old style miele machine

[mielabor]

It seems that there are few people in this forum who know of the use of chlorine bleach in commercial front loaders. This makes me curious: did I happen to witness a rare practice or is it just my advanced age and are other people too young to remember this?

While I am thinking of this, memories return: I can see myself as a small boy waiting for the light to pour the bleach in the washer and then the smell of hot soapy water and chlorine that lingered in that laundromat. And then those large spin driers with their copper drums. The tokens for those were large old British one penny coins!

 

[launderess]

Laundromat front loading machines in the United States have long allowed chlorine bleach, and have little to show in terms of damage besides the dispensers. Mind you those dispensers used to be SS, but now for the most part are plastic. Inner drums from what one could see never suffered much damage, but cannot speak of the outer drums since those are not easily visable. However most all commercial front loaders are easily "rebuilt" with parts designed to be replaced, including rear bearings. So perhaps even if the use or over use of LCB caused damage, those parts that failed were swapped out when the machine was over-hauled.

L.

 

[foraloysius]

Theo,

The Bendix machines in the laundromat you used to visit probably came with instructions to use chlorine bleach for white laundry. The owner of the laundromat just followed those instructions and made it possible to use bleach. Miele commercial machines didn't have such an option AFAIK, at least not the machines that were at the laundromat of my friend's father. I don't think this is a matter of age, just a difference between American and German laundry equipment.

Louis

 

[launderess]

No Suspension

Bolt down washing machines don't need them and for the most part are one of the reasons commercial washers run (again) for ages. Forces generated by the machine are sent down into the concrete and dispersed through the building/floor. Because of this such washers will wash a full "load" and more importantly spin even when unbalanced. Trust me you do not want to be around a washer spinning 35lbs or more of wet laundry with either poor or overwhelmed suspension system.

By and large commercial units are designed under the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)principle when it comes to mechanics. True some may have fancy electronic controls, but the the nuts and bolts of the units are simple and built to last. Contrast this to many of today's domestic front loaders that have hundred of "options" but are built like tin boxes and probably won't give ten years of decent service before being dumped into the rubbish heap.

It is VERY easy to find commercial washing machines 50 or so years old that still are chugging along doing their job.

 

[lederstiefel1]

comments...

Mieleabor:
Yes, as I had written above: in COMMERCIAL machines chlorine bleach is more often used than in household machines. BTW, I'm an alien here in my whole circle of acquaintances as I use chlorine bleach (Dan Chlorix or Eau de Javelle) on bad stains sometimes as frequently as an American, French or Spanish - absolutely uncommon here!
And the washer in a laboratory IS COMMERCIAL, maybe even a very special one with specific cycles/programmes!?

Launderess:
I agree totally with your oppinion and the experiences you made with the commercial machines and the bolt down way of installation!
Bleaching: Even me, I use to bleach sometimes some white articles on the lawn in front of our house when I cannot get them clean or really white again!
Chlorine bleach I use only on stains (table-napkins or cloths I use for cooking purpose/straining, etc.) if they do not wash out at 60°C as I refuse to wash at higher temperatures with modern detergents, or for disinfecting and cleaning purpose in house, kitchen and bath.
And what you said about the washing in the past: the English Royals once used to send their washing to Bonn, south of Cologne, former West-German Capital, where in the town-district of Beuel [speak: boyel] it was washed as it was said that it had the best smell when being washed there! The famous "Beueler Duft" [speak: boyeler dooft = Beueler Smell] was fab in whole Germany until the end of the 19. century!

Foraloysius:
Didn't know that the commercials had bigger drums, Luis! Have learnt something again!
And also have to agree to everything you wrote about these machines - I can only confirm this by my own experience! Bolt down machines usually had not more than 300-400 rpm which was just to extract the main amount of water to avoid dripping and splashing when emptied. It was common to use a seperate spinner with high spin-speed (1400-1600 or even 2000-2800 rpm) before the washing was put into a tumbler, a cabinet-dryer, a coulisse-dryer or onto the line!

Greetings from Germany - Ralf

 

[mielabor]

Ralf,
My question about the use of bleach in this washer was born as I saw on the picture that there were three compartments in the detergent dispenser. Now as far as I can remember we never used fabric softener at that time and therefore I thought that the third compartment could perhaps be used for bleach. That would fit in nicely with my memories. My remark about the laboratory washer was ment to indicate that although Miele discourages the use of bleach in domestic machines it could well be possible that it was done in commercial washers like the one from the link. I am sorry, but I am always curious to know how things work Anyway it is an interesting discussion. Now what is a coulisse-dryer?

