Hand-cranked washing machines

thriftlady_2 · 16 April 2008 at 6:52AM

Cardew wrote: »

Or any electricity used in its manufacture????

Well, the ones used by the community described in the book I mention were made in that community which doesn't have electricity. I don't know about the total manufacturing process.

Well, thanks for the helpful replies. It is just an idea -I have a lot of laundry and washing machines don't seem to last more than a few years. I was just looking for an greener alternative that didn't involve actually handwashing everything in a river or indeed my bath;)

thescouselander · 16 April 2008 at 8:06AM

thriftlady wrote: »

But no electricity costs.

My washing machine uses about 1 kwh per cycle on a 60 degree wash (according to the manufacturer) and even less on a 30 degree wash which I normally use.

That's less than 8p per wash in electricity costs - its hardly worth the effort of using the hand driven device.

1sue23 · 16 April 2008 at 9:18AM

I enjoy hand washing my clothes something very relaxing about it I have now purchased working mangle so I am a very happy person ,hubby and next door think I am barking mad .My granddaughter has just dropped off her dolls clothes on route for school and wants them ready for when she gets home so the sink of hot water is ready relaxing morning ahead.:D

high-rise_andrew · 21 April 2008 at 9:43PM

KrissKross brought back memories:D and listening to senior members of the family talking like about such things. I'm a boy of the 80s who jeans used to freeze on the washing line. How many teens can say that now lol. We did have a Hoover twin-tub when we were little which used to eat the Terry nappies. Mum used to have a stainless steel boiler similar to the hot water urns for coffee now and a pair of those tongs. Kids being kids used to nip each other with them. I do hope they NEVER, cutoff the access down to memory lane folks. BIG hugs & tc x.

geordie_joe · 21 April 2008 at 10:53PM

Hi Andrew.

Brought back memories for me too, I well remember trying to get frozen jeans off the line, and hoover twin tubs.

I was born in 59 so remember when my mother had a "single tub" with and electric mangle on top. I also remember the boiler, which came out every week in our house. I hated it because touching it set my teeth on edge.

I also remember putting my wranglers on and jumping in the bath and my sister pouring pans of boiling water in the bath. In those days you couldn't buy Wranglers, or Livi's in kids sizes, you had to buy adult ones and shrink them. Then buy a belt and get your big sister to take the legs up.

Errata · 22 April 2008 at 10:07AM

I remember all my female relatives having to use one of those hand cranked washers, and a dolly tub and posser. It was no fun, hard work, took up a very large amount of time which is why clothes and household linene weren't washed as frequently as they are now.

geordie_joe · 22 April 2008 at 5:47PM

Errata wrote: »

I remember all my female relatives having to use one of those hand cranked washers, and a dolly tub and posser. It was no fun, hard work, took up a very large amount of time which is why clothes and household linene weren't washed as frequently as they are now.

Monday was wash day in our house, and it was an all day job!

Errata · 22 April 2008 at 6:02PM

Same here Joe. And if the weather was too bad for the washing to dry outside it seemed to hang around for days drying :eek:

krisskross · 22 April 2008 at 6:41PM

I can remember helping my mother in the wash house in the yard. We shared with several other families in the street so there was a rota. The fire had to be lit under the bit that held the water to heat it. I remember the mangle was huge......well I was only about 4:rotfl:We used the dollies to pummel the washing to cleanliness. I loved the blue bags, used to dye my fingers with them.

It is good to have a wander down Memory Lane now and again. I cannot believe the progress that has been made just in my lifetime.

geordie_joe · 22 April 2008 at 8:38PM

Errata wrote: »

Same here Joe. And if the weather was too bad for the washing to dry outside it seemed to hang around for days drying :eek:

Yep, we had a huge fire guard that had three sides and a top. All the washing went on that to dry as the coal fire was the only source of heat in the house.

We didn't get radiators until the council replaced the coal fires with gas ones in the 70's. North sea gas was the answer to all our problems in those days!

Hand-cranked washing machines

Comments

Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

🚀 Getting Started

Categories

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free