Tank for Boiling the Laundry

To Wash Whiter Than White

In the past, to clean clothes, they had to be boiled. The soap available at the time could fight stains, but to get clothes whiter than white, nothing worked better than boiling water. The tank resembled an enormous kettle, and was surrounded by brick, to protect the Monastery against fire. A sister would draw water from a well, and bring it here, one bucket at a time. Then she would bring in fire wood and light a fire in the stove, underneath the tank, going through a cast-iron door on the floor. The Monastery was then home to approximately a hundred nuns, and even more boarders. You can only imagine what a day’s worth of washing would have looked like!