I appreciate the opportunity to provide information. What you’re describing is the historical practice of hand laundering, which was the method used for washing textiles before the advent of modern washing machines and indoor plumbing. Hand laundering involved a series of manual steps, including soaking, beating, scrubbing, and rinsing dirty textiles.
Prior to having access to indoor plumbing, people had to fetch water for washing, boiling, and rinsing laundry from a pump, well, or spring. This water would be heated over a fire for the washing process and then poured into a tub. Since warm, soapy water was a limited resource, it was typically reused, beginning with the cleanest items and progressing to the dirtier ones. This method of laundry was labor-intensive and required significant manual effort.