Wringer Washing machines

[abcomatic]

HI, I have a collection of wringer washing machines. They are: ABC round tub 1955
ABC round tub 1958(made my American Motors and not a very good machine.
Maytags 1936 and 1973 both are square tub
Dexter "twin Dex" 1949 the skirt it rusty but all works well.
Haag 1926 won't work
I just thought that this may be of interest. ABC o matic

 

[agiflow]

Post some pics...we love pics

 

[laundramatt]

Hi abcomatic, that Dexter double tub machine is my dream wringer washer, although I love all wringers. The wash cycle is obviously the most interesting cycle to me. My mother used a Dexter (and taught me how to use it too) from the time I was 3 or 4 until I was a teenager. I would love to see any pics you might have. Thanks for posting.

 

[cehalstead]

wringer

Do you agree with the following, Laundramatt???

Wringer "cycle"
1. fill washer tub with hottest water you can obtain.
2. add soap or detergent.
3. agitate empty to whip up suds.
4. put first load of whites in water.
5. re-start machine.
6. put lid on (or if you are one of us, leave it off to watch)
7. fill rinse tubs
8. check first load, if clean, stop machine and put first load through wringer into first rinse tub.
9. add second load and restart machine.
10. rinse first load by hand and put through wringer into second rinse tub.
11. rinse first load in second tub by hand and put through wringer into basket.
12. check second load to see if clean, if not,leave washer running and take first load to line in backyard.
13. take second load through wringer to first rinse tub.
14. rinse second load by hand for the first time and put through wringer into second tub.
15. put third load in washer (same water, but check to see if too dirty to use again...after all, you might have to pull the water from the well and heat it on the stove if you live in the country.
16. rinse second load in second tub by hand andn take second load to line and hang.
(repeat all of the above steps until you are finished doing the wash for your family of ten...........)
AND GEE WHIZ!!!!! TOMORROW YOU GET TO IRON IT ALL....

 

[wiskybill]

Wringer memories.....

Chuck, that sure is a familiar cycle.

My best recollection of that was when I was 5 yrs old. It was July and warm. Mom did all the laundry that morning, for five kids at the time and my grandmother, and had it all on the clothes lines by noon. Later that afternoon she was off to the hospital to have my baby brother. Sure was a different time.
She's 84 now and still hangs laundry out when she can, but it comes out of her Frigidaire automatic. I think she still misses the wringer though.

Thanks......Bill

 

[alr2903]

recipe Cephalstead

My grandmothers both put chlorine bleach in the first rinse tub. the whites soaked, while the second load of colors washed, somebody had to catch the colors and toss them into the second tub to avoid the bleach. after the colors where on the line. The whites from the bleach were put through the wringer to the second tub, rinsed through the wringer and to the clothes line. I think they washed the whites first cause the water was really hot. both had a punch stick or broken broom handle to lift the steaming whites out of the washer. Both of these women had cisterns, so sparing of water was really a high priority.

 

[cehalstead]

a little more....

I forgot to mention that the wringer had to be pivoted to the proper position to drop the clothes into the correct tub, as mentioned in the last post before this one..seems like a lot of us may have "wringer memories". I know I sure do, and sitting in my basement, right beside my '87 Maytag and my '97 Maytag, is a square tub Maytag wringer that I actually use once-in-while. Right now, it leaks a little and doesn't get much use....

 

[gansky1]

Blue Monday

Remember to 'break' or soften the water - your soap will turn to cottage cheese before you get the first load clean! Whites were washed first because the water was not only hotter, but clean. White clothes and linens were often 'put to soak' the night before washday and then boiled before washing as well. No modern syndets here, just old fashioned (in many cases homemade) soap and lye.

Going by your handmade floursack dishtowels: Tuesday was ironing, Wednesday was mending and sewing, Thursday was shopping, Friday cleaning, Saturday was baking and bathing ;-), Sunday was church and often company for dinner. Washing was usually done on Monday because it was the heaviest, hardest work of the week and after the "day of rest" on Sunday (aside from throwing out dinner for 20 people) the work on Monday was less arduous.

 

[geoffdelp]

I'm sure you've all seen my Maytag's before but I'll give you the link anyway. Sorry if I'm redundant!! Pictures 1-7 are of the Maytag wringers.

I love using my Maytag's every Saturday morning. I don't have too much wash to do for myself, but it is fun for me to use.

I only use grated Fels-Naptha bars in my Model E2LPS and use Tide in the other machines. Regular detergent, I've found, has a chemical reaction with the spun aluminum in the E2L and can darken it over time (besides, I can "smell" the aluminum after a hot wash ... I figure that can't be good). Fels doesn't have that effect.

I have a Model J in my garage that I rescued from a family member's basement years ago and now have all the parts to make it "new" again. That will be an upcoming project soon.

My favorite to use right now is the 1983 Model N2LPS. That was a really good machine; they really knew how to build them.

I've, too, dreamed of having a Dexter double-tub. I could really bang out the laundry then!!

http://automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/00ShowCollectionGETD.cgi?dir=/COLLECTIONS/GEOFFDELP/

 

[knitwits1975]

ATTN: Dexter Dreamers

Here it is! Grab It! The auction ends Sunday afternoon! Also see thread #5228 in "Imperial".

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[polkanut]

Geoff do you have one of the last models that Maytag made with the foot pedal to operate the wringer? My mother-in-law had one of those god awful contraptions. What a pain in the wazoo. I have never disliked something so much as that OSHA inspired pain. Sorry for the rantage.

 

[geoffdelp]

Tim ... yes, both my turquoise accented Models E and N had the "god awful contraptions" on them. I quickly took those off and replaced them with a 1/2" head machine bolt screwed into the base of the wringer post to keep the clutch "sprung".

Normally, it's much easier to use without the foot pedal. I must say, however, if you are wringing a large item (like a blanket or rug) the foot pedal is nice to let go and stop the rollers to adjust the article going through. That's about the only value I saw on the foot pedal.

I always felt the safety release bar should have been enough for safety's sake. However, you have to be thinking clearly to press it!! I'm sure this was mostly designed for children's safety. My oldest brother was quite young (5-6) when he put his arm through one at a neighbor's house and screamed profusely until my Mom and the neighbor lady were able to get to him. It left deep scarring on his elbow where the roller got stuck and kept turning and turning. It was a Maytag, too, from the early 1960's. All he had to do was push the red release bar!! Kids didn't know about that; the neighbor lady felt really bad because she had inadvertantly left the machine running.

These machines can be quite dangerous around inquisitive children. I still love them, however!! I'm very careful with mine. I keep my fingers away.

Geoff

 

[abcomatic]

wringer washers

HI again. I to have a turquoise accented Maytag from 1973. Mine had the dreaded foot pedal too. I did exactly the same thing and took the pedal off and put a screw in its place. Mine has a pump and works like a charm. Thanks for all of the responses back.
I called about the Dexter today too. They want lots of money for it. Oh well. Thanks for responding back to my thread on wringer washers. ABC- O- matic