Hand-cranked washing machines

Errata

geordie_joe wrote: »

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!

:rotfl: Those were the days - not !

Back on topic. The problem with hand cranked washers is that you have to heat the water up first then you have to do a heck of a lot of hand cranking which takes a heck of a lot of time. The excess water can only be removed from the washing by putting it through a wringer or mangle and neither of those chuck the water out at 1400 rpm however fast you go.

high-rise_andrew

true GeordieJoe about trying to shrink the jeans in the bath while still wearing them lol. You can't picture the teens of today having OUR patience can ya;) I've still got slim legs but you can't get slim-fit jeans anymore. Used to get mine from C&A, remember them folks. The jeans now seem to be all weird colours & for showing your builders derrier(hope that keeps the censor happy) I saw something on Lakeland today called something like "dance yourself dizzy" think it is a modern version of putting dusters under your shoes/slippers and washing the floors. As Dame Shirley put it" Its all just a little bit of History Repeating:D

geordie_joe

Errata wrote: »

:rotfl: Those were the days - not !

Back on topic. The problem with hand cranked washers is that you have to heat the water up first then you have to do a heck of a lot of hand cranking which takes a heck of a lot of time. The excess water can only be removed from the washing by putting it through a wringer or mangle and neither of those chuck the water out at 1400 rpm however fast you go.

What you say is spot on, for the UK, but linking your words with a discussion I had a while ago about washing in the USA I can say this.

The link to the machine led to a US site. In the USA people don't heat the water in the washing machine, their washing machines just use tap temperature water.

Even two "friends" in canada couldn't understand why we heat the water to wash clothes!

In most of the USA the weather (most of the time) is good enough to just hang the clothes out without spinning or mangling them.

So, given that it is a US product and the yanks (most of them) don't bother to heat the water or make much attempt to get the water out before they hang the clothes out. The hand washer will be far more suited to the US market than the UK market.

I say let them keep it, I prefer my automatic washer.

geordie_joe

high-rise_andrew wrote: »

true GeordieJoe about trying to shrink the jeans in the bath while still wearing them lol. You can't picture the teens of today having OUR patience can ya;)

Too true! I also remember stitching my jeans when they wore so thin they ripped. Teenagers today are far too lazy to do that, they buy them ready ripped!

I also remember a craze for "dying" jeans. Not tie dye, but putting then in diluted bleach but not completely submerging them so they came out with lots of white patches.

When I did my first pair I did it before going to bed, but then my dad spotted them and thought "That'll never work, half the jeans are sticking out of the water" and kindly pressed all the jeans under the water for me. I woke up in the morning to a completely white pair of jeans instead of a patchy pair.

Had no choice but to wear them to the youth club disco, and the following week everyone was wearing them.

high-rise_andrew wrote: »

quote=high-rise andrew;10393129]As Dame Shirley put it" Its all just a little bit of History Repeating:D

That's why we all have wardrobes full of old stuff, it'll come back one day.

Sadly C&A's won't

Cardew

geordie_joe wrote: »

What you say is spot on, for the UK, but linking your words with a discussion I had a while ago about washing in the USA I can say this.

The link to the machine led to a US site. In the USA people don't heat the water in the washing machine, their washing machines just use tap temperature water.

Even two "friends" in canada couldn't understand why we heat the water to wash clothes!

In most of the USA the weather (most of the time) is good enough to just hang the clothes out without spinning or mangling them.

So, given that it is a US product and the yanks (most of them) don't bother to heat the water or make much attempt to get the water out before they hang the clothes out. The hand washer will be far more suited to the US market than the UK market.

I say let them keep it, I prefer my automatic washer.

Well I have had a home in the USA, where I am at the moment, for years.

I have never heard of washing with tap temperature water, unless you mean the hot water tap. Most washing is at 30C or 40C. Unlike UK(where the majority of machines are now cold fill) their machines have a hot and cold water fill. Perhaps they meant that the hot water input is enough for most washing and they don't need to heat it in the machine.

Also where did you get the idea that the weather is good enough to just hang out clothes?

I spend most of the time in the USA in Florida and California and even in these warmest US States, I can't recall when I last saw washing hung out to dry. I don't know a single household that doesn't have a dryer and use it all the time.

novelli

i have one of these little portable washing machines!!

my p[arents were having a clear out in there shed and gave me a load of stuff for a car boot and this was in there.
its what they used to use when camping for doing the washing.

I have a fab use for it!!
I make my own concrete ornaments and slabs, and this makes the perfect cement mixer!!!!!!!!! i was really impressed with my recycling idea!!! it works really well, as they say its all in the mixing!!!:beer:

high-rise_andrew

novelli-great idea!!! Love it. I don't have a garden nor balcony, just West facing windows or would put in an order. Got a few plants around the place, and Yankee candles:$
but getting back to these portable, manual type washers. Could you fit a pair of trousers in it or is it just for <cough> smalls or the poly tops I wear for walking/rambling the outdoors. & going back to the ganges, I have been known to wash/shave at a water-course lol. Are these machines for the posh ones who "don't do camping?" PMSL.

geordie_joe

Cardew wrote: »

Well I have had a home in the USA, where I am at the moment, for years.

I have never heard of washing with tap temperature water, unless you mean the hot water tap.

I have to ask this, how many Americans have to talked to about the temperature of the water in your washing machine? Not having heard of something doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

Last year there was a discussion about turning your washing machine thermostat to 0 so it doesn't heat the water. Someone mentioned that they do it in the USA, so I asked in another forum I use and several Americans, and one Canadian said it was true. They couldn't understand why we heated the water, and said their powder readily dissolves in cold water and is formulated to work in cold water.

Cardew wrote: »

Most washing is at 30C or 40C.

Not what I was told by Americans. Are you sure you are not just doing over there what you would do here and thinking it's normal over there too.

Take a look at this thread from last year, but remember that when we were talking about a 0 degree wash we were talking about setting the thermostat to 0 degrees so it didn't heat the water.

Cardew wrote: »

Unlike UK(where the majority of machines are now cold fill) their machines have a hot and cold water fill. Perhaps they meant that the hot water input is enough for most washing and they don't need to heat it in the machine.

Nope, definitely cold water.

Cardew wrote: »

Also where did you get the idea that the weather is good enough to just hang out clothes?

From the Americans, and the Florida weather centre. Are you saying that 79F dry with fairly strong winds is not good drying weather?

Cardew wrote: »

I spend most of the time in the USA in Florida and California and even in these warmest US States, I can't recall when I last saw washing hung out to dry. I don't know a single household that doesn't have a dryer and use it all the time.

To be fair you have probably not been in the majority of households in the USA.

I was talking to real Americans, working class who don't live in the affluent areas. Just ordinary yanks as it were.

me_and_me_monkeys

depends- Mine was but it wasn't a 'camping one' (some are very small) best thing to de is weigh your jeans and find one that goes up to the reccomended dry wash weight. TBH I miss my little machine - I bought it from a charity shop for £5

Errata

In Australia there are special washing powders/liquids to use at low temperatures. This can mean machines can be cold filled and no heating required. Coloured laundry isn't dried outside as the sun is strong enough to start bleaching colours, so your favorite red t-shirt would be a lovely shade of pale pink after half a dozen line dries. Many Australians use tumble dryers.