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Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Other Ways

 So you might have figured out by now that I'm just not normal.

I'm getting more and more okay with that

the more I see what so called normal is.

                       I spoke a few posts back about a master list I keep

of things I'm continually on the lookout for.

Well this week, I got to mark another thing off the list.

This is about a 1940 model wringer washer that works!

Now I already had a wringer washer, but it didn't have a lid

and the head no longer swiveled.

Since I actually want to use it, not having a lid meant 

it wasn't okay to use in the house.

The water would splash all over.

Other than that, it works great, and I have used it a handful of times.

When we moved to the house we are in,

there was a new washer and dryer already in the house

so we intended on leaving our old washer and dryer up the river.

After using the new set a couple of times, we put it in the basement

and brought our old set from the mountain.

The new washer only put about 4" of water in the bottom

and the clothes came out in knots and dirtier looking than when they went in.

The dryer wasn't much better.

I use our old set and will until it dies at which time it will not be replaced.

I seldom use the dryer.

I do use it when crazy happens in life, and I just need to get laundry done,

but that isn't the norm and even in those circumstances, I could hang the clothes

and deal with the inconvenience.

The washer on the other hand, I use regularly (of course).

When the ol' trusty Kenmore dies, I don't want to be stuck

depending on a newer model.

                One thing I've strived for over the past however many years

is to replace newer inferior products with old dependable items.

Like I said, I had an old wringer that would work,

but if I had to use it regularly, it would be a little less than ideal.

That's why I was looking for an upgrade.


                        It's sure interesting how things work out sometimes.

Most of the old wringers I've seen that are in working order

have been selling for hundreds of dollars.

I had mentioned to a friend that I was looking for one.

This past week she let me know of one on FB marketplace.

I'm not on FB so it took a little coordinating,

but the end result is a couple days ago, this darling gem came home with me

for a very reasonable price.

It was funny when I went to look at it, the fella had it handy to look at.

It was in a little "town" of a couple hundred people out in the middle of nowhere.

There was an outlet right there, and I asked if I could plug it in.

He looked a little startled and asked, "Are you going to use it?"

I grinned ear to ear and replied, "Yep."

He looked amazed.

We plugged it in, and it worked fine so we loaded it up and I paid him.

Now whenever our washer gives out, we will be okay.

You'll laugh, but I refer to that as insurance & investment.

This is the kind of insurance I believe in.

I also see it as investing since I should never have to buy another washer.

These are work-horses, they last, and are repairable if they do breakdown.

If only I could find clothes and shoes that would last as long.

  

I was by myself so couldn't really get a picture while putting the clothes

through the wringer.

We get our work clothes really dirty

 so I was curious to see if they would get cleaner with this washer.

They do appear to be cleaner which is great.

The wringer didn't seem to get as much of the water out

as the spin cycle of the Kenmore, but that could be partially

due to operator inefficiency.

It had been a long time since I used a wringer for laundry.

So they did take a little longer to dry, but that wasn't a big deal to me.

Like I said, I will continue to do laundry with our "regular" washer,

but I really like knowing that I have a back up

and that it really wasn't that big of a deal to use it.

I used it outside and don't have it set up in an optimal situation,

but it was only a test run.

If I was going to use it regularly,

I would have it set up so that filling it with water and draining it

were easier.

The other note is that I did a full load of laundry.

The basin looks so much smaller and is easier to reach 

because of the shape, but I fit just as many clothes in it

as in the large capacity Kenmore washer.

I guess other than letting you know I'm a little goofy,

I'd like to encourage you to think outside of the box a little

when it comes to things we do as part of our routine

without giving much thought to what goes into it.


24 comments:

  1. A VERY wise investment! I wish I had one of my own. I don't like the fancy one my wife has.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks G. I have a spare if you'd like (wink) New and fancy suits me less and less.

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  2. This house was built in 1997 and had new washer and dryer installed at that time. The washer was used more often than the dryer because in nice weather (like you) I prefer to hang my laundry on the line. Sadly in 2020 after 24 years the washer died and figured that I may as well replace the dryer too.
    Let me tell you that the washer of today does exactly what you said. Not enough water, tangles up long sleeve and long legged anything because the 'climate change' government wanted to restrict the water consumption. Just wait until we are restricted to using electric cars instead of gasoline fueled vehicles. That has already started with the gas pipeline removal.

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    1. I actually took a picture of the clothes tied up in knots in the washer - I couldn't believe it. Not sure how the physics of that works out.

