westinghouse laundromat
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You do all that before you start the machine. You put clothes in, put in detergent, close door, and start it.
3beltwesty
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My mom use to just advance the knob until the pump ran and water level was lowered enough to open the FL's door. Then you add soap, or add remove clothes and shut the door and advance the knob fully around to where you were at first.
laundromat
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true Westinghouse Laundromat washers---
---never filled full enough with water to not be able to open the door AT ANY TIME and either add detergent,bleach or fabric softener.You should be able to open the door at any time to add whatever it is you want whether it be a piece of clothing or cleaning solution(s).I'd be more concerned about not being able to add bleach or fabric softener. you can pour detergent directly on the load before beginning the program.
---never filled full enough with water to not be able to open the door AT ANY TIME and either add detergent,bleach or fabric softener.You should be able to open the door at any time to add whatever it is you want whether it be a piece of clothing or cleaning solution(s).I'd be more concerned about not being able to add bleach or fabric softener. you can pour detergent directly on the load before beginning the program.
ingliscanada
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Soap Dispenser?
Didn't the Westy Laundromats have a soap dispenser on top?
Didn't the Westy Laundromats have a soap dispenser on top?
My second White-Westinghouse front-loader with controls on the front (circa 1990, branded as a Gibson), didn't have any dispensers. It came with a big plastic pitcher, which you'd use to dilute bleach and pour into the washer a few minutes into the wash cycle.
The machine would buzz and the door would unlock during the fill for the final rinse. You would then pour a capful of softener into the washer.
The first front-loader I had (a now-rare Frigidaire-branded, rear controls, late '80s White-Westy) had dispensers for bleach and fabric softener mounted on top of the machine. It still had the loud solenoid bang when it went into a spin. No steenkin' balancing protocol, either. It just went bang and immediately ramped up to full speed---which led to cabinet-banging incidents when loads were unbalanced.
None of my front-loaders have ever filled to the point where you couldn't safely open the door without a flood.
The machine would buzz and the door would unlock during the fill for the final rinse. You would then pour a capful of softener into the washer.
The first front-loader I had (a now-rare Frigidaire-branded, rear controls, late '80s White-Westy) had dispensers for bleach and fabric softener mounted on top of the machine. It still had the loud solenoid bang when it went into a spin. No steenkin' balancing protocol, either. It just went bang and immediately ramped up to full speed---which led to cabinet-banging incidents when loads were unbalanced.
None of my front-loaders have ever filled to the point where you couldn't safely open the door without a flood.
Here are the instructions for adding detergent in the 1955 Westinghouse Laundromat, neither way they suggest to do it are correct in my opinion. When I use the machine I start it and let the water level fill up above the bottom of the sump into the tub, then I open the door and add the detergent.
Adding the detergent first would allow it to fall down into the sump and pump and not really get mixed that well into the wash water. Adding it on top of dry clothes would be better, but some of it will still fall down into the sump before it gets saturated with water.
When they refer to "softener" they mean water sofetener like Calgon, rinse cycle fabric softener wasn't first marketed until 1957.
Adding the detergent first would allow it to fall down into the sump and pump and not really get mixed that well into the wash water. Adding it on top of dry clothes would be better, but some of it will still fall down into the sump before it gets saturated with water.
When they refer to "softener" they mean water sofetener like Calgon, rinse cycle fabric softener wasn't first marketed until 1957.
randycmaynard
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Robert - If you have a chance sometime........
Could you video a few moments of the wash, rinse and spin on your Laundromat and post? I really miss watching one like I used to at my grandmother's house back in the late 60s/early 70s. I hope to find a Laundromat sometime but they are exceedingly difficult to find and even more so since I'm specifically looking for the 1956 Laundromat Deluxe.
Thanks much!
Randy
Could you video a few moments of the wash, rinse and spin on your Laundromat and post? I really miss watching one like I used to at my grandmother's house back in the late 60s/early 70s. I hope to find a Laundromat sometime but they are exceedingly difficult to find and even more so since I'm specifically looking for the 1956 Laundromat Deluxe.
Thanks much!
Randy
Here's a link to austinado16's 1953 Laundromat pair washing and drying on YouTube. Not exactly what you're looking for, but it's a start. There may be some Laundromat footage elsewhere here at AW, too.
dj-gabriele
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...circa 1990, branded as a Gibson), didn't have any dis
You're kidding aren't you? :O
You're kidding aren't you? :O
christfr
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well with my L5 you have to add the soap at the start either before you actually start the machine on top of the dry cloths or just as you turn the machine on then shut the door, then add the softner right at the start of the rinse and then shut the door before the water level comes up but its way fun
Yes Randy has been asking me for months to do a video, so I gathered up five large bath towels and threw them into our Westinghouse Laundromat in the kitchen. I used 1/4 cup of Tide HE. I haven't use the machine in a few months so it was due a nice hot washload.
