philr
Well-known member
What is this? It looks a bit small to be really useful![this post was last edited: 12/29/2011-16:45]
Wagner portable clothes dryer?
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Dainty Dryer
Sunbeam amoung other brands sold them IIRC from about the 1950's or so until the 1970's (or so).
Some doubled as hair dryers but the main purpose was for drying hand washables such as ladies intimate apparel, hosiery, perhaps baby's things etc.
Sunbeam amoung other brands sold them IIRC from about the 1950's or so until the 1970's (or so).
Some doubled as hair dryers but the main purpose was for drying hand washables such as ladies intimate apparel, hosiery, perhaps baby's things etc.
They worked fairly well........
considering that they were about 1,500 watts- element and motor.
A cousin of mine had one, and I was interested in it, but it's nothing I would be interested in now.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
considering that they were about 1,500 watts- element and motor.
A cousin of mine had one, and I was interested in it, but it's nothing I would be interested in now.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
kenmoreguy89
Well-known member
They're using to sell this kind of portable tiny dryers now in Italy I see them in many chinese bazaar and as expected everyone who looks at them laughs, they can dry a load of max 2 kg if I remeber well, as someone here say to do not seeing the utility I will totally join his idea, it may find use in an emergency situation maybe on camping or travelling in camper if you finished your clean T-shirts and need one very very quickly, but how worth could be to waste precious space wich is never enough in a camper just for this thing? I guess that you can dry just 1 pair of jeans , if I were in an hotel or on travel I'd rather carry a portable washer as not every place haves a bathtub, and then even if were I'd hang clothes on a chair or closet rack....I'd not ever bring and carry that thing just to dry those 2 little things can fit, nor if i were at college or another similar situation (and BTW almost every college have a laundromat inside) it's too small to be taken seroiusly.....just for those little thing you could rather hang everywhere.... how worth could be having to carry this thing and use space for it? Just my thoughts....here are also pretty expensive!
portable dryer
I own one of these dryers I wash and dry like kitchen wash cloths and drying towels and it works very well bought it on E-bay.
I own one of these dryers I wash and dry like kitchen wash cloths and drying towels and it works very well bought it on E-bay.
here's more
more pics and info
more pics and info
SUNBEAM PORTABLE DRYER
I have the same one with the Sunbeam name on it. It is really TINY I am guessing maybe 1/4 pound capacity at best, you couldn't even put a pair of shorts in it let alone a pair of jeans. For the small amount of clothes that it will dry it would use a lot of electricity when you consider that you could run a full sized gas dryer for about the same cost as running this dryer and actually dry 15 pounds of laundry.
I have the same one with the Sunbeam name on it. It is really TINY I am guessing maybe 1/4 pound capacity at best, you couldn't even put a pair of shorts in it let alone a pair of jeans. For the small amount of clothes that it will dry it would use a lot of electricity when you consider that you could run a full sized gas dryer for about the same cost as running this dryer and actually dry 15 pounds of laundry.
Well, you probably wouldn't want to put sheer things like nylons in a full size dryer and those fabrics do not hold a whole lot of water. You can't really wring sheer things so they have to be rolled in a towel before hanging or drying in this little thing and that removes a lot of water also so this probably would not take a lot of time or current to dry a pair of Mojuds, a brand of hoisery that I think I remember Bob Bailey awarding to all contestants on Queen For A Day.
kenmoreguy89
Well-known member
Sheer things and kitchen towels
Sheer things:
I do put sheer things in full size dryers, why not then?
Such pantyhose etc, my granma too....we wash and dry them when I do permanent press wash.
Kitchen cloths:
That's unusual.......
I think it is obviously more convenient for me to hang them on a chair or oven handle or their hook to the wall when I finished to use them and are wet,the next morning are dry, and of course when they're dirt I put them with the rest of laundry, so weird? ...why wash and dry them separately then?
Sheer things:
I do put sheer things in full size dryers, why not then?
