Washing the '47 Way

[Unimatic1140]

So at the estate sales today I found another 1 cup glass Fire-King measuring cup as well as a nice aluminum measuring cup, the exact one my Grandmother used to use in her '58 Pulsamatic so I bought that too. Then I found an unopened box of 1960 Fab detergent and a unopened 1950's box of Rinso White Soap. I also found a Hoover Vacuum model 913 and a Hoover late 60's Hoover pink psychedelic vacuum which I didn't buy, but then after doing some vacuum "research" I decided to go back to the sale and get those vacuums and wouldn't you know it they were both gone, hmmph (but I'm not bitter lol)...

 

[Unimatic1140]

yay for Rich and Lasting

So I thougt it would be fun to use the Soap in my 1947 GE, since in 1947 soap was the only thing available for washing clothes until Tide Detergent was introduced later on in the same year.

I love how it gives no amounts to use in the instructions, just to "maintain rich and last suds" love that!

 

[Unimatic1140]

So I add about 1 cup of the soap to the incoming hot water and put a nice white was in...

 

[toggleswitch]

....and you saved 3 cents too. What a good home-maker!

FABULOUS FINDS there Mister.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Once activation began I added about another 1/2 cup of soap to keep my suds lively. What is interesting is the 1947 GE rarely has any suds on top of the wash water when I use detergent except for maybe the first minute or two of wash. But when I used the soap, the suds were maintained for the entire 12 minute wash period! Plus the water was real slippery...

 

[Unimatic1140]

Even the suds filled the Self-Cleaning Filter Ring which I never see happen with detergent!

 

[Unimatic1140]

But after a nice 5 minute 1140rpm spin the rinse water was nice and clear and soap free...

 

[Unimatic1140]

Nice White and Soft Clothes

And since I didn't add softener the clothes washed in soap seem much softer than ones wash in detergent!

 

[Unimatic1140]

....and you saved 3 cents too. What a good home-maker!
I loved saving three cents toggle! And what's even more exciting is there is a coupon to save 5 cents of a can of Ajax! Yay, I'll have to go out and buy myself something pretty with that extra nickel!

 

[toggleswitch]

in the late 50's that was a cup of coffee!

Pretty and frilly. Don't forget frilly.

 

[danemodsandy]

"Rinso White...

...Rinso bright, happy little washday song!"

Singing that radio jingle was the first paid gig Beverly Sills (then still Belle Silverman) ever had.

BTW, the Stratford pattern of 1847 Rogers Bros. silverplate was introduced in 1955, according to the Replacements, Ltd. website (link below), so that might help date your find. Is there a date limitation on the offer printed on the box (meaning "Offer Expires Dec. 31, 19XX" or something similar)?

http://www.replacements.com/webquote/INSSTRAT.htm

 

[maytagbear]

Nice catches, Robert!

We wonder what sort of videos can be found from "tla video"?

Love and laughter to the AW.org family.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[dalangdon]

Original Roger's Silverplate!!!!

My mom came from a family of ten kids, where money was somewhat tight (Granddad was a lineman for the Omaha Public Power District. Thank God for the IBEW). When she left home, she went to Omaha and worked first for a defense plant and then the telephone company. While working, she bought her sterling for her hope chest.

When she finally got married (at the shockingly late age of 27!) her married sisters threw a shower for her, and presented her with ten place settings of that exact same silverplate from the Rinso box.

She was extremely gracious about it of course, but for years she used to joke that her sisters probably got that silver from Safeway. Now we know the truth! They were Rinso girls!

I have that silverplate now: Sis gets the sterling, and didn't want to bother with the plate, so I got it as a consolation prize. Since I have my own sterling, I never use it, but I can't bring myself to get rid of it.

Just wait until I tell Mom.....

 

[danemodsandy]

dalangdon:

That was a very handsome present for that era- very nice for the $15.00 it would have cost for ten places. That $15.00 was a lot of money then, but your relatives made it go even further than most people would have.

I say go Rinso girls!

 

[mickeyd]

OH THAT FILL FROM THE FILTER SCREEN IS SO 1-18

but so much prettier and 20-some years earlier. Don't remember the '47 looking so mint. Love the swirls of agitation visible even in still-photo, love the perfect four controls with the baby blue lettering looking brand new, love the spotless socks. Thank you so much for the Midnight Treasure. Sing the song.

I remember soap too. We had Fels which smelled so so good, made tons 'o suds, and the clothes were so soft. No need for the yet un-invented fabric softener.

Didn't know your Gram had a pulsamatic too just like mine did. That is so cool, same year too, BUT YOU HAVE ONE IN YOUR BASEMENT, while I only have one inside my wild mind ;'D

Happy Saturday Good Night Everyone. Isn't it nice to have our lives back after the holiday madness?

 

[frigilux]

I used soap for awhile on bath towels and noticed they were nice and soft without using softener, but I was concerned about build-up inside the washer, as I don't have a warm rinse option on the TL Frigidaire. Kinda liked the soap scent, too. Very different from detergents.

I agree, mickeyd, it is wonderful to have some time to stretch out and relax after the holiday-fest of the past month.

 

[launderess]

I Love The Smell Of Naplam In The Morning!

Have been adding a bit of Fels soap to my Wisk unscented powder for certian wash loads. Besides the fresh (well Naptha) scent, it does seem laundry is softer, even without FS, which one rarely uses anyway.

It is important to remember soap washes softer because it contains 1/4 moisturising cream, it simply cannot dry your .....Opps, wrong commercial! *LOL*

All soaps are made from fats, and or oils, therefore will leave behind a slight residue that coats fibers, same as with fabric softeners. Fabric softeners were around since about the 1940's but really didn't come into their own until housewives and others began to abandon soap for laundry day in favour of detergents. The latter strip the natural oils from cotton and linen fibers leaving them harsh, and leave man made fibers prone to static cling. Laundry soap producers not to be out done, began advertising their products contained a "built in fabric softener (Fels Powder), and of course Ivory Snow, which washed "softer than detergent). It didn't save either's hash, as even Ivory Snow became a detergent.

L.

 

[polkanut]

Around here at this time of the year you can't find an estate sale to save your life. I think it stinks personally, but whatcha gonna do 'bout it. My Mom still uses that type of measuring cup for doing laundry, in fact she has another one in the kitchen cupboard that was a freebie from Swan's Down Cake Flour.

 

[andrewinorlando]

Robert - when you find all those old soaps and detergents at estate sales and such, are they really still good after all these years? I guess if they'll still suds up, they must clean just fine. It's amazing that they wouldn't harden or lose effectiveness after decades in storage. I've never been lucky enough to find a real vintage detergent here in FL, but with our humidity, I doubt it would still be good???