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Thread Number: 18697
Boil Washing a la Francais |
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Post# 303118 9/11/2008 at 20:14 (5,708 days old) by launderess  (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Post# 303120 , Reply# 1 9/11/2008 at 20:15 (5,708 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Post# 303127 , Reply# 2 9/11/2008 at 20:23 (5,708 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Boiling in a lessiveuse was part of the long French process for doing laundry before modern automatic washing machines came along. Basically the lessiveuse replaced a process known as "bucking" linen, where laundry that had been previously soaked, and rinsed, would be placed into large pots, over which a clean cloth would be placed, then lots of wood ashes. Then one would pour hot water continously over the wood ashes and the released chemicals would seep down onto and through the laundry. A hole at the bottom of the tub allowed water to drain, where it would be reused for the process all over again. Using a lessiveuse is much easier. Previously soaked and rinsed laundry is put into the pot filled with enough water and soap to cover, then allowed to gently come to a boil. As the water starts to boil the water and soap mixture percolates up through the center tube. This process goes on for as long as one leaves the pot on the stove. | ||
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Post# 303129 , Reply# 3 9/11/2008 at 20:57 (5,708 days old) by hydralique (Los Angeles) |
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Interesting . . . Thanks for posting this, and do let us know if you think it's gonna give the Miele any competition! | ||
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Post# 303130 , Reply# 4 9/11/2008 at 21:03 (5,708 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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| Post# 303131 , Reply# 5 9/11/2008 at 21:07 (5,708 days old) by maytagbear (N.E. Ohio) | ||
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Je suis- si hereux that I don't have to use such a thing! Fascinating, Laundress. Thank you for posting it. Lawrence/L'ourse de Maytag. | ||
| Post# 303132 , Reply# 6 9/11/2008 at 21:08 (5,708 days old) by autowasherfreak () | ||
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Hmmmm Very interesting indeed. I think I will stick with my Frigidaire, LOL. Jim | ||
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Post# 303142 , Reply# 7 9/11/2008 at 21:37 (5,708 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Lessiveuse vs Miele
Actually wanted a boiling pot for laundry for those certian times one needs to "boil" really badly stained linen. With electric rates going through the roof, it makes more sense to use the small amount of gas on the stove, rather than all the power to heat and maintain water at 200F in the Miele. There is another reason as well. Linen was the chief textile in France (besides wool), for ages until cotton came along. While kings, the nobility and anyone else could get cotton say before the 1800's, it was expensive and thus rare. It wouldn't be until the industrial revolution and huge production of rather inexpensive cotton from the United States, that caused French, like German and many other housewives in Europe to switch from pure linen and or linen/cotton blends to all cotton for their bed, personal and much other uses that once were pure linen. This change is important as while linen is a strong fiber, it is rather brittle, and subjected to constant beating, as say with a wash beater or beaten against a rock, will cause the stuff to degrade. French women/launderesses understood this and rather than beat linen/laundry to death, as was common before automatic washing machines came along, linen was simply "boiled" clean. The French also invented a method of steam cleaning laundry as well. Both methods to their credit involve laundering methods that do not involve beating laundry about for long periods of time. Indeed when the first washing machines were imported to France from the United States, they were not a great sucess. French housewives refused to consider the machines for several reasons, chief amoung them was because they did not involve the periods of long hot soaking, but rather used very aggressive washing action. Eventually French machine makers retooled and redesigned the washing machine to suit. IIRC early front loading washing machines had programs that kept tub movement to a minimum during the heating phase of the cycle, but today that is long over. The lessiveuse was invented in 1883,and was in general use for laundering in France until the 1950s. Even today you will still find many homes still have and use a lessiveuse. Like copper wash tubs here in the states, items are highly collectable, but often for use for other purposes than laundry. Garden planters, holding cold drinks and such. Oh yes, to show how well thought out the lessiveuse design was for it's day; notice the wire ring suspended around the inside of the wash tub. That is to prevent the common problem of boiling laundry, namely laundry rising with the hot soapy water (as heat causes the water to expand),and boiling over the top of the pot. This way while the water and suds may boil over, the laundry stays down. First few times one tried boiling laundry on a range using a large stock pot, was that damn well ticked off at having to keep watch over the thing with a large wooden stick, poking laundry back down. L. | ||
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Post# 303143 , Reply# 8 9/11/2008 at 21:41 (5,708 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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For You Technical People | ||
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Post# 303145 , Reply# 9 9/11/2008 at 21:42 (5,708 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Here Is What Things Look Like | ||
| Post# 303164 , Reply# 10 9/11/2008 at 22:01 (5,708 days old) by autowasherfreak () | ||
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Cool! That's neat. I learn something new everyday from this group. | ||
| Post# 303223 , Reply# 11 9/12/2008 at 06:42 (5,708 days old) by toggleswitch2 () | ||
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J'ai besoin de la chose la! Utterly fascinating. Thank you Lady L. | ||
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Post# 303230 , Reply# 12 9/12/2008 at 08:16 (5,708 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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The berlin' pot! | ||
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Post# 303287 , Reply# 15 9/12/2008 at 15:21 (5,707 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Mammy Would Say | ||