Such pantyhose etc, my granma too....we wash and dry them when I do permanent press wash.
Kitchen cloths:
That's unusual.......
I think it is obviously more convenient for me to hang them on a chair or oven handle or their hook to the wall when I finished to use them and are wet,the next morning are dry, and of course when they're dirt I put them with the rest of laundry, so weird? ...why wash and dry them separately then?
I have Sunbeam version
I bought the Sunbeam version new-in-box for peanuts at an estate sale.
Fun to play with. It's only merit in my world is for drying crocheted doilies.
I bought the Sunbeam version new-in-box for peanuts at an estate sale.
Fun to play with. It's only merit in my world is for drying crocheted doilies.
I have Sunbeam version
I bought the Sunbeam version new-in-box for peanuts at an estate sale.
Fun to play with. It's only merit in my world is for drying crocheted doilies.
I bought the Sunbeam version new-in-box for peanuts at an estate sale.
Fun to play with. It's only merit in my world is for drying crocheted doilies.
@Kenmoreguy
Post WWII with the United States in full prosperity boom and manufacturers turning out home gadgets by the ton, things people didn't know they needed *yet* but advertisers would soon find a way to fix that small problem.
For generations nice girls and women of great virtue (along with every other female in between, *LOL*) were taught to launder their intimate apparel by hand and allow them to drip dry. This went on even after automatic washing machines became pretty much common in all homes.
The result of all this hand washing was that in almost every bathroom with females in the household one could find various undergarmets dripping dry nightly. If you watch any American movie or televison show right through the 1970's you'll see this.
Even though washing machines had become common dryers weren't something all homes had nor wanted. So what was a girl to do? Why pick up a handy-dandy Sunbeam or what ever "portable" dryer. Volia, problem solved.
Post WWII with the United States in full prosperity boom and manufacturers turning out home gadgets by the ton, things people didn't know they needed *yet* but advertisers would soon find a way to fix that small problem.
For generations nice girls and women of great virtue (along with every other female in between, *LOL*) were taught to launder their intimate apparel by hand and allow them to drip dry. This went on even after automatic washing machines became pretty much common in all homes.
The result of all this hand washing was that in almost every bathroom with females in the household one could find various undergarmets dripping dry nightly. If you watch any American movie or televison show right through the 1970's you'll see this.
Even though washing machines had become common dryers weren't something all homes had nor wanted. So what was a girl to do? Why pick up a handy-dandy Sunbeam or what ever "portable" dryer. Volia, problem solved.
Solar Clothes Dryer
This reminded me of my friend's mother. She lived in Palm Springs California. The wind is always blowing, one direction or another. She would wash all of her clothes first, then put them in a cart and wheeled them out the back door. Her house was built in the mid 1950s, but she did not have a dryer. She had a huge clothes line that covered the rear yard. She would start at one corner hanging up clothes. When she had hung up all of the clothes, she would return to the starting point and remove them. Due to the high temperature, low humidity, and wind, the clothes were dry in about 20 minutes. They were not stiff either, the wind whipped them around so much that they were soft, like they had been tumble dried. It appeared that her neighbors did the same thing.
This reminded me of my friend's mother. She lived in Palm Springs California. The wind is always blowing, one direction or another. She would wash all of her clothes first, then put them in a cart and wheeled them out the back door. Her house was built in the mid 1950s, but she did not have a dryer. She had a huge clothes line that covered the rear yard. She would start at one corner hanging up clothes. When she had hung up all of the clothes, she would return to the starting point and remove them. Due to the high temperature, low humidity, and wind, the clothes were dry in about 20 minutes. They were not stiff either, the wind whipped them around so much that they were soft, like they had been tumble dried. It appeared that her neighbors did the same thing.
kenmoreguy89
Well-known member
@Laundress
Yes I know it, and just for the record is the same what used to happened in Europe and Italy as well during 60s and 70s post WWII, nothing so strange.....
