Thread Number: 70111  /  Tag: Irons and Mangles
*Old* Traditional Laundry Service In Germany
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Post# 930291   4/3/2017 at 06:26 (2,552 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        

launderess's profile picture
This *Wascherei* is just that; equipment looks as if it was from just after the War. *LOL*

Cannot speak German enough to understand what is being said; however the gist seems to be how "unique" the place is in that the machines are heated with gas.









Post# 930327 , Reply# 1   4/3/2017 at 11:01 (2,551 days old) by logixx (Germany)        

logixx's profile picture
Yes, the units are gas heated and from the 60s. The owner, who has been doing since 1979, is 81 now and originally started the job to make some more money than what her pension provided. She likes the feeling of being needed.

Post# 930363 , Reply# 2   4/3/2017 at 15:03 (2,551 days old) by cuffs054 (MONTICELLO, GA)        

That's neat. Love to get translation. Looks like the dryer has no timer,just on/off.

Post# 930388 , Reply# 3   4/3/2017 at 16:38 (2,551 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
I think it is grand you still have a good number of these

launderess's profile picture
Older type individual "Wascherei" type services not just in Germany but France and other parts of Europe as well.

High real estate costs and competition from large laundries are killing that market segment in the USA.

Also think it is grand that Frau Kuchs is able to keep on keeping on and that she is obviously loved and wanted by her community/customers. That last good looking and rather sporty dressed man who came in to settle is bill seemed so happy.


Post# 930404 , Reply# 4   4/3/2017 at 17:14 (2,551 days old) by logixx (Germany)        

logixx's profile picture
True. The mother with the baby says that it's not just about having one's laundry done, but that you can feel love and warmth coming from Mrs. Kucht. However, I do get the impression that she is all alone in her private life. Maybe a widow? She repeatedly mentions that she wants to feel needed and and likes to have a conversation with her customers. She's also knitting socks while the machines are running to avoid brooding over her life.

Post# 930417 , Reply# 5   4/3/2017 at 17:45 (2,551 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)        

toploader55's profile picture
How wonderful.

Post# 930443 , Reply# 6   4/3/2017 at 19:22 (2,551 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
If my maths are correct

launderess's profile picture
Frau Kuchs was born in 1930 or 1931; which would have made her a child when WWII began in Germany. Thus she certainly lived through that hell and the aftermath.

Still notice wedding rings so perhaps while there was a husband there aren't children and or grand-children. That and or maybe like so many instances one of both have moved away. At the most horrifying Frau Kuchs simply could have outlived her husband and any family.

Again it is so good that not only was Frau Kuchs able to take over/work at this Wascherei but she started at around 50 and is still going. Here in the States unless it was a family operation she'd likely have been given the push.

Have to hand it to European men and fashion; they just know how to pull things off.

The first customer (a chef or something going by the uniform) with just the dark blue muffler. Then the slightly middle aged man paying is bill dressed in torn jeans, Converse trainers, a freshly ironed shirt and hoodie. Not many can pull that off but it works well on him.

Those huge Miele gas heated ironers are to die for; you see them all over Germany even in "home" Wascherei establishments, but doubt many American homes would have the proper gas supply out of the walls. Likely some sort of upgrade would be required.


Post# 930446 , Reply# 7   4/3/2017 at 19:36 (2,551 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Back to washing.....

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Notice she is able to really under load that huge washing machine. Maybe because it doesn't spin (they use an extractor) issues with unbalanced loads for washer are avoided?

The washer looks like it was made by Gudrun






Post# 930506 , Reply# 8   4/4/2017 at 03:11 (2,551 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
120 Celsius

launderess's profile picture
Comes out to around 248 Fahrenheit, so the washer shown in last clip can do a boil wash, and how! No wonder you see steam escaping from the soap dispenser.

Seibt und Kapp Grudun has been in Stuttgart, Germany since the 1920's, and still are around producing some interesting washing machines.


seibt-und-kapp.de/waeschereitechn...


Post# 930512 , Reply# 9   4/4/2017 at 05:41 (2,551 days old) by mrboilwash (Munich,Germany)        

mrboilwash's profile picture
The thing is Frau Kuch owns the place, so she can supplement her pension and does not have to compete with modern laundries.
While you`re not as easily to be "given the push" in Germany as in the States it is also almost impossible to find a new job at old age. Employers just don`t like to take the risk that comes with old folks. Sadly that`s the downside of otherwise good job protection laws we have here. It seems much easier to get another chance in the US as long as you`re willing to do a "lesser" job when you`re old.

