the westinghouse coin drycleaning machines question

[thedrycleaner]

hey washer fellows, I was watching an old video of the westy coin drycleaning machines in a westy laundramat and I beliieve they were dry to dry machines. can anyone tell me what model of washer it was that they used for the drycleaning? it was the type thats a slant front I beleive. thanks Bill

 

[tomturbomatic]

The dry cleaner was basically built on the platform of the washer-dryer combination. The front of the machine cabinet was slanted, but the cylinder inside was not slanted like the tubs of the early Westinghouse washers; the appearance behind the door was more like the Westinghouse dryers. That arrangement was possible because the combo did not have a suspension system like the the clothes washers. The model numbers of the Westinghouse Combination Washer-Dryers were: WD1, WD3 and WD5.

 

[adam-aussie-vac]

So it makes me wonder would it have the same naming code

Such as DC1 short for dry cleaner version one

 

[thedrycleaner]

thanks for the reply

it was great info, thanks so much. I thought that they were dry to dry machines, I am guessing that they had a vent that went outside, what we called in the trade vented dry to dry machines. thanks Bill

 

[tomturbomatic]

The first part of drying was recovering the solvent through a condensing process. It was a low temperature operation because the solvent evaporated at much lower temperatures than water. After the solvent was recovered, the chamber was exhausted to get rid of fumes. Some of the dry cleaners did not adequately remove the fumes. If the items were not thoroughly aired, harmful fumes could remain. There was a story in a summer magazine about a family that took sleeping bags to be dry cleaned and then just packed them for a camping trip without airing them and lost a child to asphyxiation during the night.

There was another problem with the solvent in that it could combine with the air used in the gas dryers when it was being exhausted by the dry cleaner and cause a chemical reaction when it passed through the flame which formed a chemical which ate holes in synthetic fabrics.

 

[launderess]

Those coin-operated dry cleaning plants seemed to cause no end of trouble, either at once or found out later.

First would be deaths, latter was locations and or those adjacent ended up with contaminated soil/ground water.

Then came facts as with coin-operated washing machines and dryers who is liable for damage when customers used self-serve dry cleaning.

Laundromats long have clearly stated machines were used at customer's own risk.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8618253/

https://law.justia.com/cases/pennsylvania/supreme-court/1970/437-pa-303-0.html

https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-10/documents/c4s01.pdf

https://www.coinwash.com/mb/archive/index.php/t-7339.html



As with so many other areas America back in 1950's or 1960's was just a different sort of place. Offering self-serve dry cleaning seemed so logical and natural and of course there was money to be made. What possibly could go wrong?

Indeed by early 1960's coin-op dry cleaning was seen as the greatest thing since sliced bread with money pouring in from investors. It all was destined to end in tears, which it did to some extent.

https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,830089,00.html

https://books.google.com/books?id=_...stinghouse Coin Operated Dry Cleaners&f=false

Westinghouse Dry Cleaner - The first nice laundromat.

Our 1962 bureau sends us this otherwise boring Westinghouse ad featuring a really cool laundromat scene with a Jackie O simulant dry cle...

phil-are-go.blogspot.com

 

[circlew]

The Westinghouse Laundromat equipped coin laundry a couple blocks away had dry cleaning machines for several years. However, they were operated by the attendant - not the customer. This was from the mid 60's to sometime in the 70's. The machines didn't look anything like the washers, but rather like the commercial dryers. That laundry got really ratty, and closed about 15 years ago. I think the building is used for storage now.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

dry cleaning machine

I have never seen a dry cleaning machine in my life. I've always wondered how they worked.

 

[askolover]

I remember seeing DC machines at the Soap Opry washateria in St. Joseph, TN when I. Was little but I never got to check them out.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Here you are, Dry Cleaner, the WH model number:

From the Law Justicia citation from Launderess: "Plaintiff as buyer entered into a written sales agreement with ALD as seller, dated November 27, 1961, for the purchase of a store remodeled by ALD for the operation of a coin-operated dry cleaning business in which were installed four model DC-20B Twin Westinghouse Coin-operated Dry Cleaners, which had been modified from Model DC-20A"

 

[tomturbomatic]

Tom, All of them that I saw were operated by an attendant, too. They pretreated stains with little squeeze bottles (like ketchup bottles) of water for most stains since the Perc was extremely thirsty and the water added to moistened stains caused the moist stains to be pulled out of the fabrics. I have wondered about the health effects of the Perc exposure on those poor women since many of them smoked, too.

