Why Pre WWII period?
Well off top of one's head late 1930's to before war broke out were interesting across many areas of appliances.
Electrification of areas was spreading, thus homes had power to run all sorts of these new mod cons.
As one has stated already laundry was still back breaking work even with semi-automatic washers. More to point power wringers could be dangerous.
Yes, semi automatic washing machines did allow the Missus (or whoever was doing laundry) a bit more freedom from hard work, but she (or he) was still tied to being around washer, shifting water into and out of machine, handling wet laundry, etc.
Fully automatic washing machines were next logical step for consumer market.
This German television commercial for Constructa washer tells tale.
One woman tells and shows her friend how washer is fully automatic; just load wash, shut door, turn on power, choose cycle, and press "start". Oh and of course put detergent/soap in dispenser... Then Madame or Frau in this case was free to go off and do other things. Come back when machine was done to find laundry washed, rinsed, spun dry and ready for ironing or drying (line or machine). This was nearly every housewife's dream.
Much as one likes our Maytag wringer and Hoover TT, wouldn't want to be saddled with either as only option on wash day.
Cleary by sometime in 1930's and certainly into 1940's many minds were thinking alike. One only has to look at patents filed during those decades (and afterwards) for inventions that would become fully automatic washing machines, and or later refinements.
In their own way both Westinghouse and Bendix contributed greatly to demand for fully automatic washing machines post WWII era. Via "Laundromats" (yes, proper noun because of Westinghouse", and Launderettes people not just in USA but Europe, military, etc... got to experience fully automatic washing machines. This helped push demand for domestic machines top or H-axis. People just wanted to be free from hard work that came with wash day, even with semi-automatic washers.
Well off top of one's head late 1930's to before war broke out were interesting across many areas of appliances.
Electrification of areas was spreading, thus homes had power to run all sorts of these new mod cons.
As one has stated already laundry was still back breaking work even with semi-automatic washers. More to point power wringers could be dangerous.
Yes, semi automatic washing machines did allow the Missus (or whoever was doing laundry) a bit more freedom from hard work, but she (or he) was still tied to being around washer, shifting water into and out of machine, handling wet laundry, etc.
Fully automatic washing machines were next logical step for consumer market.
This German television commercial for Constructa washer tells tale.
One woman tells and shows her friend how washer is fully automatic; just load wash, shut door, turn on power, choose cycle, and press "start". Oh and of course put detergent/soap in dispenser... Then Madame or Frau in this case was free to go off and do other things. Come back when machine was done to find laundry washed, rinsed, spun dry and ready for ironing or drying (line or machine). This was nearly every housewife's dream.
Much as one likes our Maytag wringer and Hoover TT, wouldn't want to be saddled with either as only option on wash day.
Cleary by sometime in 1930's and certainly into 1940's many minds were thinking alike. One only has to look at patents filed during those decades (and afterwards) for inventions that would become fully automatic washing machines, and or later refinements.
In their own way both Westinghouse and Bendix contributed greatly to demand for fully automatic washing machines post WWII era. Via "Laundromats" (yes, proper noun because of Westinghouse", and Launderettes people not just in USA but Europe, military, etc... got to experience fully automatic washing machines. This helped push demand for domestic machines top or H-axis. People just wanted to be free from hard work that came with wash day, even with semi-automatic washers.