 

[lederstiefel1]

mielabor

Hi Theo!
The only thing I remember is, that the machine in our house had only two compartments, so maybe this one's one of the end of this product line? But I never found any machine in Germany with a compartment for bleach in it... Well, that is not correct to say so, but these compartments, if there were, (mostly in foreigen brands like Thompson Brand, or Candy or so) were named for starching (then both, conditioner compartment and the 'bleach compartment', had to be filled with liquid starch) and were emptied in the final rinse. When I stayed in Spain for two years I found out that in the same machine this 'bleach compartment' was emptied during the first rinse, while the conditioner compartment was emptied during the final rinse. So in Germany the same machines are switched differently than in Spain where the use of LEJÍA is common!
I can remember very well the time when conditioner came onto the German market and all the housewives complained that they had always to stay watching their machines for the final rinse to add the conditioner at the right moment! Quickly the industrie added a third compartment to their modells...

Now to your question of the coulisse-dryer!
These were once huge cabinet dryers built into walls as big as a small room. They had large racks, the coulisses, side by side, which could be pulled out seperately like sliding-doors or like books on a shelf, and on which the washing was hanging on bars, in rows one upon the other. Usually they were steam or gas heated and worked by convection; some had a fan for faster air-movement.
You pulled an empty one out, hanged the wet washing flat and neat as possible onto the bars and pushed them back into the cabinet/room. So you filled one rack after the next. After a while you could pull them out again to look if everything was already dry or needed a bit further drying.

Ralf

 

[mielabor]

I can't remember that I have ever seen a coulisse-dryer. I suppose that they were only used in commercial settings?

 

[mielabor]

Another memory emerges! I now remember that the very first washing machine of my mother didn't have a detergent dispenser at all. You had to put the detergent directly into the drum. Most homes at that time were not prepared for all those appliances that were rapidly becoming a common feature towards the end of the 1960's. Our washing machine was placed in the kitchen and my father had drilled a hole through the wall for the drain tube. The tube was hung into the toilet bowl during washing. We always had a clean toilet! After the washing was finished the tube was removed from the bowl and hung over the flush pipe of the toilet. At one time my mother forgot to hang the tube into the bowl and disaster struck... the complete contents of the washing machine was pumped onto the floor and, being of wooden planks, the water seeped down. The bed of our downstairs neigbours was completely soaked!

 

[lederstiefel1]

mielabor

Oh my Gosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a mess! We had that kind of "experience" when that bloody PHILIPPS TL washer had rusted through and all the water ran onto the kitchen-floor while we were sitting on the balcony enjoying a nice cup of vanilla ice-cream with strawberries! When that stupid machine had gone to the crusher we detected that this machine had also ruined the whole kitchen floor underneath, as this machine had no suspension but excentric wheels that stopped the machine from moving arraound the kitchen but always made a tremendeous racket because of the rattling during spinnig. Also it had only 300 rpm! After that desaster my mom got a MATURA COMBO which lasted nearly 19 years! It was one of the best machines I've ever seen!

Coulisse dryers were not only to be found in commercial laundrettes but also in big laundry rooms in appartement buildings. They were quite popular in the time between 1850 until 1950 but got replaced by more modern tumblers. I like these cabinet dryers more as they do not harm the garments at all and have no abbrasion on the washing, too! We have a cabinet dryer in our house which we use in winter time, when it takes too long a time to dry items on the attic.

Ralf

 

[foraloysius]

Theo

You're right, my mother's first washer, a Candy didn't have a detergent dispenser either and neither did my grandmother's Zanussi. What was the brand of your mother's first one?

 

[mielabor]

Louis,
My mother's first washing machine was a Bico. She had bought it from her sister who had won it in a lottery. My aunt didn't want a washing machine, she always boiled her wash and continued to do so for the rest of her life. The Bico was a low quality machine. It only lasted a few years and during that time I have replaced the timer motor once. The window in the door was made of plastic and turned opaque over time. Not all appliances were good quality in those days!

 

[foraloysius]

Theo,

You are so right, my mother's Candy was a nightmare too. She only had it one year. With my brother coming and a washer that needed a repair every other month she decided the Candy was not reliable enough to get her through all the dirty laundry.

 

[lederstiefel1]

my mother's first washer

...was a BAUKNECHT front-loader WA 565 - as far as I remember - with the switches for temperature and cycle at the rear top as well as the detergent compartment... (a real Bauknecht one was that, as nowadays it's only Whirlpool crab!) Bauknecht was well known in the 1950-1970 by the following slogan:
"Bauknecht weiß, was Frauen wünschen!"
[Bauknecht knows, what Ladies wish!]
It lasted a long, long time and had only two detergent compartments for pre-wash and main-wash at the top. I still remember very well the appearing of foam arround the lid of the detergent compartment during every boil-wash and my mother was always standing at the machine, putting salt on top of the suds-cake to make it collapse and disappear. At that time the machines were very often overgoing during boil-washes as the built-in suds-control in the powders wasn't as effective as it is nowadays.
It's capacity was 4,5 kg and made only some 500 rpm when spinning.
This machine was replaced by that bloody Philipps one I have already mentioned further above, which was then followed by the MATURA combo and this is meanwhile replaced by a PRIVILEG/Quelle one - not an outstanding machine, but does it's job quite well. I'd bought a MIELE instead - but my mother refused to do so...

