Thread Number: 69149  /  Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
POD 2/5/2017 Suds-Miser ad
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Post# 919381   2/5/2017 at 06:50 (2,608 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI )        

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I'm sold!  Where's my nearest dealer so I can purchase a Whirlpool for myself with this money-saving feature?





Post# 919404 , Reply# 1   2/5/2017 at 09:15 (2,608 days old) by brainardcooper (Columbia, SC)        
Suds Miser

It seems to me that in this day & age with the government requiring reduced use of water by new washing machines it makes perfect sense to use/produce Suds Miser machines.

Post# 919415 , Reply# 2   2/5/2017 at 10:07 (2,608 days old) by glhturbo2 (Reidsville, NC)        
Love the ad!

I love this washing machine and cannot wait to get her restored. Currently sitting in storage at the moment. :-( I can't wait to get all my babies home! The ad for this washer is great, I'm glad it has been featured as a POD.
-Tyler


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Post# 919425 , Reply# 3   2/5/2017 at 10:37 (2,608 days old) by akronman (Akron/Cleveland Ohio)        
Suds Models

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I have 3 suds model washers, and a few more I have converted to suds models, and I won't do a load of clothes unless I have at least 2 loads to do, saving the suds in between.

But suds-saving models never sold well, and lost favor year after year until the last ones available in the 90's. So, millions of homes are built without a tub, and 2 generations of folks are unfamiliar with re-using suds. I can't imagine there would be much of a market for a new model with that feature. Sad, wasteful, but true.


Post# 919442 , Reply# 4   2/5/2017 at 11:34 (2,608 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey)        

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Fastforward to the 11:00 time line, and this will give insight to the creation of the Suds-miser system.....







Post# 919501 , Reply# 5   2/5/2017 at 16:20 (2,607 days old) by miele_ge (Danbury, Connecticut)        
I still think that saving the used wash water is icky!

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I much prefer the idea of saving the RINSE water, like the first GE Automatic does, especially if it is warm to use as a prewash/wash.  On Suds-saving models, what is the temp of the used wash water by the time it is pumped back into the washer for use?  I would think that would make a difference too in terms of wash performance.

 

Just my $0.02.

 


Post# 919519 , Reply# 6   2/5/2017 at 17:14 (2,607 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey)        

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you can't actually appreciate the idea of wringers or suds saver machines...as in, you have the luxury of an automatic....

now if you could take the automatic out of the equation.....

like heating water on a stove/fire....not a few quarts, more like huge pots....and lug them over and pour into the machine....for a 10 minute wash....pour that down the drain and start over for the next load....it would get old fast, and your back would be killing from the first load....


may not seem practical, but it was your only choice at that time......

it always bugged me to use an automatic with filling that tub with hot water, 10 minutes later flushing it down the drain......

no reason that second use of water can be used for rags, throw rugs, or dog blankets

the suds saver feature was for energy/water savings.....as well as getting housewives slowly changed over to the automatic machines from the wringers....somewhat the best of both worlds....

there were sinks designed for the suds saver machine, insulated, and with a cover to keep the water as hot as possible for the next load.....

you always had to add 1/2 dose of detergent for each re-use of the wash water....you also always started with a lightly soiled load first, then onto something heavier....


Post# 919546 , Reply# 7   2/5/2017 at 18:27 (2,607 days old) by Gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA)        

Yeah, before automatics it used to be washDAY. What a hassle trying to keep the water hot and shlepping it back and forth from a stove.

Using well water was of concern, too.

Still, would rather use fresh than funky wash water whenever I can.


Post# 919564 , Reply# 8   2/5/2017 at 21:00 (2,607 days old) by twintubdexter (Palm Springs)        

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Many years ago I bought one of those same little suds-saver laundry tubs at a flea market. It said Sears Homart on the front. It was the perfect size for giving our little black Cocker Spaniel "Cinder"a bath. That era of Whirlpool washers were very nice. Most of them had consoles lighted by small incandescent bulbs which gave them sort of a Christmas-Tree warmth. They are some of my favorite vintage washers.


