Washing hair was quite a process for the ladies in the olden times. Can you imagine taking down a head of hair with oodles of hairpins that held the buns, braids and hair rats? Most of the rats were made from collecting the loose hair from their combs or brushes then made into a hair ball and placed under their hair for a boost. My mother had thick auburn brown hair that came down to her waist. Mama only washed her hair once a week. That was the norm back in the old days before running water. Hair was usually washed during the daytime, so it would be dry by bedtime. In between washings, the hair was brushed 100 strokes before retiring and again in the morning before the daily household tasks began. This gave the hair luster as well as cleaning it. The long hair was divided off into a section with the upper portion being held by hand and brushing down from there with long sweeping strokes to prevent damaged hair and hurting tender scalps. Those without running tap water had a much harder time grooming their hair than those washing their hair in nothing more than pans of water. Many of the ladies, including my mother, caught rainwater for washing their locks for a more sheen look. One pan or wash bowl held the soft sudsy water for washing their hair. The person bent over and doused their locks into the water then, thoroughly, but gently worked the suds through their tresses. Some had a helpmate who poured the water over their head as the pan caught the runoff. The hair was then blotted with a towel. The next procedure was the hair rinse and what I consider the most important step. A pitcher of rinse water was dipped from a pail of warm water. A small amount of vinegar was added to "cut" the soap residue and was thought to give the hair more luster. The rinse water was poured over the head of hair until the hair tested squeaky clean. The hair was air dried and sometimes was dried by the heat of a stove. Most women braided their hair at night to prevent tangles. My mother in law used her homemade lye soap to wash her hair. Lye soap was considered by some women to be too harsh, but I never saw a more beautiful head of hair than Mom Guffy had. She braided her long hair and then made it into a bun in the back. When we were young mama washed our hair for us. The procedure was much the same as it was in her day. When we were old enough Lila and I helped each other. Mama’s younger sister Madge, stayed with us a while one summer and when she washed our hair, she really gave us some tough scrubbing. I am sure she got it much cleaner than we did. We would have whined had mama been that rough. Now we have so many brands of shampoo and conditioners that promise us everything imaginable. The choice of shampoo was uncomplicated way back in the good old days.

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Created December 20, 2020

Updated: 14 June, 2021

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