Valeok is an ancient wood hand tool with the short handle. It was used to make washing and rinsing clothes faster and easier. Washing was an incredibly laborious process. Women had to be strong and enduring.

One hundred years ago housewives did not have to ask the price of detergents. They used home-made soap liquid for washing: alkaline solution or soaproot. Valeok was spread in all parts of Russia. But it was called differently in divers places: most often, valeok, kolotushka. But in the other places: varta, lapta, portomoynik, pral’nik.

As a rule, valeok was used for washing coarse things: sacks, mats, quilts, quilted jackets, husband’s pants, postelnikov. Postelnik is a long, wide sack for sleeping which was stuffed with hay, straw and other things.

Valeok was used in the following way: washing which was abundantly soaked with soap liquid or water (when rinsing) was put as a lump on the planked footway on the river.

Valeok was taken by the handle. The lump of washing was beaten by the valeok underside until the board of the valeok beat liquid out of the washing. The procedure was repeated until washing became clean.

Valeok was made of linden or birch, it was decorated with carving and painting. Gift val’ki that lads presented lasses were the most trimmed.

Some of them were made in the form of female figure, the others were decorated with through holes with beads, pebbles, peas. During the work they produced peculiar “loquacious” sound.

Valeok was put into the cradle of the newly-born child as a charm. Also, it was put under the head of the child during the ceremony of the first cutting hair.