A lined page from a notebook in the archives dated 8/6/43 was titled “Sent to Greenwalds Laundry”. It included items used in the lodge, such as curtains, dresser scarves, bedspreads, blankets and rugs. A second page itemizing the linens in the hostess room closet listed bath towels, sheets, pillowcases, washcloths, kitchen towels and pads. Someone had to wash and dry these necessary linens, in light of the fact that early on a wringer washer may have been on hand, but nothing large enough to handle the larger items. Linda Greenwald, (1946-52) recalled a brand new wringer washer that was located near the camp store when she attended her sessions.
Molly Olson, who camped in the late forties, was the first one to mention laundry boxes. When her clothes got dirty, there were laundry boxes to send home your soiled clothes through the mail! Heavy, with lengthwise straps across the 20×20 rectangular box, the straps would hook around the box securely and the girls would address the box.
In the sixties, camp committee minutes stated each member took home a camp blanket to wash and dry to save on laundry costs, but notes also indicated that 20th Century Cleaners would launder the blankets for a small fee. In 1963, a woman was hired for .10 a sheet, .05 a pillowcase and .10 a towel set!
Can you imagine the Moms who opened the footlockers, suitcases or laundry bags after two weeks of camp? (Oh my—worse than a guy’s locker room during P.E!) During stayovers, many girls were able to wash their towels in a little laundry room down the hill from the lodge, sparing their mothers.
“There was a big tree that was knocked down and I would watch the snakes sunning themselves while I washed with one of those wringer washers and hung them to dry,” said Susan Ruterbusch (1947-52).
There were clotheslines strung between trees and cabins for the occasional wet sleeping bag, blanket, beach towel or bathing suit, but Cara Prieskorn (1966-71) recalled the clothesline was always in the shade, so they never dried!
Some years there were other methods of cleaning clothes and linens when no suitable washing machine was on the property. Sandy Indianer spent the entire summer in the sixties at camp and when her mother visited, they would go off to do laundry at the laundromat.
Missy Plambeck, a self-described camp rat (1968-78), loved it when her parents came up for a visit to do her laundry in Hale between sessions,( but loved the dinner at West Branch Country Club even more.)
“In between sessions I stayed a weekend and the counselors would take us into town to do laundry,” said Dana Foote (1974-77). “I had never done my own laundry and I thought I was such hot stuff doing that. Then three or four of us would go for pizza”
Nancy Neumyer (1975-78) felt the same way. “Prior to the boys coming, I stayed three weeks and was not happy when my sister came because I had to share my clothes. We did go to the laundromat, though, and thought that was such a grown up thing to do.”
Laurie Cone, who missed nothing at home because she loved camp so much, knew there was that problem of washing her laundry. Sue Purdue and Laurie would go to the Cone cottage in nearby Oscoda to take long hot showers and get their laundry done.
“My parents would fix some wonderful steak or lobster dinner and then we would head back. I know there was no empty nest with those two either,” she laughed, realizing they were having fun with her and her sister gone.
“Sometimes on our days off, we would head to Tawas, have dinner at “Lixies”, put our laundry in the washer, walk to eat, then run back and stuff it all in the dryer,“ said Laurie, who also recalled going to a dance hall in the same town near a campground.
What were your laundry traditions at camp? Or did you save it for home?