Hand-Crank Wringer Recommendation?

[lowefficiency]

Hey folks - Does anyone have a recommendation for a hand-crank wringer (or possibly a mangle), to put into semi-daily service? (Not a wringer washer, just the wringer part.)

We're cloth diapering our first child, and one problem we've found is that they take a long time to dry, primarily because they don't do well in the washer's spin cycle. The crux of the problem is that these diapers have a thick absorbent liner stitched to an outer shell which is designed to be leak-proof... so if the diaper is facing liner-side-out during the spin, everything is fine. But if they are facing shell-side-out, the water in the diapers can't fully spin out - it simply collects deep inside.

This sounds like the perfect use case for a wringer - One quick pass through after the wash to squeeze out the water, then onto the line or into the dryer to finish them off.

It looks like most of the hand-crank wringers on the market are either clones of the same classic-style design offered under dozens of names, or modern utilitarian designs. None of them appear to have or advertise having bearings (or even bushings) anymore, just metal shafts on metal grooves. Towel wringing for shops seems to be their target audience, and even Harbor Freight once sold them, but apparently not anymore.

None of the new units are cheaper than ~$110, and some are well over $200.... more than the cost of a full wringer washer.

There are plenty of vintage units available, as cheap as $40 or so locally... but the condition of their rollers makes them all restoration projects for sure - more suitable as display pieces, even if they are clearly of much better mechanical designs.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

 

[ozzie908]

Have you thought about

A separate spin dryer like the laundry alternative have? Would be a lot more water removed than a wringer?

 

[ea56]

Or how about just taking the diapers after they’ve gone thru the first spin cycle and rearranging them so the non porous surface is facing outwards with the porous surface right next to the tub and running another spin at ex high speed (if you have a speed selector). This would work with a TL, but would be harder to accomplish with an FL.

Just a thought.

Eddie[this post was last edited: 7/19/2019-18:20]

 

[launderess]

Have two vintage hand powered wringers, and one spin dryer. Trust me putting many small items through a wringer will get old fast. Especially if you're going to be doing it day after day instead of say just one day a week.

I'd look into getting a spin dryer. After diapers are finished in main washing machine turn them outside in or whatever, then bung into spin dryer for two or three minutes.

Wringers on average only equal extraction speed of around 250 rpms. For things with seams and or are heavy you're going to have a dripping mess on your hands. A wringer also is pretty useless for extracting more water out of items already spun dry. While OTOH the reverse is true.....

Only way to wring things drier is to fold and put through mangle again, but then you may risk damaging fabric. The other method of tightening rollers much as possible not only damages fabrics, but can also the wringer as well. Besides at some point (depending upon thickness of material), you will start to encounter issues with trying to get things through a wringer that is set too tight.

 

[lowefficiency]

>> Have you thought about a separate spin dryer like the laundry alternative have?
>> Would be a lot more water removed than a wringer?

I did, but I think their mini unit would have all of the same issues as the spin cycle on a full-size machine, plus the additional disadvantage of being so small in capacity that each wash load would take multiple spin dryer loads.

It'd be handy to have a "full size" spin dryer... but it appears as though they never made much of an appearance in our country. About the only thing that comes up with any regularity is an Easy Spindrier, and of course, you have to make room for the full unit with its attached wash tub if you get that. (Our laundry area is about at capacity...)

If you know of a brand that was available in the USA, please let me know, and I'll add it to my searches...

 

[lowefficiency]

>> Or how about just taking the diapers after they’ve gone thru the first spin cycle and rearranging them
>> so the non porous surface is facing outwards with the porous surface right next to the tub and running
>> another spin at ex high speed (if you have a speed selector). This would work with a TL, but would be
>> harder to accomplish with an FL.

Good thought - We do have a top loader, and I did try this actually... The problem is that these particular diapers have enough elastics and shaping to them that they won't sit flat or stay flipped if you turn them inside out. Trying to arrange a load of them facing outwards, and getting them to stay, was like playing a game of Chain Reaction. (Remember that one?). Get four of them set, try to add another, and it springs, flipping the ones next to it....

 

[lowefficiency]

>> Trust me putting many small items through a wringer will get old fast. Especially if you're going
>> to be doing it day after day instead of say just one day a week.
>> ...
>> Wringers on average only equal extraction speed of around 250 rpms. For things with seams and
>> or are heavy you're going to have a dripping mess on your hands. A wringer also is pretty useless
>> for extracting more water out of items already spun dry. While OTOH the reverse is true.....

It would be about every other day, with how things are going.
The problem right now is that the spin drying isn't really effective. It helps of course, they aren't sopping wet, but they aren't "spun dry" by a long shot. So the bar to beat for a wringer might be rather low?

On the time/effort commitment, I've never had a wringer... so I trust that your advice is true. But attempting to arrange them and running the machines multiple times isn't effortless either - it doesn't *seem* like wringing them one-at-a-time would be much more time consuming than that........ and it would at least feel like progress if any water was visibly removed......

