article reprinted in The Home magazine, blames yellowed linen on excessive soda in the wash water and/or on not changing the water often enough. It also claims that blueing does not restore the color(lessness) of garments so much as cover the yellow hues. This "bad color" is "the great thing to guard against" as it "partakes of a permanent evil."
An Encyclopedia of Domestic Economy (1855) advises on the proper construction of a wash house/ laundry/ drying space, including the use of cisterns for storing rainwater off the roof (or holding pumped water). Interestingly, it has water taps!
Household Work (1855, 4th edition) has a lot of interesting tidbits, even if the question-and-answer format reads awkwardly to the modern eye. If one has not a 'sufficiency' of rain or river water, spring water is to be softened with soda, wood ash (lye) or pearl ash. The softened water should not be used on flannel or colored fabrics.
Catherine Beecher's A Treatise On Domestic Economy (1849 revised edition) lists "plenty of soft water" as the first item required for washing clothes. Soda and "ley" are, again, advised for hard water.
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