The Frigidaire dry cleaners were in a booth with the "washer" on the right side. It had a locking lid with a round window. To the left and just above the washer top was the opening of the "dryer," also locked. When either door was opened, an exhaust fan started and air was drawn up through the egg crate ceiling with fluorescent lighting above it. The pulsator was the Bakelite one used in the early Pulsamatic machines. The tub was porcelain, BUT one section between the vertical ribs had a fine screen through which the solvent flowed. The dryer operated at 70F. Behind the smart looking booth with the machines was the big filtering equipment. Out front next to the dry cleaners were the "Mr. Steam" steam finishing cabinets that removed wrinkles, especially from large items.

 

[launderess]

"I have wondered about the health effects of the Perc exposure on those poor women since many of them smoked, too."

No need to wonder; answer is in short, bad.

https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/crnr/pceurf090816.pdf

https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/PHS/PHS.as... may harm the,getting certain types of cancer.

https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/oee/docs/perc_facts.pdf

https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3253.pdf

One off or infrequent exposure to PERC may not be so bad health wise, but constant chronic exposure by various means would be another.

 

[stan]

I’ve never seen a coin op dry cleaning machine

I entered the dry cleaning industry at a time here in Calif when the state required a licensed operator to be on premises during times cleaning machine was operating.
In order to obtain a license there was a written and practical exam conducted. During part of practical part of the exam, and without being told, applicant was given a basket of various 12 inch sample fabrics. Applicant was required to stand at a spotting board..basket of 12 inch squares of different types of fabrics with various stains. Applicant was to identify fabric visually and by feel as well as identify stain..and remove stains there on the board in front of examiner. When finished, sample fabrics needed to be stain free, dry, with no ring. This goal was achieved by use of assorted chemicals at the board and with use of steam and air gun, spotting bone, spotting brush ect. Suction device built into spotting board could also be used.
I’m not sure what year the licensing for this was abolished. After abolishment. anyone trained by someone or by the manufacturer could operate machines.
Dry cleaning machine have evolved over the years.
When I started, it was common to have what was referred to as vented “transfer units” meaning two machines. The cleaning machine itself and the reclaimer (dryer) both vented outside.
Old or new cleaning machines operate by way of having two tanks containing the perc. The working tank was what we called “charged” meaning a percent of detergent and sizing was added.
While in operation a pump ran during operation which pumped solvent from the working tank into the basket/drum also through a set of filters. When cycle was completed, machine spins and pumps solvent back into working tank.
At that point with a transfer unit, clothes were taken out by hand and placed into reclaimer. (Dyer) Of if a dry to dry…machine automatically would go in to a drying cycle. During the drying cycle the solvent remaining in fabrics is heated with hot air and vapor turns back into a liquid which is caught and piped back into the machines 2nd tank, as it’s now pure and free of a charge.
During the day, tank levels were checked as sone solvent from tank 2 may need to be pumped back into the working tank and re charged.
Towards the end of my time in the profession I was working with a dry to dry unit that was not vented.
We were required to keep a log of how many pounds of clothes cleaned each day. And those numbers could be checked against the amount perc we purchased. A excess pec purchase could send up a red flag that there was insufficient extraction or a leak.
Knowing what I know about the process, I can’t imagine an untrained person fooling with a coin up dry cleaning machine. Formula for disaster. IMHO
On a comical note.. the inspectors would come by from time to time to check on things and they’d end up pulling up a chair and smoking cigarettes with us!
No one thought a thing about it.

 

[thedrycleaner]

so much great info!!!

I am so happy to have all this cool info. is it at all posible that there could be one of these machines someplace? also stan, its so great to see you write in. like me you were a dry cleaner and know that " what people dont know about drycleaning can hurt you a whole bunch" I am a licensed perc cleaner as well although I have used both solvents. thanks Bill

 

[Unimatic1140]

Here is the only photo I have ever found of the Frigidaire Rapid-Dry Cleaner. I have to wonder what happened if the load was unbalanced during spin start up and tripped the unbalanced switch. Did the operator have to re-arrange the clothes dripping with Perc? You can't possible have a Unimatic without an unbalance shut-off switch. Look at all of the indicator lights on the control I wonder what they all signaled?

 

[turbokinetic]

Hi Stan. Thanks for the info and discussion of how it was operating a dry cleaner back in the day. Fascinating stuff!

