Mama's washer

[paulwash]

Looking at old sears Kenmore washers I stumbled across this one that is just like the one my grandmother gave to my mother in 1981. My grandmother gave it to my mom because it would not fit in her basement door to her new house. My grandmother used this for a family of five kids 1963 -1981 so after 18 years she gave it to mom. So my dad moved it to our house two and a half stories down to our basement. My moms washer was on EVERYDAY and had the woo woo woo woo sound but also had the filter light on it to. She started to have problems with it going off balance and making the loud buzzing noise you could hear it all the way upstairs. I hated going in he basement to stop it and rearrange the clothes because my basement was scary and so was the noise not to mention the neighbors had a speed queen on the other side of the basement clunking away and switching gears along with a fedders norge dryer loud loud basement. Mom also has to go in the back of the washer and move the belt around so it would kick in to wash.. dad had it fixed one time but then it went on us and she had to go to the laundromat so I could listen to those speed queens clink and clunk either way those clothes were on that clothesline everyday stiff school uniforms washed in Rinso detergent! Love you Ma! Look how clean my shirt is !! eventually she got a 1983 White westinghouse for $200.00 that only lasted her 4 years then she found a 1964 RCA whirlpool that lasted 10 years from a yard sale $25.00 only filled to one level then to a 1978 speed queen was given to her all of 9 months that lasted. then 1969 ge filter flo 2 years out of that then to a 1991 norge lasted 7 years finally she got a 1997 whirlpool which is still running. I used them all too! [this post was last edited: 8/16/2014-21:58]

 

[a440]

Great Washer and Pictures!
My Grandmother actually had this W/D set.
I actually don't know how long she had it. I do know it was replaced with a Montgomery Wards Signature Set. I also liked the Signature set. The dryer was Gas. I remember thinking the dryer was so cool because it did not have an "in shot" burner like all of the other gas dryers I had seen thus far. Instead it had a flat cast iron burner. The color of the Signature set was Avocado. (or whatever color they called their green)

 

[oldskool]

Something....

....so cool about laundry blowing in the wind on a clothes line.  I love it.  Great pics

 

[wayupnorth]

Growing up, my best friends family had the same washer until it died and was replaced with a new Maytag with a center dial. I always loved the Wash and Wear cycle, like were you supposed to take out wet clothes and wear them? I'll still hang them on the clothesline on a good day as long as I can before that dreaded winter comes.

 

[hippiedoll]

awwww....

i LOVED reading your story & the history of your mom's washers she had. and that beautiful picture of you & your mom. it made me smile......

thank you for sharing the story & the pictures.

)

 

[gansky1]

Great story and skip down memory lane! That's the same KM 600 washer Cher used in the movie "Mask".

 

[sambootoo]

That was my mama's washer, too! It replaced a cir. 1957 Kenmore Cycla Fabric (sp?) washer, mom's very first automatic. That Kenmore 600 was bought the year I was in 2nd grade and was used until 1976--about 10 years. Probably could have been fixed then but was starting to rust pretty bad from the damp basement and Alabama humidity.