Cold water Dampens Daily Cleaning Effort

The Victor Press, October 22, 1959

Did you ever stop to ponder what you’d do if you had to do without hot water? Well, I never did, either. But if I had to write a treatise on the subject, I’d be pretty well informed due to an unplanned experiment last week.

Defective Thermocouple

My hot water heater went off. The trouble was diagnosed as a defective thermocouple which could only be obtained in San Bernardino. And what with one thing and another we had cold water for over a week. However, one does not get panicky (the first, second or third day, at least): one just sends the boys to bed dirty (cold water, I learned, had no effect on ground-in dirt); washes the dishes in water heated on the stove; and goes to bed at 9:30 exhausted from the effort.

Situation: Unchanged

The next day, Friday, and situation the same. Boys go to bed dirty again: dishes take two hours to do; and laundry begins to pile up. Saturday: The day we learn that a part (which can’t be obtained over the weekend surely) needs replacing in the hot water heater. Spirits begin to sink: dishes loom large and children look awful. I decide to bathe children but need bath myself for an evening out.

Me First!

Well, me first, I decide. But heating water for my tub takes forever (how MUCH do they HOLD?) and dirty boys again hit the hay. Father takes a cold shower. Sunday, we can no longer get into the laundry/bath room as dirty clothes mount higher than the sink and press against the door.

Something Must Be Done

I gather up six pillowslips full of laundry and head for the Laundromat, stopping on the way home for paper plates and cups. Next, I heat enough water to tackle the boys. It only takes three hours but they emerge from the grimy tub, clean as whistles … a condition guaranteed to last less than one hour. With no sense of accomplishment, I go to bed exhausted … and dirty.

Blue Monday

Next morning, more of the same, only worse: heated water does for brief morning ablutions; paper plates do something strange to the eggs; and dirty clothes again begin to mount. This saga continues for several more days, but I will spare you the rest of the details — they are so “unclean!”

To Conclude

Like all “experiments” this one has a conclusion: I conclude that while it is POSSIBLE to manage without hot water, it just about doubles the time and work for the average housewife.

My hat is off to the non-average housewife, the pioneer settler of today who homesteads without ANY modern conveniences like hot water, electricity, indoor plumbing — not even an automatic washing machine!