Ralf

 

[mielabor]

My mothers second washer was a Bauknecht. (They used the same slogan in the Netherlands: "Bauknecht weet wat vrouwen wensen"). It lasted ca. 10 years and was followed by a Bosch that lasted for over 20 years. Since May 2007 she has a new Bosch again. The Bauknecht was rather unusual, at least in my experience. It had an inner and outer door like some Asko's today and no rubber sleeve between door and outer drum. Unlike the Asko's, the outer door didn't swing down but turned on the right side (if I remember correctly) like a normal door. The inner door was made of metal and the window was made of plastic and the window had to be replaced once because it had cracked. There was also a clutch mechanism for spinning. I have never seen such a construction in another front loader. The clutch mechanism had to be cleaned frequently as the pads on the friction shoes became oily and the machine wouldn't spin anymore.

Oh dear, oh dear, how far have we drifted away from the original subject. I hope that I will not be excommunicated for this

Still no bids on the Miele though. I do hope that it will get a good home. It deserves it for sure.

 

[lederstiefel1]

mielabor

Hi Theo!

Interesting how close the languages are, isn't it? It works perfectly in Dutch as well with the slogan!

Our Bauknecht had still glass-door with chrome frame. And it had a rubber bellow-seal between tub and cabinet which once broke and leaked - I remember now! - and had to be replaced.

AEG LAVAMAT had the combination with two doors and no rubber sealing in the sixties; my aunt had one.

Our machine did not have any clutch mechanism and worked perfectly for....well, must have been some 12 years or so..!

The bloody Philipps that followed lasted only a few years before it sat the whole kitchen under water.... But have to add that it was already ten years old when we got it from my grandparents, because they moved to an elderly home just when the Bauknecht broke (motor blew up!).

As I have mentioned above: the following FL-washer, a MATURA from Lepper & Co./Ahrweiler, sold by Quelle Warehouse Inc., lasted for more than 18 years and is now replaced by an other Quelle PRIVILEG machine which, I presume, will not last very long - it's all plastic!

Ralf

 

[lederstiefel1]

ooops...tooo fast I was...

Wanted to add somthing concerning the excommunication! Just had a short telephone call with the pope, he says, he's not going to excommunicate you for that reason - yet not enough dirty laundry done for that here, and too much spotless cleaniness here, too! LOLOLOL!!!!!!

With the MIELE you are right to say so - it really deserves a good home!!

Ralf

 

[mielabor]

For most Dutch people German is relatively easy to understand, although some words are totally different or they look the same, but have a different meaning. Personally I have difficulties with all those genders and cases in the German grammar for which there is no Dutch equivalent. That makes writing or speaking German much more difficult than understanding.

About plastic: I have the impression that even Miele is using more plastic parts in their new models. Are the cabinets still porcelain/vitreous enamel?

No excommunication? Ah, what a relief!

 

[lederstiefel1]

First, here is a link to an advert for a MIELE that seems to be the one our neighbour (landlady) had in our basement laundry room: there you can see all the other programmes on a household machine in comparison to the commercial one.

Yue are right, EVEN MIELE (what an affront!!!!) is using more plastic nowadays.... and I'm not sure about the enamel but the dishwasher of my mother (new) is still in enamel... so I hope that is still going strong...??!!

Well, concerning the German language....pooh...not because that I'm German, but I believe that German is my favourite language, followed by English, next is French and Italian than Portuguese, then Spanish. German is really such a beautiful and rich language - I swear on it! But I like English as much as German, too, and eventhough I once spoke much better French (nearly as good as German!) I've always loved English more! German is not as complicate as people say it is just complex, but English isn't less!

Dutch is actually the modern form of the old Middle-German. As you know, I guess, the Netherlands belonged or were a part of Germany until 1648 (was that the correct year?) after the 30-Years-War! You seperated from us and because of the modern High-German we speak nowadays, which was formed by Martin Luther and became more and more common in our region, the two languages drifted apart! But for us here near the Dutch border (Lower Rhine Area, Bergisches Land, Westphalia, etc.), if we speak dialect and I do quite well, Dutch is actually just another "nothern" dialect!

Ralf

 

[askomiele]

Don't forget our Dutch language witch is a mixture of German, French and English...

Yes miele is using slightly more plastic but tub and drum still in stainless steal. The outside is still enamel!!! And good too!!!

Thanks for placing one of my commercials here. This washing machine still impresses me. There where indeed more programs on the machine. This typs was available untill mid 70ties!!!
This is how the control panel looked like back then...