Post# 919631 , Reply# 9   2/6/2017 at 06:33 (2,607 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

Before I went to front loaders, I used to drain the wash water into a second machine and not bother with saving in a tub or having it cool between uses. I only wash one load a week in the baby time-fill Maytag; undershirts that I bleach. I drain the hot wash water with bleach down the standpipe instead of into the laundry tub to keep the trap smelling sweet.

 

Note that they stop showing the suds return when the normal agitation speed and low water level whipped up suds.

 

With a sudssaver washer you started out with very hot water and washed table linen and kitchen linens first, then sheets, towels and underwear. As the water cooled, colors were washed, but it sort of forced a "laundry day" operation instead of the "do a load anytime you wanted" convenience of having an automatic.

 

Women who were used to a wringer washer had no problem with the concept of reusing wash water, especially when it had to be heated in a boiler on a stove, but by the time my grandmother washed my grandfather's gardening coveralls, the water was pretty thick. I remember the fun of rinsing out the machine afterwards. I would run water on the top of the agitator while it was moving to make neat splashes of water in the tub.

 

You are right about the feature falling out of favor with many newer homes in the south not having basements for the tubs or room for more than a  washer, often in the kitchen.


Post# 919742 , Reply# 10   2/6/2017 at 17:14 (2,606 days old) by Combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
Suds savers on top loading washers

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The very concept of a top loading washer full of hot sudsy water was designed around the idea of using the water more than one time all ringer washer owners did this virtually without exception.

If you think this is a bad idea to use the water a second time then you would never be able to wash your socks and underwear or towels in the same water at the same time, LOL, but rather you would have to wash every single item separately so there wouldn't be any cross-contamination.


Post# 919850 , Reply# 11   2/7/2017 at 06:41 (2,606 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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I grew up with a suds-saver and our clothes were always clean; whites dazzling. Would I reuse water from a load of diapers to wash dress shirts? Of course not. You quickly planned the sequence of loads in order to take advantage of water savings without degrading cleanability.

Of course, this was back in the day when all the laundry in our house was done on Monday. There could be anywhere from 6-9 loads. Nowadays we tend to wash one load---maybe two---in a single session.

The gas water heater ran all day long back in the days of warm rinses. Our 1960 Kenmore Model 80 allowed for cold rinses, but mom never chose that option.


Post# 919951 , Reply# 12   2/7/2017 at 17:51 (2,605 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Missing from this debate

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Is the fact that standard good laundry practice for ages dictated that wash (whites, colourfast) were presoaked before wash day. This not only removed heavy soil and some stains, but prevented protein and albuminous matter from being set by immersing off the bat in hot water. Thus by the time laundry got to the main wash (tub, wringer or whatever) it was pretty clean already.

Also when soap was the queen of wash day you wanted to knock off as much of the "acid" soils as possible so they wouldn't interfere with the action of soap. Nearly all bodily soils decompose to an acid base, this is why you use ammonia or other base substances in the wash and or to pretreat certain soils.

Exception to the above is sweat/perspiration; this starts out alkaline thus fresh stains are often treated with an acid (white vinegar).

When fully automatic washing machines (with or without suds savers) came along many housewives skipped the pre-washing or soaking steps and started their wash directly in hot water. If stains were not pre-treated they surely would be set, but then again Americans are wedded to chlorine bleach which covers a multitude of laundry day sins.

Went back and read some of my vintage 1950's Consumer Reports and they didn't think much of suds returns/saving washing machines. They state water was often too cool after sitting then there was the rather insalubrious aspect of reusing wash water.

Wringer washers and twin tubs:

Good laundry practice and is mentioned in owners manuals is that after a certain number of uses, and or if it became too mucky wash water was partially drained then topped off with fresh. You added more soap or detergent and then continued.


Post# 919956 , Reply# 13   2/7/2017 at 18:32 (2,605 days old) by suds14 (Pittsburgh)        

I am a suds saver fan, need to get belt for the Whirlpool, right now I am using the newer GE from my son which I hate and saving the water and putting back in by bucket. I wash the same way I was taught from mom and grandma. Always soak my whites. Dishtowels are soaked in bleach water then washed. All underwear, socks and heavy soiled clothes are soak before washing. When I do laundry at my daughter in laws it is very hard for to make clean water for every load especially rugs, the dogs blankets and rags.


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