In the 1948 movie Apartment for Peggy, there is a scene where young women are loading Bendix washers in a washeteria. I noticed that they rolled each shirt, starting with the collar and with the sleeves tucked inside before loading it into the washer. I don't remember even seeing that loading instruction in the owner's manual. It probably reduced tangling, but I wonder who came up with that for the movie.
Loading a Bendix
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What a great scene, looks like a Quonset hut laundry - on a military base? I've never seen the movie, nor the rolling of clothes before loading.
Over the years since their invention
Various techniques, tips, or whatever were invented to deal with loading H-Axis washers and to avoid the tangled mass of laundry that often results.
If you watch the film "Peggy" is pretty much rolling all her laundry into some sort of bundle before placing it into the washer. Can only guess the purpose is that by starting out in a bundle things won't tangle at once, especially if the machine is fully loaded.
A poster mentioned in another thread that when loading bed sheets into large commercial front loader as part of his job he basically bundled sheets up into a sort of "ball". IIRC the thread was about tangling up of bed linen during washing.
Since this Bendix washer lacked reverse tumbling perhaps it was yet another housewife trick to avoid the dreaded "rope making".
The actress wouldn't have done this on her own unless either directed or otherwise knew how to load a washing machine I shouldn't think.
Various techniques, tips, or whatever were invented to deal with loading H-Axis washers and to avoid the tangled mass of laundry that often results.
If you watch the film "Peggy" is pretty much rolling all her laundry into some sort of bundle before placing it into the washer. Can only guess the purpose is that by starting out in a bundle things won't tangle at once, especially if the machine is fully loaded.
A poster mentioned in another thread that when loading bed sheets into large commercial front loader as part of his job he basically bundled sheets up into a sort of "ball". IIRC the thread was about tangling up of bed linen during washing.
Since this Bendix washer lacked reverse tumbling perhaps it was yet another housewife trick to avoid the dreaded "rope making".
The actress wouldn't have done this on her own unless either directed or otherwise knew how to load a washing machine I shouldn't think.
I remember a friend's mother who had a 57 Frigidaire washer rolling sheets like that before loading them. I did that with my sheets when I had the Frigidaires, but I never remember seeing it in the loading instructions.
It was to avoid this tangling that pocket washer drums were invented where the drum was divided into two or three sections so that the circular motion that produces tangling was interrupted.
Greg, Thanks for the picture. It was on a college campus full of GIs after the war.
It was to avoid this tangling that pocket washer drums were invented where the drum was divided into two or three sections so that the circular motion that produces tangling was interrupted.
Greg, Thanks for the picture. It was on a college campus full of GIs after the war.
Peggy was enterprising, she took the elderly professor's laundry to the "mat" with her. I must admit she made me a tad nervous building the mantles with bricks so her electric heaters would resemble fireplaces. "Peggy" and husband lived in a tiny travel trailer prior to moving to the professor's attic. The central theme was the post war housing shortage, in a university town. A
How much was the cost to run the Bendix? I think she mentioned a dime. A
How much was the cost to run the Bendix? I think she mentioned a dime. A
frigidaireguy
Well-known member
My Grandmother had a Bendix Standard
She would take the sheets and grab them in the middle and load them like that - Don't know whether she got that idea from reading the manual or just her way.
BTW - That Bendix was my main introduction to washing machine love. I remember being just a little tot and sitting in front of that machine and watching it run.
The rest is history as they say.
Bob
She would take the sheets and grab them in the middle and load them like that - Don't know whether she got that idea from reading the manual or just her way.
BTW - That Bendix was my main introduction to washing machine love. I remember being just a little tot and sitting in front of that machine and watching it run.
The rest is history as they say.
Bob
gyromatic
Well-known member
Loading a Bendix
I have never had a problem with clothes tangling or roping up ever in any of my Bendix machines.Machine years range from 1939 to 66.I just throw them in any way.It really would not matter if you balled them up or rolled them up.They would all end up the same way anyway.This would seem to be a waste of time.I do not even recall any instructions in any of my Bendix user guides on how to reshape the clothing when loading the cylinder.As far as major twisting , balling and tangling of clothes,My nightmare machine was a 1950 with a tilted tub.Every time I did sheets or dress shirts or towels,I had to untwist most of the load.Sometimes things got twisted so tight it took a while to get every thing apart.This machine in my opinion was the machine that gave front loaders a bad name.Years ago when mentioning a front loaded to people many said they would not want one because they heard that they tangle your clothes.You know how the public can be, they believe everything they hear.This goes for everything.And is not an accurate statement at all.Needless to say I let that machine go.Too bad because the slant fronts were really nice looking machines.
