Today we have for you an interesting and funny topic, at first glance. It is about a period of communism in which the former dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu was put out of his wits by… the banal detergent!
Hard to believe or not, the deceased was annoyed by the high consumption of the Romanian people, and the proof is some transcripts that have lasted all these years. Let’s find out more about this incident…hilarious!
The effects of communism after the war
During the 80s, the Romanian people went through a severe crisis. After the war, people were still recovering in every way, especially financially. The shortages were everywhere and even seemed to multiply. Basic products are starting to disappear from the Romanian market one by one, taking the export route.
The communists do not take into account the poverty that had befallen Romania and dug their fangs deep into the little that the people managed to agonize over. One of the most important things that the Romanians lacked was the commonplace detergent of our days, indispensable for the hygiene of clothes. Fortunately, the people had an ace up their sleeve, namely the famous homemade soap that our mothers learned to make from their mothers, grandmothers and so on.
With its help, people managed to maintain their bodily hygiene and their homes, knowing very well what “magical” properties it has. At that time, the party activists were the ones who enjoyed the advantage of having detergent, with which they washed the blankets or even the cages of the hunting dogs.
Ceaușescu, annoyed by detergents
On December 17, 1981, a meeting of the Executive Political Committee of the Romanian Communist Party takes place, “to analyze the possibilities of Romania to grant humanitarian aid to the Polish communist government”. Nicolae Ceaușescu says that “this washing with detergents has stretched a little”.
The dialogue, in which Emil Bobu from Botoșani, deputy prime minister of Romania, took part, was provoked by the Polish general Wojciech Jaruzelski who had asked the socialist states for urgent help. He specified the need for gasoline, diesel, food and medicine. As for detergents, Ceaușescu claimed that his country does not have large quantities that can be shared with other countries.
Shorthand for detergents
“The Soviet Union will give them medicine. If they don’t have it, then let the Soviets give us oil, let’s process it at their expense! Sure, we can help them, if they don’t have refineries nearby. Sure, let’s give some medicine. We don’t have detergents now.” – said tov. Nicolae Ceausescu.
“We export 15% and 85% go domestically”, said the tov. Ion Dinca.
“I am 8,000 tons in arrears,” said Tov. Cornelia Filipas
Nobody in the country used detergents, everyone here made soap. No one is left without soap!” – said tov. Nicolae Ceausescu.
“Everyone has learned to use only detergents!” – replied tov. Elena Ceausescu.
“This washing with detergents has stretched a bit.” – said tov. Nicolae Ceausescu.
“Even the floor is washed with detergents” – replied the tov. Elena Ceausescu.
“It is! Before, a little soda was put in the water and it washed very well.” – tov Nicolae Ceausescu
“Detergents are also consumed a lot in industry” – replied the tov. Elena Ceausescu.
And the ashes were used; they put it in water and washed it with lye.” – tov Nicolae Ceausescu.
“We should see once how much is consumed in the industry, because – as I said – a lot is consumed here as well; and in the wire industry” – said tov. Elena Ceausescu.
Homemade soap never dies
Despite the fact that in stores we can find any type of soap we want, ethnographer Steliana Băltuță claims that homemade soap is still made. Obviously, in certain households and in smaller quantities, but some Romanians do not give up its benefits. Obviously, they used scents from nature to perfume it: wormwood, mint, walnut or lavender.
“Definitely, in many places in Botoșani, soap was made at home. We are talking, for example, of localities such as Nicolae Bălcescu, Flămânzi, Ibănești, Hilișcani, towards Ștefănești… They included fats, leftovers from years ago, caustic soda, because it decomposed these fats.
It was done in many communes. Only the homemade soap washed very well. Of course, lye was also used, which was prepared with the ashes from the stove… And soap and lye constituted an important disinfectant.
The clothes were washed with soap, sometimes with lye, and taken out in the yard, in the sun, even in winter, in the cold. Women knew how to be clean and fragrant. They also put essence or herbs of mint, wormwood in the soap, to give a little fragrance. Not to mention the fact that they put lavender and basil in the big house, so they smelled natural.
The perfume and soap industry today is a chemical one. But women back then also knew how to organize their lives and knew very well how to prepare these products for the household. They were perfect housewives, they knew very well how to prepare anything”, says ethnographer Steliana Băltuță.
