Twin-Tub Washing Machines

lilac_rainbow

Not sure if this is the right place, but I was hoping someone could tell me how they work.

My washer has broke and they're all out of spares and I can't really go much longer without doing any washing (been without for nearly a month), and have called in as many favours as possible. I was looking at getting one of these to tied me over because I could easily be waiting another month for the part. The washer's not worth replacing, it was only bought in August.

I'm just mulling over options really because our local Launderette charges a small fortune

Thanks in advance

bluebag

Not quite sure what the question is ,sorry if I am being dense. Do you have a twin tub you are going to use or are you looking for one?

PudseyDB

I used a twin tub for a few years as the house I was renting didnt have anywhere to connect a normal washing machine.

Basically one side is where you put the clothes in with warm water (it'll heat it to the right temp if necessary) add the powder and pop the lid on and tuen the dial to how long you want it to wash them for. Then you need to remove the clothes and pop them in the spinner.

Easy so far - but then you need to rinse the clothes by hand in the sink and then plonk them in water with fabric conditioner if desired before doing a final spin.

I used to wash light coloured clothes first, then use the same water to wash the darker ones (assuming the first lot wasnt too dirty to begin with!) then empty it - turn it on and put the hose in the sink. Then ideally you need to give it a quick rinse with clean water and empty again.

It is time consuming as you have to keep coming back between washes/spins to do something - but a heck of a lot easier than doing the lot by hand!! I used the laundrette for big things like bedding or if I had a massive load of clothes to wash, but that soon used up the pennies!

lilac_rainbow

bluebag wrote: »

Not quite sure what the question is ,sorry if I am being dense. Do you have a twin tub you are going to use or are you looking for one?

No, it was me being dense, I just don't know how they work

Money_maker

Awful things. We had one as our first washer nearly 20 years ago. I would spend a whole evening doing the weeks washing. You did a load in the wash tub side (as Pudsey said) then transfer over to the rinse and spin. This would involve water trickling into the spinner to rinse the washing before the spinning began.

When we got our first automatic front loader it was like Christmas! Couldn't believe you could just load it up and walk away. Still watch and admire it from time to time (very therapeutic).

bluebag

lilac_rainbow wrote: »

No, it was me being dense, I just don't know how they work

:rotfl:What a pair we are!

It's jsut like pudsey says, fill the machine and put it to heat, most of them will even boil the water for you.Start off with the heaviest white soiled things when the water is hot and then as the water cools you can do colours and fabrics that require cooler wash temeratures... you can do a few loads in the same water if you sort them correctly.

I didn't rinse in the sink, I used to spin them and then fill the spinner with water from the hose and spin again repeat until the water runs clear.

To do a final rise with fabric softener, fill a bucket with cold water, about 8 litres and add a cup of fabric softener, tip it into the spinner after the last spin and leave it for 10 mins then spin and remove clothes.
hth. Bit of a faff, but better than the laundrette and you can do a whole weeks wash in one 'sitting' so to speak, but lord it can take ages.

lilac_rainbow

have seen an automatic going very very cheaply in the paper, will give them a bell tomorrow & see if it's still available. It seems such a huge waste buying a washer while I'm waiting for a spare part but, with a couple of kids, I really will spend more at the launderette within a fortnight, even the fuel trekking to my parents a couple of extra trips would rack up :undecided

Pink.

Hi lilac_rainbow,

I have vague memories of my Mum using one...it looked like very hard work and took up most of her day. I can't remember the details, but she did different types of washes using massive wooden tongs to move the washing from one side of the machine to the other, there was lots of steam, lots of rinsing and lots of spinning and she was always exhausted at the end of washday...any sensible child knew to behave themselves on Monday evening or they'd find themselves having an early night. Saying that, I imagine twin tubs have moved on since those days.

There's an existing thread that may help:

Twin-Tub Washing Machines

I'll add your thread to that one later to keep the information together.

Pink

bluebag

Just to say my mum loved hers and was gutted when she couldn't have it repaired any more, no accounting for taste???!!

Lilac- Have you looked at hiring one, may be cheaper but I really don't know, the other thing you could do is try to source the spare yourself, might need some negotiation with the engineer but hey, nothing to lose.

jackieb

I've seen some but i'm sure they cost as much as an automatic. I loved when my mum used to do her washing because of the lovely smell, but it did seem time consuming - but the spinner is better!