Washing Clothes Primitive Style

[musketman]

In a primitive camp for an extended time, how do you wash your clothes?

In a creek using a rock?

Sneak into town an use the laundromat?

You don't, you just wear stinky clothes for the duration?

 

[oomcurt]

Interesting question... That said back when I was a kid nobody and I mean nobody took a bath more than once a week. Showers? Never saw one in the average home in the 40's in fact, never saw one even in the 50's. This brings up another question also. I can't imagine any trapper in the fur period leaving a rondevous with soap powder for his clothes in his packs. Simply no room. Along with that, I believe seeing as how he will be "gone" for a year that he would also have room for enough clothes for that time seeing as what the nature of his life would be. One question I do have is how one got the odor out of buckskins. Now, I have found out through personal experience that a person working out doors and spending the greater part of his time out there "smells" a lot less than one working in an office or other enclosed space. That brings us to the modern rondevous. My bet is that yes, there were clothes worn there but it was sort of the same thing that was done when I was a kid...once a year the family might have thier picture taken, it was a big deal...same with a rondevous. Once it was over..back to "work clothes". Frankly, I feel that today we have gotten way to sensitive about "odor". Look at those stupid ads on tv...spray this, spray that....no dog odor, no fish odor..give me a break! Sheesh!

 

[musketman]

One question I do have is how one got the odor out of buckskins.

I use yellow cornmeal to clean my Blackfeet warshirt, it lifts (absorbs) grime and odors and then brushes right off once done...

A one pound box will do my buckskins quite well, I spread it on thick and let it set for a day, flip it over and do the other side, them shake and brush off... (discard the used cornmeal unless you are having your in-laws over for johnny cakes :crackup

 

[Flint50]

I think the smell of woodsmoke overcomes a lot of "offensive odors" One who spent a lot of time outdoors would have a mixture of pine,cedar and assorted smoke smells
Unlike todays cover-ups, Today one would smell like one took a $##t under a pine tree.
Natural wood smoke would be much better, and that leads to another question-how often did a trapper/mountain man really take a bath?

 

Bars of soap were actually popular trade goods. The traders were yelling for more to be sent out since they could not keep it in stock.

:front:

 

[Riley/MN]

Every third or fourth month I wind up fallin inta a crick or a lake sumplace. I recon my clothes're as clean as I am

 

[buckknife]

Perhaps every thing a person needs is found in nature.I used to mess around digging and sellin different roots from the woods.Never seen this but remember it from a book.Soapweed was used as a soap subsutute in the old days.
http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/yucca.html