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  3. How very cool is that! Patience can be a wonderful thing.

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    1. It sure is - can be difficult sometimes, but usually pays off :-)

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  4. "When the ol' trusty Kenmore dies, I don't want to be stuck depending on a newer model... I've strived for over the past however many years
    is to replace newer inferior products with old dependable items."

    My sentiments exactly! Keeping a list of items and watching for them patiently always pays off! You got a beautiful machine in good shape. I love it.

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  5. Thanks Leigh. It's one of those things I'm very glad to now have. Strange the relief I feel with having it.

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  6. Fantastic! How nice your patience paid off. Around 20 years ago, I was offered a similar one free, but at the time, I was looking for a non-electric one, so passed. I never did get one.

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  7. This is the first time I saw a wringer washer. I wish I had one too. :)

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  8. Woo hoo!!! Congratulations on your new awesome find! We had an old wringer washer on the back porch when I was young and I remember (not fondly either LOL) using it. But, you are so correct in saying they don't make them like they used to. I think of all appliances, though, washers and dryers get worse with each new version. For me, it's the dryer that knots and twists the clothing by catching them on the lint trap...and I end up having to completely rewash most of the clothes as they are so wrinkled that even ironing won't take the wrinkles out. So much for energy efficiency, eh? Glad you found your backup plan and for the comfort it gives you. Enjoy! ~Robin~

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  9. My Kenmores are still going strong. I love them. I also have a Nina spinner that I use for my hand knits and hand washables. It really gets the water out-it's like those machines they have at gyms to dry out your swimsuit. That's great that you found what you wanted.

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  10. I'm a bit kooky, too. It's okay to be strange, and actually, I don't think it's strange to want a lot of the olden-day things. I think it's smart! I love many of the old things, the things that worked for literally decades or even 100 years.

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  11. Hi Lady L....look up on the Amish America website for Amish laundry spinner. My cousins use a wringer washer (non electric) and they also use a spinner (run by a car battery) to get more water off the clothes. Its a neat contraption

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  12. I remember helping to put the clothes through the wringer for my grandmother she would tell me how to make sure and not pop the buttons off the shirts.
    Cathy

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  13. I can relate to this also 😂 I actually looked for an old unit when we moved onto our farm for the same reasons... A nice find indeed! As a side note, whenever we do purchase appliances, I make sure everything has a knob and is not computerized. Those are temperamental and an electronic glitch is hard to fix!

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  14. I like goofy, and can relate. Nothing made today in these times last. And don't try to get a new one now, a couch,chair anything. 6 months we are waiting on a new chair. I like goofy, and dependable things used to be dependable when people wanted to work and earn a living for their families. Now that is goofy.In these times isn't it. Glad you marked another off your wish list. I like to hang out clothes, I don't do it all the time. I like when they flap in the breeze.

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  15. I remember when my mom had one of these. I would help her run the clothes through the ringer. Sometimes, I hurried the piece of clothing and it would get stuck. These old machines are still so wonderful!

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  16. Keeping my fingers crossed! Yes she is a sweetheart, not full grown, but still stops by with her family. Those little deers just tickle me, I want to steal her away and keep her for myself. Love those spots. Thanks for stopping over at my place.

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  17. I grew up with a wringer washer and have a crooked finger to prove it. As a little girl I thought I was 'helping' my mother by putting the clothes through the wringer. Managed to put my finger through too but luckily my mom stopped it before my whole arm went in.

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  18. I checked another thing off of my list. An old coffee grinder. I too try to replace new and plastic with old and wood or metal. My husband does the laundry, so I don't have a horse in that race.

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  19. Nice score on the wringer! We used to have one, and used it for DH's greasy work clothes. I don't remember why we got rid of it. Other than I got tired of being the one using it while he sat in the chair watching TV? Odd how suddenly there wasn't a reason or space to keep it when he had to use it. I do wish we hadn't gotten rid of it though. Have you thought about moving the machine with no lid to garden use? I've seen some people use old wringers for cleaning root crops instead of letting gallons and gallons of water run withe sprayer hose or sitting there scrubbing with a brush. It may also work for washing greens.

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  20. Your new old wringer washer is just wonderful! I would love to have one. When I was a child and spending time with my Aune Berlie, she would let me catch the clothes as they caame through the wringer. I had no idea one could still be found.

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  21. My grandparents used to wash with a similar wringer-washer!
    As for not being normal - - it's a grand club we are in!

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