Just have an odd question and wanted to see if anyone knew the answer. I've seen a lot of ads and so forth of Wringer washers being used in the kitchen or in a nice laundry room. Question is how did one fill those machines with water? I mean I don't see someone using a bucket or a hose. Did a company ever come up with some kind of gadget to fill wringer washers with?
Filling a Wringer Washer
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A hose if you were lucky enough to have a water heater. Otherwise, you bailed buckets of water from the wash boiler where you heated it to almost boiling.
Same Way One Filled Wash Tubs
Either via hose from a faucet, or fetching containers of water back and forth until you had enough. In the case of "cold water flats" and or other homes without plumbed hot water supply, you had no choice but to boil water by the kettle or whatever full until there was enough to get the wash done. Again same as using wash tubs, including the fact you could keep reusing the same "hot" wash water until it became "warm", then "cool".
By the time "modern" wringer and other washing machines were becoming common enough appliances, home planning changed to accomodate in that normally kitchens or laundry areas had room around sinks to manouver washers close to the source of water and drains.
Many older homes had those huge and or low/wide "laundry sinks", with high taps. These are great for not only doing laundry, but for filling large containers (such as buckets), with water and easily hauling them out.
Of course well into the era of "modern" washing machines, you still had them located out on back porches and so forth. In those instances see above, that is women (or whomever was doing the washing), carried on as they always had done. The one saving grace is you could simply drain the water into the yard, or use it easily to wash down the porch/steps.
Either via hose from a faucet, or fetching containers of water back and forth until you had enough. In the case of "cold water flats" and or other homes without plumbed hot water supply, you had no choice but to boil water by the kettle or whatever full until there was enough to get the wash done. Again same as using wash tubs, including the fact you could keep reusing the same "hot" wash water until it became "warm", then "cool".
By the time "modern" wringer and other washing machines were becoming common enough appliances, home planning changed to accomodate in that normally kitchens or laundry areas had room around sinks to manouver washers close to the source of water and drains.
Many older homes had those huge and or low/wide "laundry sinks", with high taps. These are great for not only doing laundry, but for filling large containers (such as buckets), with water and easily hauling them out.
Of course well into the era of "modern" washing machines, you still had them located out on back porches and so forth. In those instances see above, that is women (or whomever was doing the washing), carried on as they always had done. The one saving grace is you could simply drain the water into the yard, or use it easily to wash down the porch/steps.
Wash House
At my grandparent's house in Mississippi there was a big iron cauldron (witch's pot) that sat in the back yard. Mom said that is where my grandmother did the wash before she had a machine. About 15' behind that was the wash house - a small shed type wooden structure. Inside was an old GE wringer washer that they had purchased around 1948 when they got electricity. The water pump (electric) was located about 20' from both the cauldron and wash house, and had a hose faucet attached to it. According to one of my aunts, my grandmother would use the hose to put water in the cauldron to heat, and then use pails to carry the hot water to the washer. She would then take the hose to the washer for when she wanted cold water. Grandmother died before I turned 2 (1957), so I never saw it used. My Grandfather always took his things to the washateria in town after she passed on.
At my grandparent's house in Mississippi there was a big iron cauldron (witch's pot) that sat in the back yard. Mom said that is where my grandmother did the wash before she had a machine. About 15' behind that was the wash house - a small shed type wooden structure. Inside was an old GE wringer washer that they had purchased around 1948 when they got electricity. The water pump (electric) was located about 20' from both the cauldron and wash house, and had a hose faucet attached to it. According to one of my aunts, my grandmother would use the hose to put water in the cauldron to heat, and then use pails to carry the hot water to the washer. She would then take the hose to the washer for when she wanted cold water. Grandmother died before I turned 2 (1957), so I never saw it used. My Grandfather always took his things to the washateria in town after she passed on.
gmmcnair
Well-known member
My Great Aunt....
....used a Maytag wringer washer well into the 1990s. She had an adapter for her kitchen sink so she could use an ordinary garden hose at the faucet. She used a short hose and laundered in the kitchen in the winter, and had a longer hose to reach the "back porch" in summer. Worked pretty well.
....used a Maytag wringer washer well into the 1990s. She had an adapter for her kitchen sink so she could use an ordinary garden hose at the faucet. She used a short hose and laundered in the kitchen in the winter, and had a longer hose to reach the "back porch" in summer. Worked pretty well.
In my house we had a utility room witht he hot and cold faucets and a Y connection then a short hose to fill the washer and tubs. Mother used this up through about Ausgust of 1964 she was one of the last die hards in the family before going to a washer and dryer. She got the A700 Maytag washer and matching gas dryer. The Maytag wringer went tot he barn to wash horse blankets and rags.
