FULL WASH - Hoovermatic 3174 Twin Tub Vintage Washing Machine (1958)

This is the first full wash in this Hoovermatic 3174 Twin Tub from March 1958. The machine is unrestored save for a few bits of tinkering, some oil and grease, and freeing the seized OCV valve on the top. It still needs some work.

[@Mike8981]

I’m six years old and it’s 1966 and mum is doing the weeks washing. Tiny splashes of water hitting me. I can remember the sounds and smells. Thanks for transporting me! ❤

[@missstarlin6184]

OMG! My friend got one of those at a 1980s yardsale. It agitated so fiercely, it removed the detergent residue from his clothing and he didn't even need to use detergent for a while. Thereafter, he used an eyedropper to add detergent. It extracted to the point it almost dried the clothes.

[@tishatti]

I had a twin tub in the 80’s when I first got married. Damn, I miss that machine…

[@stumpydog87]

My Dad had one of these. In Australia they were brilliant if you lived on a farm with only tank or dam water and the built in heater was a great help. they use less water than automatics.

[@syhooverman5418]

An improvement Hoover made with their later twinnys was to use the spin dryer pump to empty the tub. These machines had the "jockey wheel" pump which necessitated the lid of the wash tub to be in place when emptying otherwise the entire kitchen and operator got a good soaking. LOL

[@Organboy1974]

Yes. I forget sometimes and lift the lid off. I’ve had trouble with the pump seals on the combined ones. At least if one pump plays up you can empty the other tub on these.

[@hermanmunster3358]

Now you mention that about emptying the tub, you're right. We had one when I was young.

[@ridhwaanarries983]

Does this one have a pump without need to activate the spin dryer?

[@Debbiebabe69]

I always love the rosy-eyed view people have on these machines. Yes they are very entertaining and relaxing to watch, but to use, they were HELL. Modern automatic machines are, well, automatic. Chuck the clothes in, add powder, press start, 2 hours later come back and its all done. 'Laundry day' is a 5 minute job. You can even chuck the washing in during the morning, go to work, and it will be ready to put in the tumbler or hang up when you get back. These things however were MANUAL. You had to physically be at the machine the whole time. 'Laundry day' WAS the biggest part of a day. To start with - get the machine out, run pipe from tap to wash tub feed, fill it with water, seperate the clothes, heat up water, add powder. Move the feed water pipe from the wash tub to the spinner. Run another pipe from the spinner drain to the wash tub feed. .Then you put the first load in, cycle it, move clothes from wash to spinner, turn on spinner, add the next load of washing to the wash tub, start wash tub, stop spinner, add rinse water, start spinner... when that is done, stop spinner, empty clothes, move 2nd load from wash tub to spinner, add 3rd load to wash tub.... and so on.... Once all your loads are washed, move the drain outlet from the wash tub feed to your sink and down the plughole, spin and rinse your final load as normal, move the drain input from the spinner to the wash tub, and drain the wash tub. In between all this, you would have a mop in hand, because you WILL need to mop - a lot. Also you are constantly putting your hands in 90 degree Celsius water with very strong caustic detergent, so your hands and arms are constantly getting thermally AND chemically burned. And if you forget one step of the piping merry-go-round, you wont get an error message, no, you will get the full liquid contents of the spinner - or even worse the wash tub, dumped straight onto your floor. The widespread adoption in automatics was a godsend, especially to families. In particular, in combination with other chore-busting machines that really took off in the 1980s like dishwashers, microwaves, tumble dryers, and freezers, it means household chores were no longer a full time job, so both partners could go out and get meaningful jobs - resulting in a boom in household incomes during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as allowing women (who did most of the laundry in those days) to take a fuller part in society as there were no longer full time chores to do.

[@socksumi]

The rollover is fantastic. Just a few minutes of hot water wash time clean really effectively unlike modern HE washers and their lazy, slow agitation.

[@sandraabbott4683]

I would love one of these washers my mum used to have one

[@anthonylawrence60]

What's really amusing is the way young people find this fascinating .To me as at 60 something it was a regular occurrence in our house and probably most of the other houses in the country 50 years ago . My mum would do a weeks washing in an hour or so .All the different loads would be piled up on the kitchen floor .Whites in first and so on until it was time for the last load [my dads filthy work overalls [he was a bucher and his work clothes were always covered in dried blood but this machine always got them white again not forgetting the OMO or Oxydoll soap powder

[@Mike8981]

Yes, much quicker!

[@pb871]

My mum had a newer version of this machine and it fascinated me as a kid watching her do the laundry with it. The way the agitator whipped up the water in the tub with such ferocity yet without soaking everything in plain sight, always surprised me. Ours never used to 'fart' though 6:28 🤣

[@jamesareeves]

I would LOVE to get my hands on one of these. I HATE new washers. I just bought a similar one from Amazon but it's all plastic. 26 pound Costway.

[@choicendoro7937]

In my country, the ones with more agitation are the larger sizes, 14kg going up, 9kg and below have lazy agitation on 2 settings, gentle and normal, takes forever to get the wash clean but the spinners work well.

