How it was done in the old days
Grandma's remedies
White laundry without detergents, stains removed with salt and milk, teeth cleaned with a sage leaf. The old recipes for things that seem obvious today, before they are forgotten.
01Before the washing machine
White laundry
Laundry was a family ritual, the «bugada»: it was done a few times a year, with the ash from the fireplace, boiling water and the sun.
Lye from wood ash
Sifted ash from hardwood was wrapped in a cloth on top of the laundry in the tub. Boiling water was poured over it, again and again: the water that dripped through, the lye, dissolved the dirt and whitened. Never ash from resinous or painted wood. It was the laundry of the washerwomen of Lugo, who rinsed it in the Canale dei Mulini.
Sun and grass
The still wet laundry was spread on the grass in the sun: the light and the moisture of the lawn whiten it by themselves, with nothing else.
Marseille soap
It was rubbed dry on collars and cuffs before washing, and left to work.
Lemon
A few slices of lemon boiled with yellowed linen gave it back its white.
Laundry blue
A pinch of blue powder in the last rinse: white looks whiter.
Vinegar
A glass in the last rinse softens the laundry and removes the leftover soap.
02At once, before they set
Stains
Grandma's rule: act at once and do not rub, but dab from the outside towards the centre.
Blood
Cold water and salt at once, never hot water, which sets it in the fabric.
Red wine
Salt on it as soon as it is spilled, to soak it up; then a little milk or sparkling water.
Grease and oil
Talcum powder, flour or chalk on the stain, left overnight and then brushed off.
Ink
Soaked in milk, or dabbed with alcohol.
Rust
Lemon juice and salt, then the garment hung out in the sun.
Grass
A little alcohol or vinegar, then the usual wash.
Candle wax
Blotting paper above and below, and a hot iron passed over it: the wax goes into the paper.
Sweat and rings
A paste of baking soda and water on the rings before washing.
03Without a perfumery
Teeth and personal care
What was in the house and the vegetable garden was enough for personal care too.
White teeth
A sage leaf rubbed on the teeth. Now and then, not every day because it scratches, a little baking soda with a pinch of salt.
Fresh breath
Chew parsley, a clove or a few fennel seeds.
Shiny hair
The last rinse with water and vinegar; camomile to lighten blond hair.
Deodorant
The alum stone, passed over freshly wetted skin.
Chapped hands
Olive oil and sugar rubbed on the hands, or glycerine and lemon.
04Vinegar, lemon, baking soda
The house
Three ingredients in the pantry and the house was sparkling.
Windows
Water and vinegar, and crumpled newspaper to dry: no streaks.
Silver
Hot water, baking soda and salt in a bowl lined with kitchen foil: the silver shines again by itself.
Copper and brass
Half a lemon dipped in salt, or a paste of vinegar and flour.
Burnt pans
Water and vinegar, or water and baking soda, boiled in the pan: the burnt part comes off.
Limescale
Hot vinegar left to work on the taps and in the kettle.
Bad smells
A bowl of baking soda in the fridge, coffee grounds, a cut apple.
Clothes moths
Lavender bags, bay leaves and bits of cedar wood in the wardrobes.
Wooden furniture
Beeswax, or oil with a few drops of lemon, applied with a woollen cloth.
What grandmothers did not know
Before you try
- Never mix bleach with vinegar, lemon or ammonia: toxic gases form.
- Lye is caustic: handle it with gloves and keep it away from the eyes.
- Baking soda on the teeth is fine now and then, not every day: in the long run it wears the enamel.
- On delicate fabrics, silk and wool, always try first on a hidden corner.
These remedies come from the oral tradition, handed down at home. Do you know one that is missing, or did your grandmother do it differently? Tell us below. Washerwomen used lye too: read Lost trades · Traditions · Romagna recipes
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