UK Hotpoint Countess Wringer Washer

[aquarius1984]

Gary wow what a garden, you can come and give mine a going over!

I know someone here would kill for grass like that to run a Qualcast Panther over, or was it a Flymo Mini Mow? lol.

Last picture before it all comes off the line dry and ready to be ironed in less than 8 hours.

3 pots of tea,
1/3 box of Persil HWTT
2 caps of Blue Comfort
2 French Fancies later I give you

20 White cotton dishcloths
4 tea towels
1 hand towel
2 t shirts
1 towelling bathrobe
5 mega sized bath sheets
4 pillowcases
1 kingsize sheet
1 kingsize duvet cover

I defy anyone to wash this in a modern machine, get those results and dry it on the line in that time lol.

 

[keymatic3203]

bosch

Rob, John just left the selector knob on 40 cottons, we actually took the awaiting load out of it to run in the rolls.

Flymo how dare you lol, definatly could see me doing some cornering with the clutch engaged on the panther though, sorry everyone ought to go and find the electric mower forum lol. Glad to see you had such a great day. Whilst Paul and the rest of us went to work and daydreamed of machines instead. lol

 

[rolls_rapide]

Rolls 'Rapide'

It is nice to see the same model of machine my gran had.

Do I remember correctly...was the timer clockwork, i.e. could it count down without power?

I have a distinct memory from long ago, of fiddlin' with the controls when it was stowed away, under the counter-top in my gran's kitchen, and the blessed thing seemed to tick away! I nearly leaped out my skin! Ha ha!

 

[aquarius1984]

Rolls Timer

Callum, FWIR when we in Cardiff in february the Rolls does tick like a bomb lol.

Not sure if you can turn the dial back to zero for it to stop though, Mathew will be able to answer if it does.

Always know when Paul has been playing with the Hoover Matchbox dryer and Mikes Creda Reversomat as the timer has to time elapse despite being reset to zero.

When we first put the matchbox into storage I couldnt resist one last play without thinking that all down the corridor all you could hear was it ticking away.

Both of us panicked but had to leave it.
Spent the next 110 minutes awaiting the phonecall or ultimately being arrested on terrorist suspicions.

 

[aquarius1984]

Gary had a good route through the pc and found this pic,

Sort of completes the wash day LOL.

Cable on the iron has now been sorted though, so naughty using it frayed though.

Would be tempted to use it all the time but its so damned heavy,

 

[mark1973]

What are the vintage Hoover irons like to use?

Always wondered if they are awkward because of their weight?
Whats the steam on them like?

Mark

 

[aquarius1984]

Mark,

good to see your back again,

The Hoover 4004's are bloody heavy but then all irons were back then.

I like the 4004 but its not ideal for modern day fabrics due to it really retaining heat and taking an age to cool down.

Only alternative is to iron starting with a lower heat which im not keen on doing,

I personally prefer to iron using the hottest setting first and switch to lower temperatures as I progress.

Also the soleplate while excellent for cottons and linens does tend to cause synthetics to ruck up a fair bit - its only just copes with mixes.

Prolonged use also hurts ones elbows!

I find the hoover irons run a little hotter than most which possibly explains why its not so good on synthetics and the steam output is not too great either so the weight is a bonus and it does a good job providing you iron one layer at a time and take your time,

Steam levels are what I judge to be around 10g/min.

Ironing cottons and linens are best done damp to say the least!

Rob

 

[aquarius1984]

Hoover 4004

April 1977 or April 1967.

Not sure when this style was out but im guessing its a 77.

 

[aquarius1984]

...

 

[mark1973]

Thanks very much for the information and the pics Rob. I have always wondered what they are like to use.

My gran has an earlier blue one with the larger dial (Well that was the last iron I saw she had). Im hoping to own it one day if she still has it.

I suffer with sore wrists after I have been ironing for a while so the weight of a vintage Hoover one probably would not help them.

Im guessing your would be a 77 due to the famous 70s Hoover Orange colour.

Mark

 

[74simon]

Rinsing in an automatic?

A certain Mr. king is a bad influence! Have to admit, I've always wanted a go on a Countess wringer - us Hoover owners find it a pain we can't swing ours over the sink! I presume you can wring and wash at the same time in the Hottie too, so you can rinse and wring one load when washing the other.

Got to admit though, that wringer scares me, have had a couple of near misses with my fingers, but with a Hoover you can cut the power easily. I hate to sound like someone's mum, but do be careful you two, I think I'd adopt the TV repairman's maxim of working with one hand behind one's back, in case things go wrong! But anyone who has seen me round one of Jack's vacuums with an original flex knows that I worry!

Cracking machine though - have youse been able to put a date on it?

Simon

 

[matchboxpaul]

How do Simon.

Yep - fingers and wringers - a few sharp intakes of breath and it looks like a few close shaves in the vid.

The machine is date code 64, equating it to April 1975. So its only a year and a bit younger than the Liberator 1826!

I think i am right in saying that the Empress and Countess were made until 1979 - a very longlasting design.

cheers
paul

 

[launderess]

Vintage Irons

Were designed for ironing all that dampened cotton and linen laundry,before good steam irons became available. Today due to saftey and other design changes, modern irons simply do not get hot enough to really get up heavy cottons or linen, especially vintage textiles.

Have vintage Proctor, "Mary Proctor", Knapp Monarch and Riemers hand irons, and yes am here to tell you they all can and will badly scorch fabrics, and or cause nasty burns (both on textiles and anything else, including human flesh), if used incorrectly. Indeed one of the reasons modern irons do not reach the same temperatures as of old, is the number of children injured and sometimes badly burned by old very hot irons.

As for starting temperature, good ironing practice dictates one start ironing items requiring lowest heating settings first, them move up to other objects as the iron heats up. This is because irons heat faster than they cool off. Unless one has several irons at the ready, it could be awhile with a vintage iron heated to "cottons" or "heavy cottons/linens" is cool enough for say light cottons or a poly/cotton blend.