 

[syndets2000]

Mom used drycleaning machines at a laundromat located just outside old Town Rockville MD, back in 62-65. I think these may have been Philco machines, or maybe Dexter. There was a timer/ cycle indicator above the coin slot I think, and the machines were all turquoise color. The first thing I noticed was the water was always brown, and wouldn't form suds. ( I was probably 8 years old.. ) Before loading the machines, an old woman applied pretreatment to whatever needed it. There were a couple rows of Maytag top loaders, and a couple more rows of front loaders. The dryer wall was on one side, the drycleaner wall was on the other.

 

[stan]

Solvent

should never look brown!
That means solvent is dirty or filters are full. And existing solvent needs to be filtered or cooked off.
Cooking off solvent (perc) is a process, and depending on the set up is somewhat dangerous as heated perc can become a poisonous gas. It’s bad enough to breath fumes from it when cold, but heated..now you’ve got possible trouble.
Normally a machine will run on a set of filters while previous filters drain into a still. When every drop of solvent can possibly be drained from old filters into still (cooker) a hatch is opened and filters were taken out & set into metal drums with lids for a safety clean company to pick up.
The collected solvent in still is then distilled and distilled solvent drips into tank 2. That clean pure tank I mentioned above.
Looking at the coin op machine above..my guess is that it has a very small single tank with one cartridge filter or maybe no filter? If no filter.. It’s possible that someone that serviced the machine came by and threw some filter powder (diatomaceous earth) to clear solvent for another few runs if machine didn’t have a cartridge type filter system.
I wonder who kept the solvent up and charged with these coin op things? And who stopped some idiot from putting wet jeans in there!!
Bill will remember filter powder.
Machines without filters were normally prepared at the end of the day to be ready for the following days work. This was done with using the above mentioned products and by adding pure solvent if necessary. And of coarse charging it.
Since these machines did not have filters..the days cleaning started with all whites and lights, then medium colors, darks, and lastly reds.
After that you needed to be done with that days work and the process of clearing had to be repeated.
You could only go so long with all that until you had to take a day to cook off all solvent. After still was cool enough..still had to be scraped out and waste put into drums for a waste co to pick up.
Writing all this conjured all kinds of memory’s

 

[Unimatic1140]

I found what appears to be a patent by GM for the Frigidaire Dry Cleaner, it does in fact have a filter and a cooling system to keep the solvent cool. It also appears to sense to the amount of water humidity/moisture within the solvent and if it is too low it appears to add a small amount of water to solution to aid in cleaning.

The fluid circulation system operates as follows. The pump 58 draws dry cleaning fluid or solvent from sump 52 through the dip tube 60. This dry cleaning fluid, cleaned of large objects by the trap 86 is forced through the conduit 64 to the filter 62 which is effective to remove small solids solubles and any loose carbon particles from the dry cleaning fluid. After an initial period in which the two-position valve 78 returns the Solvent to the Sump, the valve is actuated to discharge the Solvent from the filter byway of the conduit 76 and its end nozzle 80 into the spin tub 34. When the level of dry cleaning fluid within the tub reaches the outflow ports 35 the dry cleaning fluid will continue to overflow into the solvent container 30 and will return by gravity through the conduit 84 to the sump 52. For additional details on the replace able cartridge type of dry cleaning system reference may be had to the now Patent No.3,110,170, and to the other applications referred to therein and assigned to the Same assignee.

In the aforegoing equipment a cleaning solution of perchloroethylene and detergent will remove or dissolve most of the soil from the garments being cleaned and water soluble spots not removable in dry cleaning solvent alone can often be removed by spotting with water prior to dry cleaning. Such pre-spotting requires a certain amount of skill and extra time on the part of the attendant. Thus it appears that the presence of water in a dry cleaning solution is helpful in the removal of water soluble spots and it is known that even an increase in detergent concentration does not sufficiently increase the system's potential for spot removal unless accompanied by an increase in the relative humidity (R.H.) of the solvent, i.e. the water content of the cleaning solution. More over carbon soil removal will also increase slightly with the solvent solution at a higher R.H. and linting on the clothes will be reduced.

On the other hand an excess of water in the dry cleaning solution has some disastrous side effects such as severe wrinkling of the garments being cleaned shrink age and higher re-deposition of soil or graying of the garments.

The foregoing suggests that the proportion of water to solvent maintained in the dry cleaning system is critical and it is to improved apparatus for sensing and controlling this proportion that this invention is directed. [this post was last edited: 7/23/2023-01:03]

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/7c/9e/f7/e70d286fd9b004/US3203209.pdf