[@markholland9607]

Nice to c a retro washer still going strong

[@LunaNueva4353]

That's a marvelous washer!

[@philliphurley5341]

My mum had one, same model. It came out in 1957, my parents bought theres in 1958 when my dad joined Hoover. They bought a Hoover Junior 1334 at the same time.

[@patcola7335]

How did these rate for cleaning ? We had these in the States but plastic tub versions.

[@philliphurley5341]

@@patcola7335 They clean much better than an automatic machine.

[@patcola7335]

@@philliphurley5341 Really ? I guess with that turbulent action and the boil wash temps how could it not ? Very nice.

[@hermanmunster3358]

We had one of these, right up until the mid 80's. Doing the weekly laundry for a family of five was an all day affair, and it was one of my chores, cos mum and dad both worked. I used to hate it, cos the washing was constantly getting tangled, so I would be stopping the machine numerous times to untangle it. It used to take about five to six hours to do all the laundry. We eventually bought a Hotpoint twinny, which was way better, (no tangles) and I used to get the laundry done in about three hours with that machine. The Hotpoint also had the lint catcher on top of the agitator, so your darker laundry had way less fluff stuck to it after washing. For comparison, the Hoover spin dryer spun at 2500 rpm. The Hotpoint spun at 3100 rpm, so your laundry was noticeably dryer too, and way faster than any front loading automatic back then, or even today.

[@TheLionsLove2]

This was actually really cool to watch! Great video 👍🏾

[@jamesbenoit4027]

I had some great sleeps behind mom's washer like that one when I was a little kid loved them washers

[@lyasandrovych]

FULL WASH - Hoovermatic 3174 Twin Tub Vintage Washing Machine (1958) the old washer

[@marcobenis3096]

Fantastica. La mia Hoovermatic ha 62 anni e lava perfettamente. Rapida delicatamente lava e energicamente sciacqua e centrifuga. Veramente posso lavare ogni capo con risultati eccellenti. Ciao da Marco

[@multimill]

Wow, that runs like a dream. As a child, a neighbour had one of these and I was terrified of it because it was so noisy compared with my mum's machine 😂

[@dinarusso3320]

Wow, how many rinse cycles did you need to do to rinse all that detergent? I use under half a cap full and still get a lot of suds!

[@rollandjoeseph]

Yea, he over used the detergent for sure

[@David-uf8ex]

Shame the radio was blaring spoilt it

[@xdra31]

For me, it actually added to the ambience of the ASMR quality, as it was just a conversation being played. I’d have felt the same if it was music blasting out instead.

[@rollandjoeseph]

Not exactly pros here🤭

[@HooverLux]

I love this video. It’s nice to see the full beginning to end use of one of these machines, thanks for sharing it, I am now watching it again for the second time LOL

[@lynnettawilliams2138]

Wow that's gotta lots power in it looks to be better then a regular washer thanks for sharing I bet you're clothes gets good n clean in this

[@amandarichardson6915]

My nanak had one!!! It was brilliant ❤❤

[@KirbyEnthusiast]

Wow my mom used to have one of those 👍👍

[@xdra31]

Very satisfying to watch and listen to (I remember, as a very young child, my family having a similar machine, great memories!) but very time consuming (unless, of course, you have the time). Good job washing machines have evolved into what they are today; where you can go about your daily activities or relax, and let the machine get on with the washing, rinsing and spinning! Also, how do you gauge when the clothes have been cleaned sufficiently? I’d leave them agitating much longer and I’d also keep the splash guard on, as it would save on having to constantly wipe down the dirty suds, but everyone has their own way of doing things, so all’s good! 👍🏼

[@WeHadOneOfThose]

The first and a classic Hoovermatic, looks in great condition Aled, those OCV valves can be fickle but regular use always works for these old twinnys. keeping the hoses supple etc. !

[@Organboy1974]

It's not bad to be fair Mike. A bit of surface rust on the right-hand side and at the bottom of the frame but not much. I might re-spray it at some point as I'd rather not have the rust although matching the colour may be a challenge!

[@WeHadOneOfThose]

@@Organboy1974 The nearest match we have had from spray cans is "Ford Anglia White" which is that classic slightly creamy white not the brilliant glary appliance white of today. Looks in great condition underneath the resiliant mount looks fine, keep it supple with either "Son of a Gun" spray lubricant or a smearing of waterproof clear sealant to protect it, hard to think these are original parts nr 64 yrs old !!

[@syhooverman5418]

The OCV valve on these machines were their achilles heel. The casing (out of sight within the machines top surface) was made of aluminium alloy which used to corrode and then leak or seize altogether. Ive lost count of the number of these valves ive replaced over the years.

[@andrewsloane2064]

What’s the OCV. I know V is for valve

[@syhooverman5418]

Nice to see a stainless sink sunk into a laminate worktop. No unhygeinic belfast sink set under a granite worktop which is the "fashion" nowadays.

