Article on Washers in the 1950's & 1960's

[114jwh]

Interesting read - talks in depth about how different the US vs CDN washing machine market was during the postwar years. I've always felt like Canadians hung on the wringer washer concept longer than our neighbors but didn't realize the difference was this pronounced. Its a long read but interesting.

https://instruct.uwo.ca/geog/9322/Parr1997.pdf

 

[bradross]

Interesting, indeed!

James, thanks for sharing this article. I've actually read it previously, but nice to have the link.

My grandmother was a testament to this trend - she had a wringer washer until the mid-1970s. My grandparents lived on a small farm in southern Alberta, and one of the practical reasons due to being on a well. They just didn't have the water pressure or capacity for an automatic. However, my grandmother was also convinced her wringer washer did a better job on my grandfather's work clothes - and I believe her!

Love my wringer washer(s)!

 

[jamiel]

What an interesting article! What they say makes a great deal of sense; especially about how many small wringer washer manufacturers were reasonable within Canada versus the few automatic washer plants needed. Kind of analogous in the US to the proliferation of stove plants before the mid '50s.

 

[pierreandreply4]

nice article

very nice article makes me wonder what year was my grandmother old 3 cycle push to start inglis liberator washer it was the model with normal cycle perm press (wash and wear and super soak 5 wash rinse temp no water level?

 

[114jwh]

My Grandmother too Brad! She didn't buy her first automatic until probably around 1967. I'm not quite sure what year that machine was - a Kenmore, MOL BD suds-saver. I haven't ever seen a machine that matches that one on this site. Anyway, she was in her mid 50's by then and kids already long out of the house. She often mentioned that she missed her wringer washer and regretted getting the automatic. She had the two great big concrete sinks in the basement for rinsing with the wringer and later, storing wash water for the suds-saver.

She did buy a dryer earlier though, probably 10 years before the automatic washer - a Eaton Viking with a lint filter on top. They too lived in a very small town in rural BC and originally would have been on a well.

Was also interesting to read the evolution of washers in the UK as well. Didn't realize that automatics took so long to catch on there too.

Kinda makes sense why you can usually go onto any of the various online buy & sell sites in Canada at any given time and find a wringer washer for sale. By far I see the square Eaton Viking's the most - they must have had a pretty significant market share.

 

[launderess]

Didn't have time to read entire, will save for when can sit down with some nibbles and a bevy.

However just from gleaning first few pages can agree with overall premise.

Many of my European friends then and now simply do not consider American top loading washers (with a central beater) anywhere near comparable to h-axis washers. Throw in such machines cannot heat much less boil washing and there you are.

We've often spoken of how American housewives with automatic top loaders covered up less than stellar results by using copious amounts of chlorine bleach. That substance OTOH is largely unheard of, and or not so much used in Europe for wash day. House cleaning is another matter; in fact those little sausages of "eau de javel" in French shops are usually grouped with house cleaning supplies, not laundry products.

 

[turquoisedude]

Most interesting! I'm stunned that my folks were slightly ahead of the Canadian trends, getting their first automatic washer and dryer set in 1964.

I guess I knew some about the cultural and economic factors that kept wringers popular but I never considered how big an impact the 'Made in Canada' factor had on the popularity of wringer washers. The machines that still show up for sale today are well-represented by Beatty, Connor, GSW, etc.

Now I really want to play with that oddball Dominion automatic of mine... LOL