The simple act of getting water required back-breaking labor. The family with a good spring near the back door was fortunate indeed. Hand-dug wells provided water for many families. Buckets or tubes had to be lowered to the bottom of the well, 30, 40, or 50 feet down, and the water pulled to the surface by rope. Monday was washday, and a busy day it was. Gallons of water had to be carried from the closest source, often a nearby stream. Fire was mad e under a cast-iron pot to boil the clothes, which were then scrubbed and rinsed by hand before being hung out to dry. The warm, soapy water left over was used to wash the spring house, outdoor toilet, animal quarters, or anything else needing a good cleaning. The rinse water was used on the flowers. Nothing so hard obtained was wasted.