I also stopped the machine towards the end of the cycle and opened the door so you can see the water level with the door open.
ps. Forgive my ripped workshop sweatshirt I forgot to dress for Hollywood, lol.
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I also stopped the machine towards the end of the cycle and opened the door so you can see the water level with the door open.
ps. Forgive my ripped workshop sweatshirt I forgot to dress for Hollywood, lol.
<object width="1280" height="745"><param name="movie" value=""></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="1280" height="745"></embed></object>
Robert, how cool!!! I didn't realize these were in the kitchen!! Just like all good 1950s household floorplans, the washer, and maybe the dryer, were in the kitchen. Perfect for that quickly needed small load to save the treck down to the High Church of the Immaculate Cleaning.
Just the way I remembered Laundromats!! Did you end up with a rope of bath towels at the end?
Just the way I remembered Laundromats!! Did you end up with a rope of bath towels at the end?
Just the way I remembered Laundromats!! Did you end up with a rope of bath towels at the end?
not sure Bob, they are all done and I'm just sitting here in the living room, lol. Let me go check, ***hold please***
***insert Holiday for Strings here***
Ok I'm back... Yup two of the five towels are roped, not bad I've seen worse. And look Bob, I even threw in a few blue towels just for you ;-)
not sure Bob, they are all done and I'm just sitting here in the living room, lol. Let me go check, ***hold please***
***insert Holiday for Strings here***
Ok I'm back... Yup two of the five towels are roped, not bad I've seen worse. And look Bob, I even threw in a few blue towels just for you ;-)
I agree, not too bad. Some of the worst I've ever seen was the huge load of towels I ran through there in 2001 while there. The whole load was roped. But my goodness, I just cannot understand why. After all, I used the weight-to-save on the door to make sure I had a full load of towels before I put them in the machine. lol (then we had the ensuing discussion). I think I ended up splitting the load in half and putting some of it in the newly-restored LK at the time too. And you did Jason proud since he started that blue towel phenomenon lol. But, I still need them too lol. Cum to think of it, if you threw in a red towel or two in that load, you could have a patriotic 4th of July load. Just don't answer the doorbell if it rings, Betsy Ross may be standing on the other side with her foot tapping lol.
Like ours!
That '55 Westinghouse looks just like the one we had when I was a kid. I always thought it was a '56 model though, as it was my Mom's present for Christmas '55. What are the differences between those model years, if any?
I took it apart when we got the new one when I was 9 or 10, and still have the Laundrofile, knob, and cord. Kept the door and inner tub for a long time, but my dad threw out the door, and the tub ended up in the ravine; may still be down there.
That '55 Westinghouse looks just like the one we had when I was a kid. I always thought it was a '56 model though, as it was my Mom's present for Christmas '55. What are the differences between those model years, if any?
I took it apart when we got the new one when I was 9 or 10, and still have the Laundrofile, knob, and cord. Kept the door and inner tub for a long time, but my dad threw out the door, and the tub ended up in the ravine; may still be down there.
randycmaynard
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Thanks Robert!
The close ups were just like standing in front of my grandmother's '56 Deluxe. I'm always checking Craigslist, Ebay etc on the lookout for a '56 Deluxe but, as mentioned before, it's going to be a long search..... I do have a place
reserved for it in the garage - going to stack the White-Westy set and put the slant front in beside it. Mine will be a small collection - my '63 Kenmore 600, the White-Westy set and the '56 slant front that will finish it out.
Thanks again and don't fret about the shirt - when I get in from work in the evenings, especially this time of year when it's cold and wet (tons of rain today), I'm into the sweats, comfy shirt, house slippers and my warm fuzzy robe if it's really cold.
The close ups were just like standing in front of my grandmother's '56 Deluxe. I'm always checking Craigslist, Ebay etc on the lookout for a '56 Deluxe but, as mentioned before, it's going to be a long search..... I do have a place
reserved for it in the garage - going to stack the White-Westy set and put the slant front in beside it. Mine will be a small collection - my '63 Kenmore 600, the White-Westy set and the '56 slant front that will finish it out.
Thanks again and don't fret about the shirt - when I get in from work in the evenings, especially this time of year when it's cold and wet (tons of rain today), I'm into the sweats, comfy shirt, house slippers and my warm fuzzy robe if it's really cold.
randycmaynard
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Circle W......
I think the big difference between the '55 Deluxe and the '56 Deluxe was the control knobs were different in '56 - they were a gold color disk with a long grab that was used as the pointer to show the cycle progress and the glass window was beveled around the perimeter. Other than that they were pretty much the same and the matching dryer had the same changes as well - mostly cosmetic on both.
