Rain, rain go away!

And it is raining, still raining, rain as far as the weather radar can see.
I don't want to think about the rain, but it reminded me of something.

Before I started school my world had been a simple one, no one ever got dressed up, or looked even remotely like the people in movies. The men wore work clothes and the women wore cotton dresses, usually protected by an apron.
Then I started school and saw the other side of town.
Curiously one of the first rhymes we learned was
"Rain, rain go away
come again on
ironing day."
Why ironing day, and did those well heeled women actually do ironing?