Washing Windows Then and Now

My squeaky clean windows, inside and out. 

With this beautiful weather, I have washed my bedroom windows inside and out this morning.  These days I use Windex and paper towels.  Usually, I get a professional company to wash them outside, and I probably will call them for doing all the other windows, but I thought washing these few windows would be a change of pace for me and might relieve the monotony of these days.

Growing up my sister Martha and I would help Mama wash windows inside and out.  One of us would be on the inside while the other would be on the outside and we could see if either of us left a spot.  Bon Ami was what we used on a wet cloth, and when it dried we would wipe it all off with pieces of newspaper.  No paper towels for us back then.

Bon Ami was my friend when I washed windows growing up. 

As I remember the kitchen windows required that we get on a ladder.  Although I'm afraid of heights, I didn't mind getting on a ladder, but I was terrified of getting on the roof.  Sometimes I would want up on the roof if Daddy was working on the roof, but then I was afraid to get down the ladder.  Soon I learned to just stay off the roof altogether.  Now I have learned to stay off the ladder altogether. I'm sure you are happy to hear that.

Clothespins my grandmother probably used. 

Clothespins I used and still use when I am in Cape Breton. 

We did lots of chores around the house.  Dusting, sweeping, mopping, I didn't mind.  Mama always did the washing, but I  or Martha would often hang the clothes on the line and take them off as well.  I miss having a clothesline, but we do have one in Marble Mountain and the clothes smell so good after drying in the sun. As a kid growing up, sometimes the wet clothes would freeze on the line and then dry by sublimation.  I thought that gave the clothes a delightful aroma.

Growing up Martha and I did most of the ironing I recall.  The dried clothes would be sprinkled with water and rolled up tightly until there was a bundle ready to iron. The damp clothes would iron out with no wrinkles if you did the ironing properly.  No steam iron back in the day.  These days I don't iron clothes.  They usually come out of the dryer pretty wrinkle-free.  Only occasionally might I need to press something.

Ironing in the 50s. (Photo from an image on the internet.)

It is rather amusing that I really dislike house cleaning now, whereas growing up I didn't mind it at all.  The one thing I didn't like was to wash dishes.  Mama always did the cooking, she just didn't want us in the kitchen so I didn't learn to cook until I was grown.  But Martha and I had to do the dishes. We would often argue about whose turn it was to wash the dishes. Looking back I believe I did more than my share because she was younger.

Now I have squeaky clean windows in my bedroom, and I can open the shutters and have a nice view of my climbing fig and other plants outside my window. And today I can even leave the windows open it is so nice and fresh and cool outside.

I wonder what chores you have done during this lockdown my dear grandchildren?

Love, Grandpat