Actually, the yellow wallpaper background I have on my posts is a '56 Deluxe and you can make out the control knobs and the different door glass design. Also, I've included a link from a post earlier this year that has a good photo of a '56 Dryer - Washer looks the same - note the large grabs on the control knobs and the beveled glass is easy to see as well. Beautiful machines they were.
http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?30137
I think the big difference between the '55 Deluxe and the '56 Deluxe was the control knobs were different in '56 - they were a gold color disk with a long grab that was used as the pointer to show the cycle progress and the glass window was beveled around the perimeter. Other than that they were pretty much the same and the matching dryer had the same changes as well - mostly cosmetic on both.
Actually, the yellow wallpaper background I have on my posts is a '56 Deluxe and you can make out the control knobs and the different door glass design. Also, I've included a link from a post earlier this year that has a good photo of a '56 Dryer - Washer looks the same - note the large grabs on the control knobs and the beveled glass is easy to see as well. Beautiful machines they were.
http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?30137
Hey Randy,
Thanks for the info. I now know for sure ours was a '55. My parents were always careful with their money, so I imagine Dad got a good bargain on the previous model. I'm sure all my Mom cared about was that it washed well, and that she didn't have to do my diapers in a wringer machine any longer.
Thanks for the info. I now know for sure ours was a '55. My parents were always careful with their money, so I imagine Dad got a good bargain on the previous model. I'm sure all my Mom cared about was that it washed well, and that she didn't have to do my diapers in a wringer machine any longer.
laundromat
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Here I sit at work reading this and tears are dripping down my face because these are my absolute favorites!! Our neighborhood had been building these in to the new homes and the newer homes got these DeLuxe models. The first,older model homes got the earlier Laundromat twins with the red bakeolite? dials.Most of them lasted until the newer 18 pound top loaders came out but,I do remember a few leaving their homes early and being sold second hand mostly to used appliance stores.Mrs.Kasey had one she sold for $20 and replaced it with a Frigidaire (WCI-58) in charcoal gray.The buyer said the timer on the Laundromat was stuck.I eventually got the gray Frigidaire years,decades ago and had it running (the capacitor had to be replaced) for years.
maytagbear
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Are they really this quiet when running,
or was the microphone on Robert's camcorder having a coffee break? (No offense intended, Robert!) Thank you for the interesting video!
Lawrence/Maytagbear
or was the microphone on Robert's camcorder having a coffee break? (No offense intended, Robert!) Thank you for the interesting video!
Lawrence/Maytagbear
Are they really this quiet when running?
Yes the Laundromat is a very quiet machine during wash and rinse. Spinning is a bit louder and the fill flume isn't the quietest either, but the speed change unit is very quiet during tumble.
Yes the Laundromat is a very quiet machine during wash and rinse. Spinning is a bit louder and the fill flume isn't the quietest either, but the speed change unit is very quiet during tumble.
Yes, even my basket case 1950-ish Laundromat was really quiet.
I have always loved these machines. If I had found a matching dryer for my washer I may have hung onto it, but it was much more of a restoration project than I knew I'd ever have time for.
The pair that got away was at an estate sale back in the mid 80's. It was a 1952 time capsule of a house, all original and everything spotless, but washer, dryer, and GE Combination fridge were all sold by the time I got there.
I have always loved these machines. If I had found a matching dryer for my washer I may have hung onto it, but it was much more of a restoration project than I knew I'd ever have time for.
The pair that got away was at an estate sale back in the mid 80's. It was a 1952 time capsule of a house, all original and everything spotless, but washer, dryer, and GE Combination fridge were all sold by the time I got there.
Nice "55!
What was I thinking????? Oh well................
What was I thinking????? Oh well................
randycmaynard
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One thing on the quite running.........
I don't have my dream Laundromat (yet!) but the White-Westinghouse SpaceMates front loader that I do have is one of the quitest running machines I have ever had. Like Robert said - fill flume is somewhat noisy and the spin cycles are a little noisy and more so if the load is not balanced well in the basket when it starts but when in the wash or rinse modes you can hardly tell it's running. One other thing on the White-Westy - when that thing is leveled and on a concrete floor it won't move or walk even with a fairly out of balance load on spins..... sure it will knock around but the thing won't walk. I remember that about my grandmother's '56 Laundromat - it was quite for the most part but the spins could really knock around on occasion but it didn't walk.
