aline-miller

After having had to do the wash by hand for so many years, women were rescued from this backbreaking job by the launch of a very simple washing machine that only had a washer and a wringer but not a spin drier. Then companies launched what was called a twin tub.

This was a single machine but with two parts - a washer and finally a spin drier. Both parts had a lid which was closed after use and could then be covered with a special cover so that it could be used as auxiliary furniture when not in use.

This was a giant step forward for housewives (sorry those feminists amongst you but in those days, in the 1960s, most women gave up work when they got married and dedicated themselves totally to the family) as now they could rinse the clothes in the machine.

The clothes were washed on one side, using the same hot water (which meant first the whites then the coloured articles starting off with the least soiled items) and then they were moved to the other part which rinsed and spun the clothes at the same time. There was a hose which was attached directly to the cold tap.

The tub was then filled to the top with cold water and then the spin drier was turned on. The waste water went directly into the sink. This process was repeated several times until the water came clean. It was not a very ecological system as it used up a lot of water but in those days people were not so concerned about conversation.

It sounds so quaint and old fashioned nowadays but a woman who had one of these was extremely lucky indeed and the envy of her friends who still had to use the simple washing machine. However this was still quite a bulky item and because the hose had to be attached to the tap, it meant it had to be taken out and put away again after every use.

Then a washing machine with a spin drier incorporated was put on the market. This was plumbed directly into the water mains and had a fixed place in the kitchen or utility room. Most of these were front loaders but you could also buy ones which loaded from the top. These are generally slimmer and less bulky so could be fitted into a smaller space.

At first washing machines were white but now there are many more colours on the market. Coloured ones are usually a bit more expensive so, before falling in love with that super sleek silver machine, think about where you are going to put it. If it is in a utility room, out of the sight, it is hardly worth the extra cost. However, if it matches the other appliances in your kitchen, go for it.

Just one last request - using a washing machine is not rocket science so all you men out there who proudly say they don't know how to use the washing machine, please read the manual and, to quote from a famous ad, - Just do it!

Washing machines usually come in two styles namely front-loading and top-loading. As the name suggests, front loading are those which do not have any opening on the top but on the side to put the clothes in or take them out. Top-loading is the traditional style where the clothes are loaded in from the top of the machine. Both styles clean the clothes well but it is important to know their differences to make a right choice.

There is nothing right and wrong in choosing one of the loading styles. They both have their pros and cons and you can make an informed choice based on your requirements and situations in your home. It is wise however, to know the difference before visiting the store to buy a washing machine.

Well, the best thing about a top loading washing machine is that the top area can be used as kitchen space. For people living in small homes, this is a great advantage. Other than saving up space, front loading machines also save up water and electricity too. They need the washing drum to be filled completely before the washing process starts. The drum is often too large and a lot of water is wasted in filling up the drum.

Front loading washers might be a little expensive to buy, but save a lot in the long-term. With these machines, the amount of detergent required is also reduced which further decreases the cost. They are not only money-saving but also make less noise. Moreover, they do not give enough space to the drum for noisy movement. It runs much more delicately compared to a top loading machine.

During the washing process, a front loading washer does not move as vigorously as top loading machine because it does not rub the clothes in to-and-fro motion. It also maintains its balance over time and hence remains more stable. The delicate motion of front loading washing machine also gives longer life two the garments.

They are quiet, stable, efficient, save water and detergent and give you the top space for use. With all these advantages, they are getting popular and are in use extensively. One may wonder that with so many benefits of front loading machines, why would top loading machines be in market.

The reason is ergonomics. One does not need to bend for using a top loading washing machine. It has been in use for years and elderly people still find it more convenient. Front loading machine might have become very popular, but top loading washing machines have not lost their market share.

If you have back problems or do not want to bend for any other reason, opt for a top loading washing machine. For other cases, front loading washing machine is definitely a saver.

"Down to the river though I know that the river is dry," (lyrics by Bruce Springsteen). Though Bruce did not mean that he was going to do his washing there, countless millions of women, throughout the ages, must have thought this as they wearily trudged down to the river to wash their clothes.

And what a tiring, backbreaking job it must have been. They had to thrash the clothes against the rocks to try to get them clean though most times they probably only succeeded in making them smell cleaner. In cold water it must have been nearly impossible to get most of the stains out.

Although this may seem like ancient history to most of us, there are still people who remember their grandmothers using the streams which ran through their village to do their weekly wash. I have seen, in one small mountain village, the place where this took place. The stream seems impossibly small and narrow but you can see places, worn into the rocks on the banks, where the women knelt down to wash and rinse their clothes.

Now fast forward a couple of decades to the middle of the last century. Washing machines now have pride of place in the kitchen releasing women from this weekly, or perhaps, daily drudgery.

They are not however, the sleek, do it all, machines that we have nowadays. The first washing machines did just that - they washed the clothes using a rotating drum. They did not have a spin drier incorporated. Many had a wringer attached so the clothes had to be taken out and run through the wringer so that the hot water could go back into the machine to continue the wash.

It was a hassle to keep on emptying and filling the machine with water so first the whites were washed in the clean hot water, then the coloured clothes. Then they were hand rinsed and run through the wringer again to dry them but this time the water went down the sink. Finally the clothes were hung out to dry. If it started to rain it was a rush to get outside and take them down before they got too wet. There were no tumble driers in those days.

Let's take our time machine again and get back to the present. Washing machines now come in all shapes and sizes and they are no longer a standard white. They can match all your other kitchen appliances.

Sleek silver ones, coloured ones, super-duper electronic ones which seem to do everything except iron the clothes. Some of them even have a tumble drier incorporated so that you can do the whole wash in one go.

However, the basic colour sorting rules still apply. Make sure that you don't mix colours with the whites otherwise that beautiful white tablecloth which you inherited from your grandmother may come out looking like it has been tie-dyed! And, try not to squash in as many things as possible, trying to save water, otherwise they will come out so wrinkled that they will be impossible to iron.