Completely Lost but think I'm looking for a wringer washer

[robbiehaleymom]

Hello All!
I am a brand new subscriber, though I am vintage by age!
I am a retired homeschool teacher and still love to learn, so I am here to learn from you!
Recently, I put a stopwatch to our Whirlpool Auto Load Sensing energy star HE. When washing a normal load, it takes 37 minutes to weigh the load, add water, wash, spin...etc...
Now I could care less about weighing, HE and sensing, but we have been using this washer for about 8 years now because it came with the house and I surely do not want to upgrade to something that will waste even more energy and water. For the most part, when the weather cooperates, I hang clothes on the line, so there is a bit of savings there. But I wondered, how I could get the energy cost down of washing clothes? I watched a video about this lady who had purchased a Speed Queen wringer washer and I am hooked! Problem is, I don't know a thing about wringer washers and if I find one, how can I be sure it is a good one? There are a couple I have found that look nice, but are costly. After looking at this site, I do love the looks of the Lady Kenmores...but alas...I am sure there are none to be found. Thanks for your input, Liz

 

[hoover28]

Wringer Washer

If you are going to use it a lot, I would recamend a Maytag Wringer washer as you can still get parts for them.

Chris

 

[tomturbomatic]

Welcome

Since you have an academic background,  you might enjoy going to the public library and reading some of the pre and  post WWII issues of Consumer Reports and Consumers' Research Bulletins for their information on and ratings of wringer washers.  There are things like machines that have the drain located out in the tub and not under the agitator causing wear on fabrics. You will want to read about wringer safety.  Maytag had one of the safest wringer emergency tension release bars.  You will want to do some reading in the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature located in the Reference Section, if still available, to find articles in shelter magazines like Better Homes & Gardens, Good Housekeeping, etc. on how to safely use a wringer washer and pointers like using a washing stick so that you NEVER put your hand in the machine to lift things up to the wringer because those agitator fins broke many a hand. People sometimes  did not shut them off because they could not see what was happening under the suds and you never put your hands or the washing stick closer to the wringer than the board below the rollers. You might check our site library here for users' manuals for wringer washers to find information and tips.

 

A wringer washer can save water for an investment in time spent doing laundry,  but you will put effort into the job. If you have an automatic, you can wring the washed load into it for a spin and deep rinse to save you time over rinsing in set tubs and you will definitely want to finish each load with a trip through the automatic for superior water extraction.  If you use chlorine bleach, you will need to do it in first rinse because reusing the wash water means you won't want to put bleach in it.  Others here will have more information for you.   Watch notices for estate sales to get an idea of price ranges of machines. This is going to be fun.

 

[robbiehaleymom]

Thank you so much for your suggestions

Thank you Chris and Tomturbomatic!
I love to get good advice and you both gave me things to think about.
Yes, this will be fun!
I will have to be patient to find the dream machine.
And, I will go to the library and look at some articles.
Liz

 

[ea56]

Liz I would agree with the others who suggest a Maytag Wringer Washer. My mom had a model EL that she purchased new in ‘69 and I learned to use a wringer washer on that machine. I later bought a model JL Maytag in ‘72 used for $35 it was my first washer of my own.

My Mom, Grandma and all the other women that I knew that used wringer washers all put bleach in the water for the first load, which should always be your whites, then your next load should be light colors or pastels, then colors and finally dark colors. We never had any problem with the bleach removing the color from the successive loads. Those tubs hold a lot of water and using 1 cup of LCB isn’t a very high concentration of bleach, and the bleaching effectiveness dissipates by the time your ready to add the light colors load. I did the same thing when I used a Maytag A50 Twin Tub.

I also would take the clothes out of the washer to put through the wringer while the agitator was running. This way the articles of clothing are being pushed up to the top of the water so I didn’t have to reach down to the bottom of the tub to get them and risk having my hand injured by the agitator. Sometimes I would use a big wooden spoon to fish out the articles if the water was especially hot. By the time you get to your second and successive loads the temperature has cooled some so there is no danger of burning your hands.

I think that doing the laundry with a wringer washer is a zen like experience. I like repetitive work, its meditative to me. And the beauty of doing laundry this way is that you can wash and rinse 4 loads in an hour. Granted its a hands on 60 mins., but then its done. And if you are line drying your laundry you’ll be able to hang up your weeks worth of laundry at the same time and in a few hours, depending upon the weather you’ll have it all done, save the folding and any ironing you may want to do.

Good luck in your quest to acquire a wringer washer, I think you’ll really like the experience when you finally find one and start doing your laundry this way. If we lived in a home that had room for a laundry tub this is how I’d be doing my laundry.

Eddie[this post was last edited: 3/18/2021-13:45]

 

[robbiehaleymom]

What a blessing!

Thank you all for taking the time to answer someone you don't even know! That is really a blessing to me.
Now that my kids are grown, I have time to appreciate doing my laundry at a slower pace.
I am really thankful for the mention of being careful about reaching into the washer with the agitator going. Is there a reason you leave the agitator going while taking the clothes out? I just figured after it agitated for some time, you would turn it off to extract the clothes to run through the wringer.
Another question--if I find someone on the internet that has a wringer washer for sale, especially if that washer is not close to where I live, how do I find out if the machine works properly? Do I make the owner hook it up and run a load? Most listings online want you to bid--or drive a day away to see the machine. I am trying to look for something close to me, but have found very little.
Again, I appreciate the conversation! Liz

 

[tomturbomatic]

FOR EASIER ACCESSED INFORMATION

You can try searching Google for topics like using a wringer washer or wringer washers.