Robert - on the roped towels..... now that's memories like Bob said. I can remember many times seeing my grandmother untangling bed sheets, throw rugs and towels. She had a weekly routine and the rugs usually came mid to late week and boy were those a beast to deal with. Interesting on the routine - usually she did work clothes, undies etc on Monday mornings, throw rugs and such on Wednesdays and the bed linens usually happed on Fridays and washing in the evenings/nights were a no-no. She line dried all the clothes on her covered back porch except during real cold winter weather or real damp rainy days - that's when the dryer got some use otherwise it sat unused, for the most part, from late winter through late fall. Nice memories!
I don't have my dream Laundromat (yet!) but the White-Westinghouse SpaceMates front loader that I do have is one of the quitest running machines I have ever had. Like Robert said - fill flume is somewhat noisy and the spin cycles are a little noisy and more so if the load is not balanced well in the basket when it starts but when in the wash or rinse modes you can hardly tell it's running. One other thing on the White-Westy - when that thing is leveled and on a concrete floor it won't move or walk even with a fairly out of balance load on spins..... sure it will knock around but the thing won't walk. I remember that about my grandmother's '56 Laundromat - it was quite for the most part but the spins could really knock around on occasion but it didn't walk.
Robert - on the roped towels..... now that's memories like Bob said. I can remember many times seeing my grandmother untangling bed sheets, throw rugs and towels. She had a weekly routine and the rugs usually came mid to late week and boy were those a beast to deal with. Interesting on the routine - usually she did work clothes, undies etc on Monday mornings, throw rugs and such on Wednesdays and the bed linens usually happed on Fridays and washing in the evenings/nights were a no-no. She line dried all the clothes on her covered back porch except during real cold winter weather or real damp rainy days - that's when the dryer got some use otherwise it sat unused, for the most part, from late winter through late fall. Nice memories!
turquoisedude
Well-known member
Had to jump in here with a link to a video of my 'rebuilt from the ground up' 1950 Westy L5!
My early New Year's resolution is to make more of an effort to get the dead timer on my 1953 Canadian Westy washer fixed or replaced....
My early New Year's resolution is to make more of an effort to get the dead timer on my 1953 Canadian Westy washer fixed or replaced....
washernoob
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Greg is going to have to show me his in use. I absolutely love these little westys! Gorgeous machines. Probably my favorite early washer next to the Bendix combo of the same era.
Love the pictures and the videos!
At first I always thought these machines were huge beasts, but they are actually quite small! Would be easy to install in a hard-to-get-to space.
Love the pictures and the videos!
At first I always thought these machines were huge beasts, but they are actually quite small! Would be easy to install in a hard-to-get-to space.
The Best Laid Plans
Yeah, I got my Laundromat as yet another checklist item for the ultimate getaway cabin that I figured I'd have someday. Already knew I'd eventually get my mom's '49 Westy range, the '49 Westy fridge was already relegated to the garage as a spare, so all I needed was a dryer and my vintage Westinghouse kitchen would be outfitted.
Well, I was barely able to afford a first home let alone a second one. The writing was on the wall, and none of those appliances are with me today. The fridge failed in a heat wave after 50+ years in continuous operation, bless it's stoic heart, the Laundromat went at the estate sale after sitting dormant for 25 years, and Greg in Sparta got the stove, which was never out of service and continues to happily crank out meals.
Maybe I can revive my plan and change the venue to my basement, at least where the laundry pair is concerned, if I win the Lotto.
Yeah, I got my Laundromat as yet another checklist item for the ultimate getaway cabin that I figured I'd have someday. Already knew I'd eventually get my mom's '49 Westy range, the '49 Westy fridge was already relegated to the garage as a spare, so all I needed was a dryer and my vintage Westinghouse kitchen would be outfitted.
Well, I was barely able to afford a first home let alone a second one. The writing was on the wall, and none of those appliances are with me today. The fridge failed in a heat wave after 50+ years in continuous operation, bless it's stoic heart, the Laundromat went at the estate sale after sitting dormant for 25 years, and Greg in Sparta got the stove, which was never out of service and continues to happily crank out meals.
Maybe I can revive my plan and change the venue to my basement, at least where the laundry pair is concerned, if I win the Lotto.
austinado16
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Great videos!
Robert, I'm glad to see my machine isn't the only one to torque that rubber washer boot out of shape when there's a load of towels in the machine. It always makes me cringe to see it do that.
Since the dryer spins in the opposite direction, it'll usually untangle the clothes by the time they're dry.
Kinda cracks me up to see other's machines in use because we use ours almost daily.....so I take all of it's unique noises and movements for granted sometimes.
Robert, I'm glad to see my machine isn't the only one to torque that rubber washer boot out of shape when there's a load of towels in the machine. It always makes me cringe to see it do that.
Since the dryer spins in the opposite direction, it'll usually untangle the clothes by the time they're dry.
Kinda cracks me up to see other's machines in use because we use ours almost daily.....so I take all of it's unique noises and movements for granted sometimes.
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