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Post# 303311 , Reply# 16 9/12/2008 at 17:07 (5,707 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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Wow - thanks for posting this, it's very interesting! I've seen the "fountain" for sale in catalogs here (early 1900's) and figured this is how it worked. What a good idea, I'll be interested to hear how you like it. BTW -- I sent and email to the address in your profile - is it no longer a good address? | ||
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Post# 303319 , Reply# 17 9/12/2008 at 18:11 (5,707 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Email
Will check my inbox after dinner. For some reason Yahoo sends all emails one receives from members to the "spam" or trash folder. Have been told off a few times for not responding to emails (from persons claiming to be members of the group), that simply were never received. Fountains, were for sale here in the States as you mentioned, but they were mostly used in the large oval wash tubs, where they really couldn't do that great a job. Again if one considers the coffee perculator effect, you see why a regular stock or inverse cone pot is a much better choice. Have some wash cloths that one wishes to whiten and brighten, so after doing a towel wash this weekend (hopefully), will bung them into the lessiveuse and see what develops. Spent most of yesterday stripping years of soap scum from the inside of the pot and center tube, only to read the directions on the label, which though tattered in places still had enough of the original French to state one was NOT to scour soap scum away. Indeed directions state previous to first use for laundry, one was supposed to fill the thing with water and a good amount of soap, then allow to boil for awhile before emptying out the soapy water. One guesses this palaver was about seasoning the inside of the pot (made of zinc coated metal), so not as to stain any laundry. Directions do state doing the above would "protect" one's wash, so again that must be the reason. Am going to try boiling with a bit of oxygen bleach, as one has so much vintage Biz, Ecolab Oxygen bleach, Ecover oxygen bleach, and Ecover hydrogen peroxide liquid bleach, and see if any cause damage to the inside surfaces. Next will be a cold to boil wash using Persil. | ||
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Post# 303328 , Reply# 18 9/12/2008 at 19:08 (5,707 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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I really enjoyed the photo of the properly boiling lessiveuse.The original "shower of power". One remaining question: what's the spin speed? That is, how fast can you swing that bucket (or, bouquet) at the end of a rope? :-) As Dame Sarah might say, thanks, but no thanks. If I need to boil a fabric, I'll use one of the Miele 1065's. But a very interesting glimpse into laundry practices of yesteryear. | ||
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Post# 303334 , Reply# 19 9/12/2008 at 20:00 (5,707 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Again, have the same washer as you, though with a solid door, and can do a boil wash jst as easily in the Miele, but range top boil washing does have it's advantages. One, at least here gas is much cheaper than electric. Two, great for doing one or two large items or several small ones without tying up the Miele for the hour or so a "Short" or "Normal" boil wash cycle takes. Three, much less water required for the wash. Finally as stated above, for fine linen and or delicate items one wishes whiten and or remove stubborn stains, heat will not harm linen, but being thrashed about for an hour or so,can cause damage, especially at very high wash temperatures. Now one could use the "Extended Pre-Wash" cycle on our machines, which is basically a deep soaking cycle. However that cycle uses lots of water and energy to heat that water. As for spinning, much of my fine linen is not spun dry at all,but rather a quick pulse spin, then hung out on the lines to drip dry until damp, then ironed. If laundry is not going to be ironed right way, after totally line dried, it is put away; when time comes to iron it will be sprinkled and allowed to dampen. L. | ||
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Post# 303357 , Reply# 20 9/12/2008 at 22:27 (5,707 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Let's see. Beg to differ. Gas ranges are notoriously inefficient. Most of the heat goes up around the sides of the pot instead of heating the water within. The reason to want to use gas for cooking is control, not energy efficiency. The completely immersed heating element in the Miele washer is 100% efficient. Even considering that electricity costs about twice per BTU as gas, the Miele is probably more efficient at heating water for a boil wash than an equivalent amount of water on top of your gas range. But please, Launderess. You don't need to justify your use of the stovetop contraption on energy efficiency grounds. It's simply a very cool, low tech approach to getting fabrics sparkling clean. In fact I think it would be wonderful if you were to snap more photos of the process, and even make a video of it if you can. You are to be commended for your dedication to true vintage laundry technique. | ||
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Post# 304354 , Reply# 21 9/17/2008 at 17:25 (5,702 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Any news on old lessiveuse? | ||
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Post# 304374 , Reply# 22 9/17/2008 at 19:12 (5,702 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Sorry, Luv | ||
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Post# 304543 , Reply# 23 9/19/2008 at 01:47 (5,701 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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Post# 304569 , Reply# 25 9/19/2008 at 08:31 (5,701 days old) by sudsmaster (SF Bay Area, California) |
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An immersed heating element is very efficient - the efficiency ratings for electric water heaters are in the range of 90+%, close to 100%, I think, whereas gas water heaters always suffer some loss due to heat lost in the exhaust stream.Gas water heaters typically are at best efficient in the 80% range. A gas range burner is far less efficient than a gas water heater. Only about 30% or less of the heat supplied by the burner goes into the water. The rest heats the room. This essentially wipes out the inefficiency of generating electricity from natural gas. It's a wash, I think. Plus, the amount of energy used on a stove top is minuscule compared to that used to heat (or cool) living spaces. All that said, I vastly prefer a gas cooktop to a resistance electric cooktop. But not for reasons of efficiency, but rather for reasons of control and, in my opinion, safety (I always know when a gas burner is on - not so with an electric burner). | ||
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