Washing Clothes Using A Wringer Washing Machine
| Field | What field the skill applies to | Cleaning clothes | |
| Went Obsolete | An approximation of when the skill was made obsolete | 1970s but still in production | |
| Made Obsolete By | The skill or item that made this skill obsolete | Automatic washers | |
| Knowledge Assumed | The knowledge needed to perform the skill | How to keep your fingers from being smashed | |
| When useful | When this skill could still be used in the real world |
Using a wringer washer to was clothes was one step above using a washboard.
The following was taken from the website http://www.stretcher.com/stories/08/08feb25g.cfm(approve sites)
Here's how you set up and use a wringer washer. (By the way, Crosley, which is a subsidiary of Maytag, still makes wringer washers. They've been “safety'ed” to death though, and these are shadows of the real Maytag wringer washers that used to reign undisputed queens of the laundry world.)
To be really efficient, you'll need two wash tubs. You can buy double tubs from Lehman's, or single tubs from most rural or countrified supply stores. If you're lucky, you'll know someone, an aunt or grandmother perhaps, who has one or two left over from the good old days. If you get single, plain tubs, you'll need stools or old chairs to set them on. Position your washer so you can swing the wringer all the way around without bumping anything and allow yourself enough room to move at least halfway around the washer. Put the tubs side by side against the washer, and swing the wringer so that it can be locked in near the edge of each tub, with the opposite side sticking out a little so the clothes won't fall back into the tub. Make the adjustments before putting in the water! Tubs filled with water are very difficult to move. Once everything is in place, fill the washer with water and detergent. Turn it on for a minute to dissolve the detergent, but be sure to put the lid on first. An empty tub will slosh water everywhere. While the machine is running, add your clothes a few at a time, allowing them to be dipped under by the dasher. This part is fun, actually.
When the tub is fairly full (don't overfill; allow the clothes room to swish), put the lid on and begin filling the rinse tubs about two thirds of the way full. Put fabric softener or vinegar in the last tub.
After ten to fifteen minutes, check the wash by either grabbing something that was grungy and seeing if it looks clean, or stopping the washer and checking. If clothes are clean, run them through the wringer into the first waiting tub. Fold clothing that has buttons with the buttons inside, and make sure zippers are zipped and snaps are snapped before putting them through the wringer. This part takes a little practice, but you'll soon get the hang of it.
Put the next load of laundry in. Do whites first, then light colored, then dark colored, then jeans and coveralls, etc, and then rugs and rags.
While the second load is washing, swish the clothes in the first tub to get rid of detergent, and run them through the wringer. Do the same thing in the second tub, and run them through the wringer into a waiting basket, which can set on the floor or another stool. This whole thing should take about five minutes, then you can hang out the clothes or put them in the dryer. You'll have about five minutes before the next load is done, and you can do an entire week's wash in a short morning. Don't even think about laundry for a week.
