Where are the WASHERS we were promised?!?

[danmantn]

I get great pleasure checking out the Picture of the Day. It's a throwback in time to perhaps and grander time in the US. A time of great pride, optimism, and leadership. As I peruse the old images, intrigued by the ingenius of some of the designs that I see, I can't help to wonder WHERE ARE THE WASHERS WE WERE PROMISED?

Infiniti did a 'slap in the face' ad back in the mid-2000's about this...basically stating that those car never surfaced from the US but they do now from Infiniti. I'm often reminded of this when think about where DID the innovation go? How does a company come up with something like "auto detergent dispensers" way back in the 1960s, but they don't stick around even a few years later? Can you imagine if you were to take all of the innovations that you have seen in those ads and create the ULTIMATE washer?

Granted, some things don't pan out or actually work that well, but some of those innovations had real potential. Just a thought on this lazy Saturday afternoon.

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[tomturbomatic]

Actually, automatic detergent dispensers, the storage type for powder with a dose measured for each load, originated with Bendix in the early 50s, but were never a highly demanded item. I guess most people who do laundry do not consider adding the detergent an onerous task.

 

[jaxsunst]

GE has come close with their TOL front loaders with tanks for detergent, fabric softner, and I think bleach in the pedestal.

 

[frigilux]

Self-dosing automatic detergent dispensers: I use several different detergents, depending on the load being washed: Tide With Bleach Alternative, Tide ColdWater, Gain With Bleach Alternative, Woolite, Cheer For Dark Colors, SA8.

If a person used the same detergent for every load, I can see how it would be a very convenient feature.