Lavoir 2 - Bar-sur-Aube

The first buildings reserved for washing appeared in the 17th century.

But it was in 1851 that the Legislative Assembly of the Second Republic decided that cities and towns would be equipped with public washing places (financed by the municipalities with sometimes subsidies from the state and individuals). This was in application of a “hygienistic policy” .

They are often of modest size (although there are some very large ones) and have varied structures: simple washstone, fixed or floating floors, open-air swimming pool, indoor swimming pool, with or without wall, with windows or completely closed, for washing on your knees or standing, with a chimney or not, ... And even, but rarely, some have latrines.

They are often located near a water trough, a watering hole (place where horses were bathed), or a fountain. The washing places can be found in the center of the village or hamlet, on the edge, or completely isolated in the 'open landscape'. They are built near a river, a stream, a spring, near a well...

Some floated: they were called "wash boats" (these have almost all disappeared to this day).

The women came there, more or less sheltered from the weather, to wash their clothes. They were places where news was exchanged, quite noisy and cheerful: the sound of water, the clicking of knockers, laughter and chatter... despite the difficulty of the task. Laundry started at home with "fogging" (boiling laundry with ash or soda crystals mixed with soap). This work was extremely long and difficult. The laundry was then taken to the washing area . At the end of the wash cycle, after being thoroughly rinsed, the laundry was placed on the drain bars , usually made of wood, which were located above the sink or attached to the wall.

Each 'laundress' (laundresses are professional washing machines) had her own equipment: a wheelbarrow or a hood to transport the laundry, a wooden box filled with straw or rags , a so-called 'triolo' or 'carrosse' or 'knee pad' or ' knee pad'. -breakers" depending on the region, a beater to "beat" the wax, sometimes a washboard (but more often they used the wash stone that stood at the edge of the wash house), a brush and Marseille soap .

Willem Vandenameele