Antique washing machines

[pqtex]

I saw an antique wooden washing system in an antique store this week. I had never seen one like it, so out of curiousity, I started looking for it on the internet. By chance, I found this thread on another forum that has a gazillion pictures and descriptions of old washing machines. I thought you all might enjoy seeing them.

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/ ... .cgi?40352

Here's a taste of what you'll find on this thread full of washing machine eye candy...

[phil]

The old Maytag repairman must have cut his teeth on those ones;-) ah and now his apprentices are probably run off their feet

Careful for children around them. I would have one more cousin if it weren't for a tragic accident with the rollers. I guess later ones had some sort of safety release.

I have a very old one that clamps onto a wash basin , with a crank. It must have been stored nicely because the old rubber rollers and are still perfect. I't neat to look at , just no motivated to use it somehow though.

[pqtex]

This is what i saw at the antique store that got me looking for washing machine websites...

This photo is actually a pic of a salesman's sample, but the full-sized "washing system" was for sale for about $100 at the antique store. A washing pot would sit on each side of the wringer. Once finished with the wash, the framework all folds up into a nice suitcase sized package!

[Daniel Meyer]

This is what i saw at the antique store that got me looking for washing machine websites...

This photo is actually a pic of a salesman's sample, but the full-sized "washing system" was for sale for about $100 at the antique store. A washing pot would sit on each side of the wringer. Once finished with the wash, the framework all folds up into a nice suitcase sized package!

We've got one of those in our store right now.

[clover]

My BIL has one he found in his barn. He uses it as a drink cooler when we have outdoor BBQs. No leaning over to dig around for your drink, and you can drain out the melted ice later.

[nani213 (WavyGlass)]

This is actually in Eaton, not Galeton. It is at the wonderful Eaton Grove nursery. Have Lee show you his museum - one of a kind!

[SouthernLady]

I saw one of these the other day at an antique store not too far from me. I thought about buying it for my laundry room but backed out. I wish now I would have done it.

[RosemaryT (WavyGlass)]

I owned a used appliance shop for many years. These old wringer washers were HUGELY efficient (but labor intensive).

The original washing machines had a gasoline motor! (For outdoor use only, I'd hope.)

Growing up, we had a top-loading portable dishwasher with a glass top. Highly entertaining! It was probably from the late 1940s or early 1950s.

And Sears had an "in-the-sink" dishwasher that was pretty interesting, too. This is a GE, but pretty interesting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rHKMcTZF3A

[Powermuffin]

Love the pink one!!! My sister put her arm in the wringer when we were little kids. Scary!
Diane

[Neighmond]

My mother had a scar from trying to run her doll clothes through the mangle when she was little; her arm went in just about to the elbow and the fail safe popped open. I can remember a rather top heavy neighbor woman who had something catch her blouse and got it all caught up in the rollers, she always used to make that common statement about a certain body part in the wringer and then say "I ought to know!"