ESO: I discuss clothes washing here. The Elders washed their own clothes about two-thirds of the time.

Clothes washing the Elders could, in theory, always do in a creek without involving anyone else. Dyeing, on the other hand, required outside participation—at the very least they had to borrow the tubs (from a woman, which meant using her stuff and fitting/deforming her schedule).

As to whether the Elders _needed_ help from women, well, (1) they probably did not do the dyeing before or after their missions, so there was some expertise to be tapped, and (2) the “mission Ma” women loved the Elders and attempted to fill needs and wants (at least as gratefully recorded in the diaries).

Following J, I googled Diamond Dye. My favorite involves a toddler and a kitten.

I agree, Ardis, that the amount of dyeing is a bit more than I would have anticipated.

I’m surprised to see so many references to dyeing. Maybe I shouldn’t be — I mean, it may not be the kind of thing a sole elder thinks of on his own, but something that is part of mission culture. But what a thing to have to take care of as an itinerant missionary with no home base to count on!