Household Chores

Laundry shed at the Warnell Lumber and Veneer Company. 1890 (circa). State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. Accessed 28 Jun. 2023.<https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/789>

Each day was full of work to be done. Some tasks were a daily necessity, while other tasks were assigned certain days. The floors were swept every day using brooms made of broom sedge or broomcorn. On occasion, the floor was also scrubbed using lye soap and a mop made out of corn shucks. Sometimes sand was used instead of soap, then swept away after the floor dried.

Cooking was another important daily task. Meals were often prepared in the fireplace, on cast iron wood-burning stoves, or over an open outdoor fire. The women would often spend Saturday baking a week’s worth of pies and cakes, but bread, biscuits and cornbread were cooked every day. Pies and cakes were stored in a “pie safe,” a large cabinet with screen doors and sides to keep bugs out and the temperature cool.

Washing in the days of the pioneers was very different than it is today—everything was done by hand. First, the clothes were placed in an iron pot full of boiling water. Next, a washboard and lye soap was used to scrub the clothing. Families that did not own washboards used wooden sticks, called battling sticks, to beat out the dirt. The clothing was then rinsed and hung out to dry. Sunlight bleached the clothing, keeping whites their whitest.

Flat irons, solid cast iron tools, were heated on the stove or fireplace and then used to press out the wrinkles. Families usually had more than one iron so they could heat one iron while using another.

Sewing was a daily chore performed by the women of the families. Mothers began teaching their daughters to sew as early as four years old.  Most sewing was done by hand, but some women owned treadle sewing machines that were powered by foot pumps.

The task of getting water required quite a bit more work than it does today. Someone from the family would have to pump the water or pull it out from a well. On the back porch, the families would keep a bucket of drinking water with a long-handled gourd to drink out of.

 Rug & Carpet Cleaning

Yearly cleaning was all that was prescribed for carpets, while rugs would have been cleaned as needed. Generally, “rug” refers to a floor covering which is smaller than the size of the room and is more easily removed for cleaning. A “carpet” would be cut to the size of the room and tacked to the floor at the edges. It was suggested that carpets be removed when the family was away, or cleaned in a rotating manner so that the rest of the family is not discomfited while cleaning is taking place. Under-carpet mats should be cleaned every two years. An ammonia-and-water mixture was the preferred way of cleaning rugs and carpets, following a good sweeping or beating. 

Carpets should be carefully folded in portions and swept under before being carried outside for cleaning. When outside, lay the carpet right-side down on the grass. With rattan switches beat the underside of the carpet steadily for an hour. Sweep with a damp broom and wipe with a clean cloth dipped in ammonia water. Carefully turning the carpet over, use a whisk broom to brush the right side. Tie a double handful of wheat bran or sawdust into a double square of cheesecloth. Dip this into clean ammonia water and rub the carpet face until swab is dirty. Rinse cheesecloth in clean water and repeat with ammonia water until entire surface is clean. To revive faded colors boiled ox gall, tablespoon to gallon of water can be used in place of ammonia. Leave lying in sun to dry.

Rugs should be brushed and whipped on both sides twice, ending with a final brushing on the right side. Then hang the rug over a line or on trestles or upon the grass and sprinkle with water, being sure to wipe away the water before it soaks in. Very dirty rugs can be covered with sawdust then swept 6 hours later with a very stiff, clean broom. A white or light rug can be cleaned with cornstarch mixed with prepared chalk (one measure cornstarch to 1/6 measure chalk). Leave the mixture to sit for several hours then whisk-broom away. Hang in the sun and beat well.

A worn carpet should be repaired by cutting out the worn part, re-stitching the carpet back together and putting the worn part toward the wall where it would be less noticeable. A small rug could also hide wear or stains on a carpet if necessary.

If one needed a new rug, one could be made using the Ross Novelty Rug Machine. This machine was available by mail order for only $1 and was advertised as so simple to operate a child could do it. In addition to the rug machine the housewife would need a frame to hold the rug as the rags were stitched together, following a pattern or not, as desired. In addition to rugs, the machine could be used to make lap-robes, winter caps, slippers and mittens.

Below are specific methods for removing stains and dirt, and preventing bug infestation!

“Put something between carpet and bare wood floors to allow carpet to wear longer. Straw held in place by twine patchwork will suffice, but newspapers are better. Carpet-wadding (cotton between coarse, but soft brown paper) is best. Carpets should be taken up every one to two years with weekly sweeping in between.”

“Sprinkle carpet with wheat flour and salt then brush away to lift dirt. Brush, then wipe with salt water solution when heavier cleaning is needed."

"Steep bran for ½ hour, squeeze out water, pour on carpet and brush. Damp grass applied this way also works to remove spots and dust and revive colors."

"Remove soot with salt. Remove grease spots with calcined magnesia and benzene."

"Essence of turpentine mixed with equal part water then rubbed into carpets will keep away bugs when house is closed for a season.”

“It is said that moths can be destroyed in the carpet by wetting this thoroughly with a sponge dipped in clear water, along the seams and close to the walls, and then passing a hot iron over the moistened spots.”

Outside Chores

Food was always fresh for the Florida pioneers. Many pioneer families kept bee hives to pollinate the fruits and vegetables and to make honey for their family. Common vegetables grown in the gardens of the early Florida settlers were green beans, cow peas, tomatoes, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, collard greens, mustard greens, beets, watermelons, herbs and sugar cane. After the vegetables were picked, the women of the family would take steps to preserve the fresh foods -- canning the vegetables, drying the beans, and making jams and jellies.

A cow was kept for milk. One of the older children would have the daily task of milking the cow early in the morning and late in the evening. Horses and mules were also kept for pulling the wagon and plowing.

Each family raised its own hogs, cattle, chickens, ducks and turkeys for meat and eggs. Younger children were in charge of feeding and caring for the animals. In the cold months, the men butchered the animals, which the women would then prepare for curing and smoking.

Because many Florida families lived near the water, they often fished for mullet. The mullet would be cleaned, salted, and packed in barrels for future use. Before being prepared it had to be soaked in water for a long time to remove the salty taste.

Candle Making

Candle making was a tradition familiar to many rural families.  Candles were first used in ancient Rome and have been a very important source of light throughout history, especially during times when lamp oil was scarce.

By the late 19th century, commercial production of candles, along with other lighting fuels like whale oil, kerosene, gas and finally electricity, made home production of candles unnecessary.  Florida families would have carried on the tradition by creating their own candles only for holiday decorations and special occasions.

One method of candle making involves dipping a string repeatedly into a vat of melted wax, such as beeswax.

Rope Making

The art of rope making dates back to the days before the Egyptians. Although it has changed greatly throughout the years, the basic principles have remained the same. The four major stages of advancement in rope making technology are the original hand-twisting and braiding of fibers; the use of simple mechanical advantage tools; the use of compound mechanical tool; and the use of power machinery.

In the past, rope was commonly made of natural fibers such as cotton, sisal, coir, jute, hemp and flax. Today, however, rope is generally made of oil-based synthetic fibers such as nylon and polypropylene. Ropes made of natural fibers usually last longer than ropes made of man-made fibers in the heat and sun; however, man-made ropes ordinarily last longer in wet conditions.

The rope-walk was the process of rope making using a twisting machine with several revolving hooks and one fixed hook. The rope fibers were hooked between the two ends of the machine, which were then turned by hand or mechanically to bind the fibers together. Using the rope-walk process, ropes could be made up to approximately 300 meters in length. Ropes were made of all different lengths and thicknesses to best suit their purpose.

Today we use an antique rope machine from circa 1900 to twist a rope for each elementary group to take back to their classroom after their field trip.