I have never had a problem with clothes tangling or roping up ever in any of my Bendix machines.Machine years range from 1939 to 66.I just throw them in any way.It really would not matter if you balled them up or rolled them up.They would all end up the same way anyway.This would seem to be a waste of time.I do not even recall any instructions in any of my Bendix user guides on how to reshape the clothing when loading the cylinder.As far as major twisting , balling and tangling of clothes,My nightmare machine was a 1950 with a tilted tub.Every time I did sheets or dress shirts or towels,I had to untwist most of the load.Sometimes things got twisted so tight it took a while to get every thing apart.This machine in my opinion was the machine that gave front loaders a bad name.Years ago when mentioning a front loaded to people many said they would not want one because they heard that they tangle your clothes.You know how the public can be, they believe everything they hear.This goes for everything.And is not an accurate statement at all.Needless to say I let that machine go.Too bad because the slant fronts were really nice looking machines.
easyspindry
Well-known member
I have never had a problem . . .
. . . with clothes getting tangled or "roping" in my Bendix. Doesn't matter how I load them.
However, the Westinghouse Slant Front was another story. And it's the "slant" that causes the problem. If you watch the clothes in a Slant Front, they revolve with the tub as it turns, but the "slant" causes them to turn right to left as they hit the bottom of the slanted tub. There's where the tangling comes in. The clothes come out in ropes.
They were good, quiet machines. But you had to make time to "unwind" the clothes before hanging them out or putting them in the dryer.
Jerry Gay
. . . with clothes getting tangled or "roping" in my Bendix. Doesn't matter how I load them.
However, the Westinghouse Slant Front was another story. And it's the "slant" that causes the problem. If you watch the clothes in a Slant Front, they revolve with the tub as it turns, but the "slant" causes them to turn right to left as they hit the bottom of the slanted tub. There's where the tangling comes in. The clothes come out in ropes.
They were good, quiet machines. But you had to make time to "unwind" the clothes before hanging them out or putting them in the dryer.
Jerry Gay
gyromatic
Well-known member
Well Said
Jerry, you hit the nail on the head.
Jerry, you hit the nail on the head.
Somewhere have saved a copy of a Bendix washer manual
It clearly stated for bed sheets one was to pick up in center, shake out any air pockets, then fold over arm midway between point and ends. One then placed the folded sheet into washer with fold facing to left, and points/ends to right.
Am going to give this a try next linens laundry day for giggles.
It clearly stated for bed sheets one was to pick up in center, shake out any air pockets, then fold over arm midway between point and ends. One then placed the folded sheet into washer with fold facing to left, and points/ends to right.
Am going to give this a try next linens laundry day for giggles.
The loading instructions for large sheets in our LTF590 flat front Westinghouse FL with the side-swing door were similar. "Grasp in center; hold up, letting corners fall. Place in Washer, center first, corners last." [this post was last edited: 3/16/2016-11:11]
Method behind the madness
Can only assume is to somehow slow down the tangling and or rope making by keeping things from balling up at once.
Can only assume is to somehow slow down the tangling and or rope making by keeping things from balling up at once.
The non-slanted Westinghouse tub with the two baffles that were not directly across from each other and with tumble action provided by the the potato-shaped pulley did not tangle badly at all, unlike the slanted tub with three vanes.
The Best Way...
to load any front loader is to use the method employed as if it where a top loading horizontal drum machine - ie. in layers on top of each other,
never fails especially with large bedding and sheets...
to load any front loader is to use the method employed as if it where a top loading horizontal drum machine - ie. in layers on top of each other,
never fails especially with large bedding and sheets...
I will try that the next time I wash bath sheets, I currently have a complicated way of loading them into the SQ fl that usually guarantees that they will distribute for the spins.
Those are very attractive sheets. Is that one of the machines with no suspension that Panthera told us would jump around the room in spin?
Those are very attractive sheets. Is that one of the machines with no suspension that Panthera told us would jump around the room in spin?
