A Békés Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei 20. - Száz éve alakult a Békéscsabai Múzeum-Egyesület (Békéscsaba, 1999)

Mazán Mátyás: Soapcooking, washing, get tidied up

Kiss Anikó Nagy J 988. Nagy Olga: Asszonyok könyve/Bp. 1988/ Szabó 1932. Szabó Kálmán: A szappanfőzés Kecskeméten. In: A Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum Néprajzi Tárának Értesítője, 1932. XXIV. évf. 1. füzet. Szerk.: dr. Bátky Zs. 34-35. Soapcooking, washing, get tidied up - Kiss Anikó Soapcooking: it is work of women once a year. Grease and grease wastage are used for it. The soapcooking happens in... This is a serious corrosive poison. The works of cooking soap takes up about a day. It must be cooked in a cauldron, in a brass or in an enamel one. Soft water is used, mainly rainwater. The featherprobe shows whether the lye is enough strong. The made soap was gathered from the cauldron from the top of the liquid, took into mould with a big holed wooden spoon. Some days later the not stony soap was cut up into cubes and put away for a year to get harder. Its place was on the balk in the room or in the pantry. Washing : People in Gyula washed in water in the open air only a long time ago, this method is unknown in the town yet. Mostly on Monday and Tuesday liked they washing. Forbidden days were Freiday and Sunday and the days between two Christmases. On Christmas Eve and on New Year's Day musn't stay any clothes on the loft, because someone will die in the family. The water was collected from rain or was carried from artesian well, the water from the home wells wasn't suitable for washing. The clothes were soaked on the day before washing. Generally they were washed in trough, there was a cork on its bottom for releasing the water. Mothers teach doughters to wash in their age of 8 - 10. They washed first the white clothes then the colourful. The white was also boiled. Drying occured on the loft on expanded wires. Mangling : the halfdry clothes were mangled, this work was made even about 50 - 60 years ago. Handtool of washing in open air water was beetle, and the mangle made the clothes smooth, so it was easier to iron. These tools were made by joiners, but clever countrymen could make them too, sometimes it was gift for marriage. Ironing: the day isn't regulated. A big table, ironing blanket and maybe ironing sheet is required. 30 - 40 years ago coal-iron was used for ironing after washing-day. They liked it becouse it was heavy, they had not to press on the clothes. They made it red-hot with charcoal, its fire was poked by stovepipe. 266