how to operate a vintage washing machine

#hotpoint #hotpointempress #vintagestyle #vintagewashingmachine

[@ronk9830]

My mother had several "wringer" washers. She didn't want an automatic and only got one under protest, but she ended up liking it. Years later, we got her an automatic dishwasher, which she ended up loving because she hated doing dishes.

[@andrewwilliams2353]

Great old machine to play with, Alex. I have a new-ish Hoover automatic but I also have a 1970s Hotpoint twin tub. As i grew up we had, in sequence, a Hoover single tub with the hand cranked mangle, a 1960s Hoover twin tub with a manual rinse and then later on another Hoover twin tub with an automatic rinse facility. It had an orange (1970s trendy ! ) swivel spout that doubled up as a wash tub filler also. When that eventually died we had the Hotpoint twin tub which I think, on balance was a little superior to the Hoover. Now from nostalgia I bought a Hotpoint one again from ebay and enjoy getting my hands wet doing a bit of laundry. Keep up the good work Olde Chappe

[@patcola7335]

That's why I think in the US why we like our top load agitator washers. The older machines with electro mechanical controls were very versatile. Most makes had safety switches to cut the spin but would fill and agitate with the lid open. Wringer washers like this one in your video were predominate here in the U.S. before the war but automatics steadily replaced them ove time. I guess it was just a natural progression for us to stay with the same type of machines and yet the first automatic washer over here was a front load tumble washer from Bendix.

[@deewat9618]

I remember machines like this when i was a kid in the 50s and 60s. My mum had the Countess. I think the rollers were officially called a wringer, rather than a mangle. And the recommended washing action time was 12 minutes! I remember that, but i can barely remember what I had for breakfast this morning!

[@WeHadOneOfThose]

Great to see you using your new Hotpoint Empress Alex, this washing machine was the backbone of British washdays, my Gran had one , I loved using that clutch control as a kid. Thats a great retrofit ideo for the replacement sump hose which is readily available.

[@forwardtothepast2411]

Thank you, I always find laundry a rewarding process when I use a vintage appliance

[@MegaBreadvan]

I found that really interesting, well explained and entertaining. I remember when I was a kid in the 70's my Mum using a toploader Hotpoint, which looked more modern than yours in the video. No mangle, but some program buttons along the top.

[@forwardtothepast2411]

there is something about old appliances that stick with us, these old things just had more character

[@MegaBreadvan]

@@forwardtothepast2411 Could say that about a lot of things (don't get me started on cars & buses). Bonne continuation.

[@Keeping_IT_Simple]

Oy Alex could make 26 minute video about washing machine thatz is actually interesting !

[@austinswallow]

Love the simplicity of this and I guess if you carefully fed clothes through the wringer it could save on ironing, not that I do that anyway! Interesting!

[@gold4leaf]

I remember in the 60's my mother's sister having a similar machine, but no heater as she had a "copper" (a big copper bowl where a fire was place under to boil the water) and there was two large concrete tubs with fresh water, once washed the cloths where put thru the ringer into the first tub behind the machine, just as you showed, then the ringer was rotated 90 degrees and the cloths put across to the other tub, so a double rinse. Later they up graded to a machine with a heater , so the copper become redundant, BTW this is in Australia and we often had a special building in the back yard for doing the washing called a laundry, Aussie homes today have a separate room called a laundry, washing machines are not in the kitchen like in the UK, cheers, Garry from DownUnder

[@MapleMarmite]

I remember my Nan having something very similar but probably slightly newer in style. I got into trouble as a young boy for setting up a toy car scrapyard on top of it and using the mangle as a car crusher… In my first flat I had a twin tub that was the next progression in the washing machine, I would imagine. One like yours would be good in an off grid situation with a generator for power and no need for plumbing, just a few buckets of rain or stream water. Use biodegradable soap and it can drain to the ground outside. 👍🏻

[@ronk9830]

A toy car crusher. 😀 I suppose I never thought of that, or I would have done it if I had been allowed to play with the washing machine.

[@2005waran]

Another great video Alex. I remember my parents having a twin tub before moving on to their first automatic machine that dad aquired used from a Laundrette, it was an old Bendix machine with a two speed gearbox which used a solenoid to engine high and low ratio, low for the wash cycle and high for the spin, as it was an ex industrial machine it had to be bolted to the floor. I had great fun as a child sitting on it when it was on its spin cycle, it used to vibrate like hell even when bolted down lol.

[@ecopennylife]

Great job, I clicked it due to curiosity & the next 26 mins wizzed by, it was far more interesting than I had imagined 😊

[@andrewwilliams2353]

I love the moustache. Very handsome !

[@BradRoss63]

Hello! I'm a collector of vintage wringer washers, and also restore them for museums. Great video - very thorough in your instructions and demo!

[@thecontinuingadventureso-qs5zm]

Hiya, I remember there were stand alone spin dryers too. : - )

[@pa_maj.MARTINI-van-MAN]

Interesting show Alex...nice to see something this old still in operation.

[@mattie17]

Love it! I’ve got a vintage Australian Simpson wringer machine and adore it. Vid on my channel :-) Thanks so much for taking the time to film and upload this!

[@f1zzlep0p]

the fact it has a boler blows my mind, how long would it take to boil the largest cup of tea in the world and why not do it like yesterday

[@David-uf8ex]

Great demo and machine 😎

[@christophertaylor488]

My favourite wringer machine

[@ronalddevine9587]

Very interesting. I'm almost 77 years old and remember my mother using one of these machines. Here in the USA, Hotpoint was made by our General Electric Co. And, we call the mangler the wringer. And, yes, my mother goofed and ran her hand through the wringer, she panicked and hit the reverse lever instead of the release bar. Where are you from, and did GE make this washer?

[@p24hrsmith]

Ya can't beat an old Twin tub I used one until recently each load took about 15 to 20 min so why my modern front loader machines take soooo long I don't know as it doesn't seem to do the job any better

[@swedishlutheran]

Handsome man.

[@anthonylawrence60]

how did you get that into a caravan?

[@anthonylawrence60]

the mains lead looks a bit perished

[@forwardtothepast2411]

it fits through the door

[@Fishyman543]

​@@forwardtothepast2411do you have any other vintage washing front loaders