Antique Clothes Dryer

[jetcone]

Nathan

I used one of those back in '81 out in Perth at a motel on Scarborough Beach! I was flabbergasted ! Id' done my load in a Maytag and didn't even think to look for a dryer like we knew them. I had to go back to the desk and the manager showed me how this worked- IT TOOK ALL DAY !! 

 

And then my underwear was nice and crunchy hard !! I was underwhelmed to say the least !!

 

 

 

[rpms]

Would a place like Biltmore still hang laundry outside? Would it have a hidden area or were clothes lines a no no? I think it was the mini series,Edwardian House, and it should the clothes lines up on the roof and hidden by the gables.
It would be quite a hike from the basements up to the roof with wet laundry.

 

[launderess]

"Laundress, why do you insist on saying that laundry hug up to dry will be dripping?"

Because every vintage laundry manual one owns says so in several languages.

Also because owning two hand wringers and or having wrung out garments by hand. Is this good enough for you?

Clothing and linens except finer things were made from much heavier cotton or linen fabric than today. As such they held much more water. Suppose you *could* wring them out by hand to something approaching nearly dry; however that not only would get old really fast with a large amount of wash to do it also is hard on fabric.

There is also only so far you can tighten a wringer or mangle before possibly damaging textiles as they went through. That and or creating more work for later by making heavy creases that will take more effort to iron out.

Simply test to my ranting is to wash but not spin a load of heavy laundry; wring it out by hand then hang dry indoors.

 

[tomturbomatic]

No, but thank you. Do the clothes you hang up to dry drip all over the floor? If they don't it means that clothes hung up to dry don't have to drip. You make it sound inevitable because it happened historically. Even my mother could wring clothes by hand so that they would not drip, a skill probably learned in the years before her family got a wringer washer. I have done it also, although when I washed heavy throw rugs in the 33" WP combo and hung them out after the spin the machine provided, they dripped for hours. With today's modern appliances there would be a greatly diminished likelihood of dripping and these same adjustable drying racks are still in use in these homes today. I spoke with a woman from the UK at an estate sale who talked about using the drying rack over the AGA.

Drying Yards: There was one at Fallingwater. Once a week lines were strung in a hidden location. It might have been in the carport so that the laundry could not be seen from the house. It had something to do with the carport. I think the guide said the carport was a new concept at the time. [this post was last edited: 3/4/2015-21:32]

 

[gansky1]

20+ years ago, a friend of mine lived in an apartment building here in town that had a drying cabinet like these pictured. Concrete set tubs back to back in the center of the room and one wall lined with storage lockers for machines and supplies. None of my friends knew what the cabinet was for and once explained, were amazed that civilization survived such hardship. Everyone gained a new appreciation for the coin-op Maytags haphazardly installed in that dark and dusty room.

 

[burnus]

antique Clothes Dryer

Hi All,

Thank you for all of your informative responses. I have found out some more details. The machine is made by the Chicago Laundry company & was propane fired (that has been disconnected). Good to know that Martha Stewart found a way to use her machine although I don't think I will have her entertaining schedule or amount of linens. Its a keeper for now I guess!

 

[rpms]

Could you use the cabinet as storage? Is there enough ventilation to keep things from smelling musty?

 

[burnus]

antique clothes dryer

Hi All,

I am going to see if my contractor can move the cabinet/drawer part of this to my laundry room on the second floor( they will love the idea I'm sure!!)If we have the space in the room, I was thinking I could use it as a drying rack without the heat source. Would love to find a way to use it since it is an uncommon piece. Thanks again for all of your helpful insights.

Beth

 

[jkbff]

Would there be a way to build in a dehumidifier to use with the cabinet ?