Self-service drycleaning in laundromats in the '70's?

[dnastrau]

I was thinking back about something and was curious if anyone here ever saw this:

I remember back in 1976 or so going into our local laundromat and seeing a row of self-service drycleaning machines. They looked pretty new and were rather expensive to use. They looked pretty much like front load washers with square doors and windows but were built into the wall like the big dryers. I never saw many people use them, but they always intrigued me. The cleaning fluid that they used was probably the same as what they use for regular drycleaning as it smelled the same when they were on. The machines were made by a company called "Hyper" if memory serves - at least that is what it said on the front panel in large letters.

I cannot find any reference to these or the company on the Internet. Was this an idea that just never caught on? I have never seen a laundromat with anything like these since then.

Andrew S.

 

[yogitunes]

the one and only one in our area was a SPEED QUEEN, don't remember the cost, just opened the door once and it had like a vacuum suction sound...never seen it used...people use to just drop off at the counter...what I like was seeing the attendants pull these little hoses with a finger trigger to pretreat the stains before they went into the DC machine, only place I ever seen them do this.

 

[twintubdexter]

Why do I remember all these dumb things?

We had one of those coin-operated Norge Dry Cleaning Villages around the corner. I used to walk by it as a kid and can still remember the smell. There were rumors that people pulled flaming "DO NOT DRY CLEAN" blankets out of the machines creating a regular one-story Towering Inferno. The rumors were probably started by the Economy Cleaners across the street. They had a painted sign on the side of their building of a smiling lady and below her it said "Miss Careful Works Here."

 

[whitekingd]

I do remember the coin-op dry cleaning machines!

I haven't seen one in quite a while, but I do recall hearing they still had a couple working in a neighboring town. I also recall seeing labels on clothing that specified NO coin-op dry cleaning.

 

[sudsman]

Hypur was the filter system they used.

Not the machine mfg. The machines were made by many. Westinghouse, Speed Queen Norge Cook Vic amd Wascomat/Wascoclean all had co op machines in that era. the solvent was "perk' now outlawed in most states. I used it in Drycleaning for many years and it is not as bad as claimed. It was also used in Glamorine Carpet cleaner.

 

[sudsman]

Almost Forgot

Whirlpool made one too. If fact it is the same machine as the washer dryer combo was. That Robert has. Took 45 mins. to produce a load of 10 lbs of Drycleaning. IT also used the Hypur filtering system.

 

[whirlcool]

My mother used to dry clean the living room and dining room drapes in one of those self operated dry cleaning units. The way it worked was you put your drapes in the machine, put in $3.00 and then tell the attendant that you have drapes in machine say #4. Then you leave and come back about 3 hours later only to find your drapes hanging on a hangar, with these paper bands at the top, middle and bottom to keep the folds properly set.
Then you'd take the drapes home and hang them up. The next day you'd remove the paper bands.

I think Perc wasn't so bad on the clothing, but wasn't it eliminated due to environmental reasons?
Glamorine? I haven't even heard of that for years. I never figured out how crystals could clean a carpet...

 

[kenmorelover]

My mother use to do the samething with our drapes, twice a year, spring & fall. Only you had to do it all yourself. I loved that time of year, was always so much fun to sit and watch all of those machines at work.

 

[westie2]

Growin up we had in our small town the Speed Queens 6 in a row. Was like $2.50 for the 10 pounds in the 60's. Loved to visit family in Tulia, Texas, they had the Frigidaire dry cleaners there. These had the jetcone washer type and a large dryer on the left side up above the washer. They did the clean cycle then spun out and an attendant would take the clothes out and place them in the dryer. Was very fun to look at but not up close as attendants would not let you behind the counter to see.

The last I saw and used were at a large laundry on Willimas Blvd. in Kenner, Louisiana they had all front load Wascomats and two Speed Queen do it your self dry clean machines. We moved in 1987 so I know they were used up until then.

 

[hoovermatic]

I remember that here in the UK as a kid. The machines were made by Spencer, as they were in many of the dry cleaning shops. The clothes had that familiar smell of the chemicals they used. I remember my Mum using it once for some suits and the wash 'water' was orange!!!

 

[laundromat]

The Speed Queen dry cleaners were made by Philco Bendix. The FRIGIDAIRES were the only top loading dry cleaners and I think there was at one time a similar prototype that they had to enter the combination washer dryer era but it never jelled.The Fullton laundries in Baltimore did allow you to use the Frigidaire unit yourself and handed the key to open them to you after puttng $8 in the machine.Andrew,the ones you saw built in were the Westinghouse Laundromat dry cleaners.I actualy have the weighing scale from a Frigidaire"Coin Clean"Laundromat from ebay.

 

[sudsman]

Sorry chuck

Spped Queen DID make the drycleaners their selves I had 3 of them in a cleaners here in Ft w. know machines well.They were not bad machines at all. In fact used one with Royaltone in it for cleaning leathers did a beautiful job.