[@theavenger775]

Excellent video.. brave.wash! The hoovermatic with the scary black propeller thing. Other machines gently swish your clothes clean. It's not the british way. Spinning at near supersonic speed the hoovermatic: i. Found the weakest point in your shirts by marking them with an easily identifiable hole ii. Tied all the legs and arms of garments together so your washing became a big, hot, wet rope that needed separating with a boilerstick and a wooden spoon. iii. as a final insult, threw water all over the floor when emptying and the water dropped to the height of the propeller.

[@hermanmunster3358]

Happy days eh 🙄

[@choicendoro7937]

Wow , this is a solid invention, it is efficient and robust, bought a plastic twin tub about a month ago, I thought the mortar wasn't agitating strong enough but I am keeping it coz it spins well but I am not impressed by the washer. I need something like this. Wonder where I can get one.

[@iangrice329]

The hoover twintubs always made so much mess if you didn't keep the lid on, they could also on occasion create an knotty ball of laundry.

[@syhooverman5418]

If using fabric conditioner (another thing i cant abide) with a twin tub then it should be diluted in a bucket before pouring onto the laundry.

[@ozzie908]

Or you empty the wash tub refill with fresh water add your conditioner of choice and run everything through at a minute per wash cycle. It not only does the clothes good as it relaxes the fibres it also ensures no soap is left behind ok so it takes a few more minutes but I like to get things done properly a good spin afterwards and your good to go !

[@Justme-Diana]

I had a Hoovermatic back in the 70's when my daughter was a baby. Loved it. As a matter of fact I had been looking for one this year. None to be found, but I did find the portable washers/spinner dryers. Also by the way, Why are you using such hot water?

[@Organboy1974]

There are still quite a few surviving in the UK. The water is only 60. Some of us old washer types would be doing whites at 90 or more. There were dirty tea towels from the office which hadn’t seen a washer for over a year. No substitute for heat to kill bacteria.

[@dinarusso3320]

I like to wash my towels and bedding in the hottest water possible, so I understand that concept.

[@Debbiebabe69]

There was no fad for washing in tepid or even warm water back then. Hotter = better = cleaner. You would normally start with white cottons at 90 degrees C (thats 194 in Farenheit) and as the water got colder you went onto coloured clothing - although you would never let it get below 60 or so degrees C.

[@marcobenis3096]

Bellissimo video bravi

[@Dave4000]

Seen one similar to this when I was a kid. Does it clean stained clothes as good as (or better) than a front loader?

[@Organboy1974]

Yes, it can do when used properly. It gives the clothes more agitation than a front loader and you are in ultimate control of how long it does it for.

[@Debbiebabe69]

remember a frontloader wastes about half the wash cycle constantly filling and emptying the water. They are also inefficient at spin drying compared to a dedicated high speed spinner. With the twintub, you put 1 load of water and detergent in and do many washes in that 1 load of water, and the spin drying is done in a seperate area.

[@leeorbell3490]

The problem with the early hoovermatics was the spinner was so loud the later hoover spinner was quiter

[@syhooverman5418]

Your cold water pressure seems VERY low to me. Was the tap turned on full?

[@Organboy1974]

No. It looses too much through the holes in the spin can if it’s too vigorous.

[@colmcoleman6421]

have you ever tried to do your normal everyday family wash in it instead of your washing machine and if so how clean did the clothes come out

[@Organboy1974]

Yes, frequently use it for weekly wash. This one was the weekly whites wash.

[@colmcoleman6421]

how do you know when the water is hot enough when heated up by the heater

[@Organboy1974]

Either use a thermometer or guess. In the old days most people boiled their whites so would have known. The later models have a thermostat.

[@melanie3022]

Où as tu acheté cette laveuse , j en veut une, merci 😀

[@Organboy1974]

C’était EBay en Angleterre

[@syhooverman5418]

Pity @ the newscast going on in the background. Spoils the video.

[@Organboy1974]

I think I turned it off halfway through.

[@tommymurphy459]

I like it. And the cat. 🐈😸

[@Noelonthemoon]

I think your over doing it with the chemicals you putting in there 🤣

[@andrewsloane2064]

Do you find it easy getting parts for it.

[@Organboy1974]

Can be tricky, depending what it is. I have a few of the usual rubber consumables but other stuff is pretty rare now.

[@traceylane6631]

They don't make them like this anymore it's cheap tacky plastic ones

[@awxx2006]

What's happened to your elbow?

[@Organboy1974]

I’d like to be melodramatic and say it’s a burn, but it’s psoriasis. It’s better now.

[@jeffecko1]

Tub is too full,the marker built into the tub is the recommended level

[@2009bigchief]

Way way 2 much water in it .must never used that thing ever

[@jeffecko1]

You need asbestos fingers,I used to do a weeks worth of washing without tongues or gloves 😮

[@jeffecko1]

And without the hoovermatic splat it’s nothing else,just need to keep the water level under the tub line

[@user-bi2up6je4d]

9х

[@patriciageorge6838]

Not enough rinsing for the amount of chemicals used. It’s not a 2 person operation either!

[@PeteBlack76]

Ok Karen There is a solution here and that's disconnect your Internet ☺️

[@bulba1977]

🤣

[@user-bi2up6je4d]

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