Got a good laugh when reading "Seibt and Kapp Gudrun has been in Stuttgart"
Seibt and Kapp is the manufacturer, Gudrun seems to be the model name for the washer. It`s a German female first name for the machine just like some of us call their washers Bertha. LOL


Post# 930584 , Reply# 10   4/4/2017 at 14:30 (2,550 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)        

toploader55's profile picture
Ha.

Gudrun is my cousin's name in Esslingen Germany.

I would love to spend my retirement years doing about 10 loads a day in a nice facility with Milnors Washers with heaters and Huebsch Dryers. press a few sheets and pillow cases, shirts... not so much. But the steamy smell of detergent and cotton drying... heaven.


Post# 930593 , Reply# 11   4/4/2017 at 15:09 (2,550 days old) by RevvinKevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land)        
Seibt & Kapp video

revvinkevin's profile picture

 

 

Wowzers that Seibt & Kapp washer spins SO FAST!  

 

I know it's not a giant commercial machine, but I'm really impressed just how fast that thing spins!  I've never seen a commercial washer (in a coin-op laundromat or videos of others) spin so fast.


Post# 930617 , Reply# 12   4/4/2017 at 18:07 (2,550 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Got a good laugh when reading "Seibt and Kapp Gudrun has

launderess's profile picture
You've done it to me. Well spotted! *LOL*

Did say my German wasn't what it should be. Hahaha.

Did think after posting link to Seibt & Kapp website that had something wrong, but what the heck, need to keep my people out there in the dark on their toes. *LOL*

Gas heating for washing machines is catching on for commercial machines here in the USA. Long used for ironers and dryers laundries see the benefit of getting rid of steam all together and just going with gas or thermal heating. Eliminating steam means not having all that feed and return (condensate) piping for a start.






Post# 930673 , Reply# 13   4/5/2017 at 05:18 (2,550 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)        

toploader55's profile picture
Those machines and systems are amazing.

Post# 930774 , Reply# 14   4/5/2017 at 18:35 (2,549 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Found her!

launderess's profile picture
Next time anyone is in Stuggart, stop in say *Guten tag!"


www.google.com/maps/uvQUE...


Post# 930984 , Reply# 15   4/7/2017 at 01:19 (2,548 days old) by alr2903 (TN)        

It was refreshing to see high sudsing detergent and lots of water.  That lady ain't drinking the Kool-Aid.


Post# 930986 , Reply# 16   4/7/2017 at 02:07 (2,548 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
To be clear

launderess's profile picture
Second Seibt und Kapp washer Youtube video one posted is not in Wascherei Kuch. Rather a video someone else made of using another washer elsewhere. Would love to know what soap/detergent was used as yes, it is rather foamy. The product Frau Kuch uses (you can see in video) in comparison makes little to nil froth.

Unlike domestic front loaders of the time such as those offered by Miele, these machines aren't bothered nor worry about possibility of suds lock apparently. Thus they spin right after the main wash and at very high speed. This makes one think they lack pumps, but just drain values and use a trough/piping to collect water and send it down drains.

In any event rinsing is probably better this way as there isn't a carry over from the wash into first or second rinse of detergent/soap and dirt. Still one wonders if spinning wash at temps >100c doesn't create some very hard creases.

Apparently there are still plenty of these old Seibt und Kapp washers all over Germany still happily chugging away.

www.openbroadcast.de/artikel/5978...

www.hajdu.de/betriebsaufgabe.html...

If you lived in Germany could have gotten one off eBay.de:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Waschmaschine-Ind...


Post# 931007 , Reply# 17   4/7/2017 at 05:50 (2,548 days old) by alr2903 (TN)        

Launderess  yes,  I see now.  Thank You.  A


Post# 931011 , Reply# 18   4/7/2017 at 06:57 (2,548 days old) by mrboilwash (Munich,Germany)        

mrboilwash's profile picture
AFAIK there are no high sudsing heavy duty detergents on the market here, neither for home nor for professional use, except for light duty detergents (for delicates or wool) where the buffering action of lots of suds is desired.

I think what we see here is just a case of severe overdosing of a low sudsing detergent to the point where good agitation is interfered.
The fact that hard water minerals not only interfere with the washing results in general but also start to crystallize in temperatures above 60°C/140°F makes it even more essential to dose enough detergent to prevent fabrics from encrustration when doing a boilwash. There`s only a fine line between not enough and too much, even professionals seem to misjudge proper dosing sometimes.



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