You can search Google for topics like "using a wringer washer" or wringer washer c

 

[ea56]

Liz I appreciate Tom’s advice to turn the agitator off before taking the clothes out of the washer to insure safety for a novice user. But after you become comfortable with both the machine and the process you may feel comfortable leaving the machine agitating while removing the clothes to pass thru the wringer.

The reason that my Mom, Grandma, the neighbor women and I did it this way is because while the machine is agitating the clothes are constantly coming up to the surface of the water, making it easy to grab on to them and put them thru the wringer, thereby minimizing the time your hands are in the hot wash water.

One other thing that should be mentioned is that you’ll get a rhythm going when washing in a wringer washer. You wring the first load into the awaiting rinse water once the required washing time has elapsed. Once the first load is in the rinse water, put the second load into the washer, then wring out the rinse water from the first load after swishing the clothes thru the rinse water with your hands. By the time you’ve done this it will be time the wring the second load into the rinse water. Just keep repeating this process until all your laundry is done. It’s a continuous process, hence the repetitive motion work. I find that this is mentally relaxing. Some would say that this is perverse, LOL. I also like washing the dishes by hand too, a heresy on this website.

As far as finding a wringer washer to buy that may be a a quest that takes some time. I’d suggest checking out Craigslist for your area. Then if you find one you’re interested in you can drive over and take a look at it. It would be pretty expensive to have one shipped if you bought from an Ebay seller.

Look for wringer rolls that aren’t stuck together, a pump is a nice thing to have, otherwise you’ll need to drain it by gravity, and check to see it the agitator comes off the post easily. This very important because you should always remove the agitator when finished washing and place it on its side in the tub. Also, its advisable to put a thin coating of vaseline on the agitator post periodically to keep the agitator from ceasing onto the post. Most importantly make sure that the agitator goes on when you pull out the switch post on the front of the tub and that the wringer turns on when you move the lever into the on position. You can buy Maytag Wringer Washer manuals on Ebay and I would suggest that you do this too.

It all sounds like a lot of work but really once you get the hang of it, its really very simple.

You might also want to consider a Maytag A50 Twin tub instead of a wringer. Its the same concept, reusing the wash water, but instead of a wringer you extract the water in a spin tub next to the washing tub.

Good luck in your quest.

Eddie

 

[ea56]

BTW, I also prefer the porcelain square tub Maytag J2L with the removable lid over the aluminum square tub Maytag E2L with the attached lid. I think the J2L has slightly larger capacity and you don't need to worry about the tub becoming discolored by LCB like may happen with the E2L if this is a concern for you. But they are both great machines.

Eddie

 

[robbiehaleymom]

Thanks again!

I will try to look up the Maytag Twin Tub! Such interesting information! I just love learning about all these things.
Liz

 

[ea56]

It Just So Happens

Liz that there is a member here that recently posted that she has a Maytag A50 Twin tub for sale. It looks to be in very good condition. The rub is that it is in Illinois I believe. But perhaps you could arrange to have it shipped.

I also saw a pristine Maytag N2L round tub Maytag wringer for sale on Ebay. The price is high at $499, but it looks band new in the listing. Its located in Clinton, Illinois. It would be more difficult to have shipped.

Eddie

MAYTAG Porta-Washer Model A50

We have a Maytag Porta-Washer Model A50. It was my mother in-laws and we have original operations instructions for it. We were wondering if we should sell it? We are in the Chicagoland area. Thanks for your help.

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[robbiehaleymom]

Wringer Vs Twin Tub

Eddie,
Thanks again for all the help!
I think I am leaning towards the Maytag wringer.
I guess the exciting part is going to be the hunt to find one close
enough to me. Most of them look like they have been left out in the
weather.
I appreciate your time and knowledge.
Liz

 

[justjunque]

Hi Liz

And welcome!
Folks here have a staggering amount of knowledge! I'm not one who falls into that category, but I enjoy being here among others with similar interests.
I have a Maytag J2L that I found locally on Craigslist a couple/few years ago. It cost me $40. It needed a good cleaning, but everything works. It cleaned up very nice. However, it needs a tub seal, and the agitator is seized onto the shaft.
Those things are fixable, but health issues and lack of mechanical ability have prevented me from doing anything with it. It's making my laundry room look cool.
Maybe last year, there was another Craigslist ad in my general vicinity, where someone was giving away free scrap metal, if you hauled it all away. Among the "scrap" were two dusty wringer washers. One Maytag E2L, and one Lady Kenmore. Even though I had nowhere to put them, and don't work on them myself, I had tried to get together with the party who owned them to see if he'd let me take just the washers. I thought, if nothing else, maybe I could pass them along to someone else on here, and save them from being scrapped. Unfortunately, it never happened.
I wish you luck in your search! They are out there. It just takes time and patience.

Barry

 

[robbiehaleymom]

Barry THANKS!

Barry,
You are exactly right. I relaxed a little about finding something
"today!" I have really enjoyed being on this website. I am not sure why I am even fascinated by vintage washers and dryers, because I never was before. But, I have time on my hands since my kids are grown and it is a fun hobby.
Liz