The New Speed Queen Set / Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee Apartment Life For Me

[frigilux]

Thanks, Steve, but I think the primo-condition vintage KitchenAids belonging to my neighbor give the SQs a good run for their money. This is as close as I'll ever get to owning vintage laundry equipment, so I'm enjoying it. Dropping little bundles of items around the agitator holds a nostalgia factor for me, as does watching the load roll over after agitation begins. The crowning vintage-era touch is the spin-drain. Pretty rare on a top-loader purchased in 2017.

Water Temperatures: Absolutely perfect in my book!

Hot: 148 degrees
Warm: 110 degrees (same as the 'Medium' temp on the 1960 Kenmore Model 80 I grew up with)
Cool: 90 degrees
Cold: 61 degrees (current tap cold temp)

I assume warm and cool temps will drop when our tap water goes down to near 40 degrees in January.

Bulky cycle worked well on the twin-size comforter. Will wash a queen-size next weekend.

 

[frigilux]

Funny How The Universe Works: After talking about how I rarely entertain or cook much anymore, I've had company for a meal every day since moving to the apartment. And I'm cooking without a range or a dishwasher.

 

[mrsalvo]

I'm very happy for you, and envious on downsizing(!), I'm trying to get there as well. [I've got stuff I have to idea what to do with, among of which is a complete set of American Peoples Encyclopedia of 1956 and yearbooks from 1961 - 1976, and more books and books! I have 3 sets of family china I'll never use. Etc. Etc. Etc.]
But I'm glad you posted the pictures, esp. the one of the common area so others can get a good idea what you were talking about. The upkeep of a home gets to be to much after a certain age. Like I said, Less Is More.

I really like your Speed Queens, I have the 432 model and so far, so good. Really like the fast cycle times on it. Are you going to get covers for them?
Again, very nice.

Barry

 

[foraloysius]

Congratulations on the new machines! Hopefully your kitchen will be complete soon. Microwave cooking can be done. I have a cookbook completely dedicated to microwave cooking. No problem to cook complete meals.

I hope you're feeling at home soon in your apartment.

 

[frigilux]

Louis-- Thanks. I've been adapting recipes to utilize the microwave and so far it's working just like it did back in 1977-81. I already feel quite at home in the apartment. It really isn't bad at all. Trying to break myself of the habit of being up and about in the middle of the night. Neighbors will not appreciate that. I walked across to the park and sat on a bench by the river with a cup of coffee early this morning. It was very peaceful. And I don't have to mow or take care of any of it!

The washer is purring away washing sheets at the moment, with the air pockets sticking up out of the Tide-scented water. I'd forgotten about that tendency with traditional agitator washers. The tub is indexing a fair amount, so that's probably aggravating the issue. Sheets used to wrap themselves tightly around the agitator on my wildly-indexing 2005 Frigidaire top-loader. The first spin should deflate those air pockets for the rinse.

Barry-- DO IT! Downsizing significantly has been the best decision I ever made. I'd accumulated so much 'stuff', most of which was fun to have but saw very little-to-no actual use. Radically scaling back possessions has been a very cleansing, empowering experience. I have what's needed to be comfortable and no more than that. My small apartment is a breeze to keep clean. It's wonderful.

 

[lordkenmore]

Trying to break myself of the habit of being up and about in the middle of the night. Neighbors will not appreciate that.

 

I'm not sure that simply being up and about would necessarily be a problem, as long as one tries to be reasonably quiet. Sitting at a computer browsing AW.org, or reading a book shouldn't be problem. But they might not enjoy listening to you play that baritone you mentioned earlier at 3 AM...

 

Old joke:

 

A couple of drunks stagger into an apartment lived in by one of the two.

 

The second points to a big gong. "What's that?"

 

"My talking clock."

 

"Talking clock?"

 

The first drunk hits the gong hard. From the other side of the wall, comes: "Quit that! It's 2 AM in the morning!"

 

 

 

[mralex]

Nice setup! and welcome to apartment life!

I have a shared laundry room (commercial schulthess washing machine and dryer, £4.50/5.80$ per load) I use the dryer but not the washer since I got a top loader earlier this year for my apartment.. My neighbours used to leave their laundry in them all the time for several hours so it was unpractical for me

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Congrats and welcome to apartment life.