But fortunately the God or whoever gave me a brain, I usually think on the things before acting, I think on the things that I need and I do not need, If I find a thing is unuseful for me, is unuseful and stop no advertisement can make me change idea! So I'm still thinking that buying owning and running this kind of thing just for those few little garments that a lady or anyone else would easily dry hanged over a line in the bathtub or on a rack in the laundry room, is pretty strange and unuseful! I'm still not seeing the utility to own and run things like that, so your explanation didn't solved the "problem", that problem is not anyway, I was just commenting random expressing my opinion about this thing, I've already understand that it was one of those unuseful things for wich advertisers etc hipnotyze simpletons people etc, today is not changed that much anyway, just look at any home improvement magazine and you'll see with your eyes....... I bet they probably were selling this dryer even on teleshopping also etc.....
The scary things is that if they sell things like this is because someone really buy them!
Yes I know it, and just for the record is the same what used to happened in Europe and Italy as well during 60s and 70s post WWII, nothing so strange.....
But fortunately the God or whoever gave me a brain, I usually think on the things before acting, I think on the things that I need and I do not need, If I find a thing is unuseful for me, is unuseful and stop no advertisement can make me change idea! So I'm still thinking that buying owning and running this kind of thing just for those few little garments that a lady or anyone else would easily dry hanged over a line in the bathtub or on a rack in the laundry room, is pretty strange and unuseful! I'm still not seeing the utility to own and run things like that, so your explanation didn't solved the "problem", that problem is not anyway, I was just commenting random expressing my opinion about this thing, I've already understand that it was one of those unuseful things for wich advertisers etc hipnotyze simpletons people etc, today is not changed that much anyway, just look at any home improvement magazine and you'll see with your eyes....... I bet they probably were selling this dryer even on teleshopping also etc.....
The scary things is that if they sell things like this is because someone really buy them!
Let Me Be More Clear
While an all female establishment may not have minded ladies undergarments and hoisery dripping all over the place, many husbands and other male members of a mixed household weren't thrilled with having to walk through a jungle of stockings, bras and whatever to take a shower, bath or otherwise use the WC.
The other thing to stress is the vast post war wealth in the United States that people purchased things that may not have made sense elsewhere but because it fit a need and or want, and they had the funds....
Americans then and still are often a rather impatient lot. For a woman to leave her danties drip drying it requires thought to wash them out the night before. If one has a date or something and is out of undies or stockings such a dryer allowed you handwash a few things and have them dried quickly.
Again you also must consider the heyday (if there was one) for such small dryers. Often these things were sold to college "co-eds" young "career girls" or some such. In many of those cases these girls were living in small apartments, dorm rooms, etc many without full laundry rooms. Even when there were laundry rooms it may have only been a washer. Automatic dryers weren't standard in all American homes then, especially in the parts of the country where it's warm most of the year. Even when there was a clothes line out doors for drying laundry *NICE* girls didn't hang their drawers out for all the world to see.
As a young man of today you probably don't see the value of such things. But obviously many did because lots of the units were sold.
While an all female establishment may not have minded ladies undergarments and hoisery dripping all over the place, many husbands and other male members of a mixed household weren't thrilled with having to walk through a jungle of stockings, bras and whatever to take a shower, bath or otherwise use the WC.
The other thing to stress is the vast post war wealth in the United States that people purchased things that may not have made sense elsewhere but because it fit a need and or want, and they had the funds....
Americans then and still are often a rather impatient lot. For a woman to leave her danties drip drying it requires thought to wash them out the night before. If one has a date or something and is out of undies or stockings such a dryer allowed you handwash a few things and have them dried quickly.
Again you also must consider the heyday (if there was one) for such small dryers. Often these things were sold to college "co-eds" young "career girls" or some such. In many of those cases these girls were living in small apartments, dorm rooms, etc many without full laundry rooms. Even when there were laundry rooms it may have only been a washer. Automatic dryers weren't standard in all American homes then, especially in the parts of the country where it's warm most of the year. Even when there was a clothes line out doors for drying laundry *NICE* girls didn't hang their drawers out for all the world to see.