About a month after getting the automatic washer and dryer mother told my dad to take down the cloths lines she hasn't hung anything since. She was the same way with her ironrite ironer not lng after good perm press clothing came out. She used to iron everything boxer shorts to good clothes to work clothes.
About a month after getting the automatic washer and dryer mother told my dad to take down the cloths lines she hasn't hung anything since. She was the same way with her ironrite ironer not lng after good perm press clothing came out. She used to iron everything boxer shorts to good clothes to work clothes.
westingman123
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Grandma's Maytag sat on the enclosed back porch, more like a sun porch I guess. We filled that bad boy with the garden hose, and with heated water from the reservoir in the wood stove. She had the double rinse tubs and that water was COLD, straight from the well.
I can relate to your Mother, Charles. My Mama ironed EVERYTHING when we were kids; sheets, boxers, handkerchiefs--you name it. She started all of us ironing when we had to stand on a box to reach the board, ironing Dad's hankies. I never got to touch the Ironrite til I was well out of high school!
This thread took me right back to those hot summer days, hanging sheets in the sun. Nothing has ever smelled so good as those sheets. With that distinct "slush--kunk" rhythm of the Maytag as background music, I was in 7th heaven. I miss those carefree days!
I can relate to your Mother, Charles. My Mama ironed EVERYTHING when we were kids; sheets, boxers, handkerchiefs--you name it. She started all of us ironing when we had to stand on a box to reach the board, ironing Dad's hankies. I never got to touch the Ironrite til I was well out of high school!
This thread took me right back to those hot summer days, hanging sheets in the sun. Nothing has ever smelled so good as those sheets. With that distinct "slush--kunk" rhythm of the Maytag as background music, I was in 7th heaven. I miss those carefree days!
How I fill my ABC
In the summer, I wheel my ABC wringer(picture of it in the Imperial section, thread no. 32675)on the side porch off of the kitchen and wash there. I use a bucket to fill the washer with hot water from the kitchen sink.
I have rinse tubs that I put there too and fill them with the garden hose which is just a short way off. After things are washed and rinsed, out on the clothesline they go.
When finished,I just put the hoses down and let them empty onto the yard and then rinse out the machine and tubs with the garden hose, ready for the next wash day.
Happy washing.
In the summer, I wheel my ABC wringer(picture of it in the Imperial section, thread no. 32675)on the side porch off of the kitchen and wash there. I use a bucket to fill the washer with hot water from the kitchen sink.
I have rinse tubs that I put there too and fill them with the garden hose which is just a short way off. After things are washed and rinsed, out on the clothesline they go.
When finished,I just put the hoses down and let them empty onto the yard and then rinse out the machine and tubs with the garden hose, ready for the next wash day.
Happy washing.
Rinse tubs.
I fill ours with an old washing machine fill hose (I wouldn't trust it to hold pressure 24/7 on an automatic, but it works fine as a fill hose). I screw the hose onto the rinse tub sink's faucet and fill the washer. I then use the hose to fill 2 of the sink's 3 rinse tubs and then I just tuck the hose out of the way.
Wash, wring, rinse, wring, rinse, wring, dry,
Dave
I fill ours with an old washing machine fill hose (I wouldn't trust it to hold pressure 24/7 on an automatic, but it works fine as a fill hose). I screw the hose onto the rinse tub sink's faucet and fill the washer. I then use the hose to fill 2 of the sink's 3 rinse tubs and then I just tuck the hose out of the way.
Wash, wring, rinse, wring, rinse, wring, dry,
Dave
My Mother's and Grandmothers Maytag wringer washers came with a black or red rubber hose that had a one size fits all end that you slid upon the kitchen faucet. Both kitchen sinks had the small sink and the large tub for rinsing clothes. They would wash in the machine for a period of time, then rinse in the big tub 2 times (always cold water rinse). The whites got a third rinse in the washer with cold water and "Bulldog Bluing" to help maintain the bright white sox, sheets, towels etc. then went on the line to dry.
Washing was an art to them in those days. My mom did this until 1969 when she got her first Kenmore 700 Automatic washer (with the second rinse option). And Grandama did this until 1974 when she got her first Automatic Hamilton Washer. And the rest is history..
Washing was an art to them in those days. My mom did this until 1969 when she got her first Kenmore 700 Automatic washer (with the second rinse option). And Grandama did this until 1974 when she got her first Automatic Hamilton Washer. And the rest is history..
