A unique wringer machine

[laundramatt]

The second tub was not at all used for rinsing. Each wash load would get two washings. According to the user's manual, you would fill the first tub with warm suds, and the second tub with hot suds. My mother always did it the opposite way, she would wash the clothes first in a hot tub, and second in the warm suds. All rinsing was done using stationary laundry tubs. so in effect, each wash load got 2 washings of about 10 to 15 minutes each. (Longer, if my Aunt Marge decided to call my mom while she was doing the laundry!). My mom would come back downstairs all mad saying, "She knows I wash clothes on Monday, why does she always have to call me on Monday?!" I would laugh to myself, because all the while my mom was upstairs, I was downstairs playing with the washer.

 

[petek]

That's the Dexter Double Discomboobulator model isn't it?

 

[knitwits1975]

5 Bids but no one got it because the reserve did not get met.

 

[Designgeek]

Interesting points, Laundramatt; warm then hot = a kind of early profile wash. And yet if one wanted to, one could rinse in the second tub instead of the sink.

I was thinking the standard routine with (single-tub) wringers was:

1) Agitated wash, then empty the tub while wringing out, and put the load(s) on a countertop.
2) Refill tub with clean water.
3) Agitated rinse, then wring out.
4) Repeat (2) and (3) again if needed. Hang clothes on line.
5) If multiple loads, one could save the final rinse water and add detergent for re-use as wash water for the next load.

So the Dexter Difference would be, you could put the load(s) directly through the wringer and into the 2nd tub for rinse, and then if an additional rinse was needed, empty & refill the first tub. The main time savings would be in not having to delay one operation while emptying & refilling a tub, which saves a decent amount of time at each cycle. Or you could do multiple loads by saving the rinse water from the first load and using it as wash water for the next, reversing the direction of throughput from left-to-right, to right-to-left.

Question is, were the agitators in both tubs identical in dimensions, speed, and arc?

All this about rinsing in the sink is intriguing because it seems that would take enough effort (stirring it all around with a broom-handle or whatnot) that people would start figuring out ways to mechanize the process by doing it in the wash tub.

 

[laundramatt]

Both agitators and tubs were identical. The point was to make an assembly line out of your wash. After clothes were put from the first wash tub through the wringer and into the second wash tub, the first tub was filled with the second wash load. Both loads washed. It was cool to hear both agitators running. At times they would be in complete unison, but most of the time they were not. I can still hear them both agitating. Also, my mother used to put the clothes through the wringer into the second wash tub while it was agitating.It was neat watching the clothes come out of the wringer and drop into the suds of the second washer, to be slowly pulled back and forth until they were submerged in the suds. This is something that was unique to Dexter washers.
Rinsing didn't take any work at all in the stationary tubs. It was basically a couple of rinse soak cycles, there was little or no agitation by hand. One stationary tub had bluing added to it. I can't really remember what my mother used in the other rinse tub, if anything. But most clothes were put in both stationary tubs.
I never saw anyone use a stick to remove clothes from a washer because of hot water. Maybe this was done when and where water was heated, but we used the hot water right out of the spigot, which was pretty hot. I think my mom got good at grabbing at the clothes pretty fast out of the hot side. I know I couldn't keep my hand in that water for any length of time, so I usually played with the other wash tub.
I think that Dexter eventually became Quick Twin wringer washers. They were identical, so maybe someone bought them out.

 

[Designgeek]

Laundramatt, thanks for the details. Interesting about the passive soak rinses.

Some years ago when I was experimenting with hand-powered washing methods, I found that a "passive overflow rinse" could be done by putting a load in a tilted container in the bathtub, and letting water trickle in at one end and overflow from the other end. The point was to take advantage of the natural tendency toward diffusion, i.e. the detergent would naturally diffuse into the water which would then exit at the other end. It seemed to work well at the time, though it did take a while to get all the suds out. Makes one thankful for motors

 

[mickeyd]

nice week for me, dexters and easies

If I break a promise, then I'll have to eat a machine, but I own a pink dexter. I left it some years back, at the Fleckenschteen. Two summers ago, it was still nestled snuggly in the back of the garage.

Someone can have it--gratis!!!

Why--------

Because I hated it-- somewhat overstated. The washing was poor, consumer reports said so. I didn't really notice because my clothes don't get too dirty, normally. Not at all surprized that the manual instructs double washing. Gotta get the muddy bike clothes clean somehow. The pump actually sucked, took forever to drain, the valves would slide shut when you wanted to drain. Mine is different from the one in the pix which looks like drain valves might be better.

Love wringer washers; this one is beautiful, but I don't like using it.

This summer I'm hoping to go touring, and if someone is touring too, stop by and I'll give it to you. The pink is really cool, and it looks great in the house.

 

[Designgeek]

Pink, eh? Re. bad reviews, this is why I was amused at folks who were making boo-hiss noises about Toggleswitch's new GE he's leaving in the house when he moves. Today's bad reviews --> tomorrow's classic period piece. And to be fair, it's entirely possible that your Dexter was malfunctioning, after all some folks in this thread said their families had 'em and they worked fine.

 

[mickeyd]

Toggle's all over the threads

But the coolest thing about the Dexter is how dexterous it is: there are no rules:

You can wash in one tub, rinse in the other; wash in both; rinse in both; use only one tub; make chili sauce in one, soak you feet in the other------ OR------- GO DANCING------- Lalalalalalalalalal.

But don't hold your breath waiting for the slow coach drain to finish.

 

[abcomatic]

Hi,I called the man last week about the "Twin Dex" that was for sale on E-bay. The begining bid was set for $500.00. I have a Twin Dex from the late 40's. When I use it, I wash in one and rinse in the other. I think it does a great job.
I also called the Dexter Co. in Fairfield, Iowa. They make commercial washers now and no longer make home laundry equipment. They don't have any parts for former machines.
Get out the "Fels and Little Boy bluing" and have a great day doing laundry. ABC-O-Matic

 

[mickeyd]

abc

Hi, how's the draining on your Dex--honest. How long, how forceful--how good is the pump and the valves. Thanks, Man

mikey

Again: someone can have my Dex for free.

 

[swestoyz]

ABC (Gary),

I'm not surprised about your findings with Dexter. I used to live in Fairfield, and the company is very much into commercial washers. I find it hard to believe that something as neat as the double unit above even came from Fairfield! I have walked past the old factories and have seen the 'Parts dept' through windows looking into the basement. Lots of old stuff down there...

Ben