How would they wash a coat in that time?

[Elena]

I mean, nowadays a woolen coat would be dry-cleaned and not merely washed. But how would one wash a coat in that time? What would they use, soap or lye wash, or anything else?

[Guest]

I'm not sure how they would wash a coat in Period, But in a WWII officers handbook, U.S. soldiers were advised to brush their woolen garments to keep them as clean as possible between washing.( I'm going to have to find that reference again...) I've read a few other references to brushing woolen clothing.

There is a reference to spot cleaning woolen clothing in a book on the Old West...I'll have to look that up.

Also earlier wool was slightly pre-shrunk/felted (fulled) before it was made into garments, so it shouldn't shrink as much when washed.

[Elena]

Thank you very much!

[jendobyns]

Elena, if you have access to period receipt books, there may be laundry instructions in them. I think Gervase Markham (????) or someone published a book designed to train people to be servants, with instructions on laundering various items. It might have been the Servant's Directory or Housekeeper's Apprentice. I am in Florida and nearly all of my library is in Maryland 14 hours away, so I can't check the books for more specific information. But the first step, I am pretty sure, is the brushing. Iirc, that was the main method. What defined clean then was a bit different from what defines clean now.

[Red John]

That's a good point about clean was different then than it is now. Without electricity and washers and dryers, they had to just Febreeze everything and hope for the best . . .

I best beg a pardon for my attempt at humour! Please accept a huge thank you for your always-helpful posts of historical information on subjects that few others can match.

yours, aye-

John

[Mae]

Good morning!

I use ash when doing laundry for period events. The process is explained here: http://creweofthearchangel.wordpress.com/2013/10/07/a-beating-of-another-type-laundry/

[Elena]

Thank you very much! My character used ash transformed into lye too And yes, I have read about what washerwomen did that time...