6 Items You Need for an Old Fashioned Laundry Routine

Do you enjoy doing laundry? Or is it one of those things that you dread? While I love seeing neatly folded piles of fresh-smelling clothes, I must confess in times past I haven’t enjoyed the process! Lately I’ve been trying to improve myself in this area and have managed to lure myself in by rounding up items you need for an old fashioned laundry routine.

 

Items You Need for an Old Fashioned Laundry Routine

Because I love old fashioned items so much and enjoy using them even more, I’ve found myself warming up to the idea of laundry since I brought some of these items in my home. Not only are the following options frugal, but they’re also beautiful and add a cottage-like charm to your surroundings.

From homemade laundry soap to wooden clothes pins and wicker laundry baskets, here’s a list of 6 items you need for an old fashioned laundry routine!

 

Item 1: Homemade Laundry Soap

For centuries women have made their own household and laundry soaps. And while using homemade lye soap in our modern washing machines isn’t a good idea, you still make your own washing detergents.

I’ve been using this recipe for a while now and have been thrilled with the results! Even my man’s grungy work clothes come through bright and clean. Better yet, it’s very easy to mix up and 1 batch will give you 320 loads of laundry.

 

Item 2: A Good Stain Remover

There’s something about taking care of what you have that makes you feel like a real homemaker! With a good stain remover, you can better look after your clothes and make them last longer too.

It’s satisfying and gratifying.

When it comes to laundry, taking the time to remove stains makes me feel like a winner! Here’s the stain removal bar I use for our clothes.

 

Item 3: A Clothes Line

Can enough be said about the clothesline? Whether you have a large back yard or not, there’s something nostalgic and sweet about laundry flapping dry in the breeze.

A clothes line will help you save money on electricity. Your clothes and bedding will last longer if air dried. And best of all, laundry dried outdoors has a unique and fresh smell of nature that you just can’t replicate!

 

Item 4: Wooden Clothes Pins

If you live where summer breezes are often blowing, you’ll want a basket of clothespins to hold freshly-washed laundry on your outdoor clothes line.  Instead of purchasing plastic, I would recommend getting a bunch of these charming, birch wood clothes pins!

Keep them in a wicker basket. And the two paired together will be enough to make the heart of any old fashioned soul go pit-pat!

 

Item 5: Wicker Laundry Baskets

Wicker baskets are my thing. You know this if you’ve read my post on 5 Ways to Use Baskets in the Home. I absolutely love having old fashioned, sturdy wicker baskets for holding laundry! We keep one in our bedroom for dirty laundry and another in the laundry room for clean items.

I feel very homemaker-like when I carry a basket of freshly washed, wet clothes outdoors to hang on the line!

Large wicker baskets aren’t difficult to source. You can find them at garage sales, thrift store and antique shops. And if you can’t find them locally, you can always find them online. Here’s one similar to what I have.

 

Item 6: An Iron and Ironing Board

As a homemaker, this is an area I need to improve on. When I was a little girl, I loved ironing my dad’s handkerchiefs. Even today, there’s something satisfying about seeing a wrinkled garment or bed sheet turn crisp and smooth under the work of an iron!

While I have an antique, old fashioned ironing board, I don’t yet own an iron. Crazy, I know! It’s the last thing on my old fashioned laundry bucket list. Now that we’re settled in our own home, it’s time for this traditional homemaker to get herself an iron!

 

Creating a Traditional Vibe with Your Laundry

It’s not difficult to see why having these things would make a girl a bit more inclined to do laundry! Is it? Instead of just going through the motions again and again, it makes a girl feel like laundry is a skill. It makes me feel like it’s something I can learn to take pride in.

And having pretty, vintage style tools just makes me that much more inclined to actually do the laundry!

Of the 6 items you need for an old fashioned laundry routine, which one catches your eye most? Do you already practice some of these things? If so, feel free to leave your tips below. We’d all love to hear them!