As a young man of today you probably don't see the value of such things. But obviously many did because lots of the units were sold.
If anyone needs proof or a demonstration of the hanging of lingerie to dry, watch the movie Since You Went Away, released in 1944; great story, great actors and actresses, fabulous lighting effects & even a Sunbeam Coffeemaster.
I remember when we got the GE with the first, small mini basket, mom allowed me to try washing her nylons in it because the owner's manual mentioned it could be done. They were not harmed, although it was probably a terrible waste of water. Then I set the Norge dryer for Stop 'n Dry, put the rack in at the top and dried the nylons in a few minutes with no runs in the stockings from the process.
I remember when we got the GE with the first, small mini basket, mom allowed me to try washing her nylons in it because the owner's manual mentioned it could be done. They were not harmed, although it was probably a terrible waste of water. Then I set the Norge dryer for Stop 'n Dry, put the rack in at the top and dried the nylons in a few minutes with no runs in the stockings from the process.
kenmoreguy89
Well-known member
Yes okay I understand what you mean, sorry but still thinking of it like a prank, a "toy", a wastage! As I think it was not worth it in almost all the cases in wich it would have found it's use. Camon just for underpants.....LOL
I could even understand if you would have fit into at least a pair of jeans or 2- 3 t-shirts, but camon it's "drum" size..... it looks like a Barbie toy!
Tom, I do have a filter-flo with mini basket but I never use it as I wash everything normally with the rest of the load even sister's nylons and stuff like and dry them in my regular dryer.
I also wash and dry crocheted doilies in regular machines too.....
I think once you have this kind of things you must find it's use necessarily in a way or another even if you could do without.....
I could even understand if you would have fit into at least a pair of jeans or 2- 3 t-shirts, but camon it's "drum" size..... it looks like a Barbie toy!
Tom, I do have a filter-flo with mini basket but I never use it as I wash everything normally with the rest of the load even sister's nylons and stuff like and dry them in my regular dryer.
I also wash and dry crocheted doilies in regular machines too.....
I think once you have this kind of things you must find it's use necessarily in a way or another even if you could do without.....
SUNBEAM PORTABLE DRYER
I took a closer look at my SBPD while at the warehouse yesterday and it actually lists the capacity as TWO POUNDS talk about the exaggeration of the year. It also lists as suggested loads one mans dress shirt as weighting 1 pound [ I have never seen a mans dress shirt that weights one pound ]. I can only imagine what the shirt would look like after being dried in a dryer drum that is about 10" in diameter and 5" deep. The maximum wattage is 660 so it would not be very fast to dry any heavy fabrics.
I took a closer look at my SBPD while at the warehouse yesterday and it actually lists the capacity as TWO POUNDS talk about the exaggeration of the year. It also lists as suggested loads one mans dress shirt as weighting 1 pound [ I have never seen a mans dress shirt that weights one pound ]. I can only imagine what the shirt would look like after being dried in a dryer drum that is about 10" in diameter and 5" deep. The maximum wattage is 660 so it would not be very fast to dry any heavy fabrics.
Federico, you must be too young to remember when nylon hosiery was a substantial investment, when nylons were packaged in very nice flat boxes, enfolded in three layers of very smooth paper and sold from counters in department stores instead of from rotating racks in drug and grocery stores. Women of my mother's generation remembered when nylons replaced silk, remembered the scarcity during the war and knew how expensive they were to a mother on a middle class income and budget. Today's hosiery might survive washing with the rest of the laundry, but it would have been a death sentence to the stockings from 50 years ago. Many women wore their Playtex gloves and all removed any rings to prevent snagging the things when washing them. I remember how delicately they were handled at all times. Today's must be somehow different. I am not defending the little dryer. When I saw the first one, I thought it was a frivolous toy, but realized that some women would maybe find it useful for the reasons stated here. It is an artifact of a different time as were, apparently, the nylons it was meant to dry.
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