Monday Was Wash Day

No one seems to know for sure why Mondays became designated the day to do laundry. It's also uncertain exactly when this happened-certainly not too early, because in Elizabethan times, households only washed clothes once every few months and not weekly. Even in the mid-1800's, it was common to brush outer clothing and let it air-out instead of laundering it often.

By later Victorian times, however, housekeeping advice stated that the wash should be done on Mondays. This would give the homemaker time to get the wash finished, aired, dried, folded, and pressed before Sunday, the day of rest. Also everyone wanted to make sure they had clean clothes to put on after Saturday evening's bath and to wear to church on Sunday morning.

Doing the laundry normally took all day. The lengthy process included collecting the water, heating at least some of it, soaking, scrubbing, rinsing, hanging it out to dry, and getting the clothes in. Some steps, like soaking and scrubbing, had to be repeated several times. When it came time to iron them, everything was usually ironed in the day before any permanent press.

Things have changed since the time people expected Monday to be wash day. Now most people do laundry whenever they need to and have the time. However, some families still prefer to wash on Mondays, simply because it's traditional.

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