I like the flexibility the SQ offers... Third rinse? Cool!

Microwave cooking: Yeah, you can a lot more than most people use it for. I have an elderly Panasonic that lets you do multiple cook times & power levels back to back. 1 min at 100% power, 2 min @ 90@, 3 @ 80%, etc. is great for frozen foods if you can't stand and watch.

Maybe a counter top dishwasher? Am thinking of getting one for a friend who just moved to an apartment without a d/w.

Jim

 

[frigilux]

Thanks for the comments, everyone! I appreciate it.

Jim-- Hang on to your hat. If you press the 2nd and 3rd rinse pads simultaneously, you get (drum roll, please) FOUR--yes, four--deep rinses. Why on earth anyone would need four rinses is beyond me, but the SQ will do it.

 

[rolls_rapide]

@frigilux

It's amazing the amount of clutter one accumulates over the years, and if you don't use it or need it, the best thing to do is to get rid of it.

@mralex

That's the trouble when things are shared - inconsiderate neighbours.

 

[rolls_rapide]

@frigilux

It's amazing the amount of clutter one accumulates over the years, and if you don't use it or need it, the best thing to do is to get rid of it.

@mralex

That's the trouble when things are shared - inconsiderate neighbours.

 

[mrb627]

Additionally...

If you push Whites and Perm Press at the same time while running, the machine will jump to the end of the existing phase. Aka, timer advance.

Malcolm

 

[frigilux]

Malcolm-- Wow, that's a nice piece of information to have; thanks! Where did you learn about the Whites/Perm Press trick? Accessing a 4th deep rinse was covered in the user guide.

 

[henene4]

One thing you have to give that machine props for forsure:

It's perfect rinsing ability. You can get up to 6 full fills AFAIK. May use 120gal or more, but still, 6 fills!

 

[mrb627]

Information

That information came from a web site in AU that had service manuals posted. Apparently, the FL models can have the Energy Saving logic disabled as well as a max fill override.

Malcolm

 

[frigilux]

120 gallons of water for a load of wash is child's play for a Speed Queen. Add a soak and prewash to that and we're up to 160 gallons. Let that sink in: ONE HUNDRED SIXTY GALLONS OF WATER to wash one load of laundry.

I could wash 13 loads in the Maytag 8100 for that amount of water.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

Whites+ PP trick

Now I have to find out if my FL version does the same thing.
WK78

 

[frigilux]

Nick-- Let us know if it works!

 

[mickeyd]

Give and take or "Bring and Buy," @ Hyacinth's :

The secret to non-bubbling sheets is to load them in the conventional washer style: After machine has filled and agitation begun, feed the sheets one at a time; the currents and the agitator do all the organizing--fun to watch and surprising to see the grand efficiency.

Life moving so fast now, need to speed cook, like potato salad in minutes, cubing baby reds then boiling them in the microwave, (small batch). But what, old chums, is the secret to microwaving our much beloved meatloaf?

Thanks, loved the shot of the sudsy small white load whirling.

 

[frigilux]

<span style="text-decoration: underline;">DAMN GOOD MICROWAVE MEAT LOAF</span>
3/4 cup minced fresh onion
1/3 cup minced green bell pepper

3 tablespoons butter

1 8-oz. can tomato sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2/3 cup crushed saltine crackers

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 pounds 93% lean ground beef

 

1.  Spray an 11" x 7" Pyrex dish (or other 2-quart casserole) with nonstick cooking spray.

 

2.  Put onion, bell pepper and butter in microwaveable bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap; poke three little slits in plastic wrap with tip of sharp knife to vent.  Microwave on high 2-4 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

 

3.  Whisk together tomato sauce, brown sugar and mustard until sugar is dissolved.  Set aside.

 

4.  Combine onion mixture with remaining ingredients, along with half of the tomato sauce mixture.

 

5.  Press meat into prepared Pyrex dish.  Pour remaining sauce over the top.  Cover with plastic wrap and vent.

 

6.  Microwave on high for 12-16 minutes or until center registers 165 degrees.  Remove plastic wrap and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into serving portions.