Spin drying would be the obvious best solution if it worked well. :-/

 

[tomturbomatic]

Maybe you could spin a few items at a time?

This is why many cloth diapers have a separate soaker that slips into a pocket in the outer shell.

 

[ea56]

Do you have a lot of these particular kind of diapers? If not, and I really haven’t a clue what kind of cloth diapers are available now, but perhaps you could try a different type. The ones that my generations Mothers used were just cotton, that were safety pinned on the tot. Then plastic, or as they were called in the 50’s, rubber pants were placed over the diaper to contain any leakage.

This kind of diaper had to be changed more frequently, but they were certainly easier to wash and dry. Also, the thought occurred to me, if you can’t easily remove the rinse water, how can these diapers even be getting thoroughly clean in the wash? The soapy water would need to be able to flush through all the layers of fabric to assure that all traces of urine and fecal matter are removed.

Sometimes the old ways are better. At least old fashioned cloth diapers could be properly sanitized. Mom’s used to rinse out the cloth diapers, then put them in a diaper pail with a disinfectant like Hexol or Lysol, or even Boraxo and water, to hold until wash day. Then they were more easily washed, due to the prolonged soaking.

I did a little searching and found both the old fashioned diapers and diaper pants. Even if you only bought a dozen diapers to start and a couple of pairs of diaper pants, and give them a try, you’d know if this was the way to go, and this probably wouldn't be much more expensive that a large box of Pampers. If you decide you don’t like them they make great cleaning cloths, both for house keeping and car washing.
HTH
Eddie
https://www.target.com/p/gerber-bab...d-birdseye-diaper-white-one-size/-/A-53609183
https://www.amazon.com/Gerber-2-Pac...&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00742VTEI[this post was last edited: 7/19/2019-23:29]

 

[vacbear58]

Laundress is right on target with the suggestion of getting a spin dryer and turning the diapers inside out before spinning. And I would expect you would not actually be washing a full load of diapers, but doing them every couple of days or so. Those wringers you have shown would be worse than useless, that one over the bucket particularly so as it would never be stable - one of you would need to hold the bucket whilst the other wrings. The spin dryer is the way to go, I use one myself when I use my vintage machines, and of course you can use it for spin drying other loads of washing too if in a hurry or looking to reduce your utility costs

 

[launderess]

What many who've never used wringers/mangles don't comprehend is that unless mounted to a stationary (and heavy) object such as a sink or built in tub, wringers become unstable as things are cranked through.

Portable tubs of all sorts depend upon weight of water and or wet items to provide counter balance. Where that is lacking as the wringer is turned it can jerk to an fro with the movements including turning over. The latter is because obviously end with wringer/mangle attached has more weight than tub. Again when filled with water or wet laundry there is a counter balance action going.

There is also fact proper wringing means holding things up as they pass through mangle. This isn't possible if one has to hold tub steady with one hand, and turn crank with other.

If diapers in question were of the old school type, nothing but hemmed lengths of cloth, mangling would be less of an issue. But these modern contraptions have wads of padding and other things. While they do help with some of the drawbacks to old school cloth diapers, it does tend to cause other worries.

Just send the lot out, that's what I say. *LOL*

 

[kate1]

Welcome to the world of cloth diapers! I’m sure right now you feel like you’re in the weeds but I promise it will get better and you will look back with pride knowing you saved a LOT of disposable diapers from ending up in a landfill and saved a good deal of cash too. I take it you’re using all-in-ones? They definitely take longer to dry than any other type of diaper. They also may hold onto stink more, just a heads up (proper laundering will go a long way so don’t get discouraged, a good machine and good quality detergent is definitely a must though). Before getting a mangle and running your lovely diapers through it, consider the potential damage to the elastic and snaps. Most people I knew who used AIOs just dealt with the massively long drying times, others ended up switching to other types of diapers (though having a few AIOs around for babysitters unfamiliar with cloth diapering is wise). If you like the convenience of AIOs, pocket diapers are similar except the absorbent part is removed from the inside and therefore drying time is much reduced. I personally used prefolds and fitteds with a cover over top. I loved that setup because my diapers didn’t take terribly long to dry AND the cover (which was the expensive part of the diaper) could be reused until it got soiled. I also found natural fibers to be more absorbent and came clean easier and didn’t hold stink as much as synthetic materials. The shortest drying time solution is the Uber old fashioned flat diaper, which is a single large piece of cotton (similar to a flour sack towel) that is folded and pinned around baby and then a cover is used over top. These can actually be dried on a rack indoors if needed because they’re so lightweight and simple. With cloth diapers there’s basically a direct correlation between how easy a diaper is to use and how long it takes to dry. Whatever you end up trying, good lick! There’s tons of forums and social media groups for cloth diapers too so don’t be afraid to reach out in those places.

 

[launderess]

Never get tired of watching that video!

Mr. Howe clearly is in over his head, while the older gentleman isn't bothered by things at all. His matter of fact delivery of "all of it" as he tells Mr. Howe entire contents of bin go into that pocket washer speaks of "just get on with it man....". *LOL*