Thread Number: 77963
/ Tag: Vintage Dryers
"Drying Machine" terminology? |
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Post# 1019745   1/1/2019 at 17:17 (1,913 days old) by LowEfficiency (Iowa)   |   | |
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Can anyone explain this quirk of laundry appliance terminology?
We have "washers", and we have "washing machines". Then on the flip side, we have "dryers"... but almost never are they called "drying machines". Why is this? Some data: (Number of hits for Google search phrases here on automaticwasher.org) "Washer" = About 31,600 results "Washing Machine" = About 5,720 results "Dryer" = About 17,500 results "Drying Machine" = About 13 results Is there a historical reason for this? |
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Post# 1019820 , Reply# 2   1/2/2019 at 14:21 (1,912 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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IIRC, and at least going by vintage commercial/residential laundry manuals those heated drying cabinets were just that, large boxes with heat meant to replace hanging laundry in a room with a fireplace or other method of heat.
At least in commercial setting there were machines called "tumblers" or "shakers" which resembled modern clothes dryers, but they didn't heat. Their purpose was to shake and loosen loads of laundry that had just come from extractor (and often were plastered into a solid mound), so they could be easily separated. This also did a bit of fluffing up, and main purpose was to get things ready for ironing/finishing. Until drying cabinets fell mostly out of favor you often heard "tumble dryer" used to denote what is simply called a "clothes dryer" today. Distinction made between a device that was basically a rack inside a cabinet with a bottom fed heat source, versus a machine which tumbled laundry while heat came from below (or above). www.ransomspares.co.uk/bl... Think in early years of semi then fully automatic washing machines more people tended to call them just that. Have seen so in television programs and or in other media right through the 1980's. But most seem now to simply shorten things to "clothes washer" or just "washer" since nearly everyone knows what is being referred. You can search for "ironer" or "rotary iron", or "ironing machine". First will produce most "hits", with likely the others following in descending order. In French you have "machine a laver", or "laveuse" IMHO persons use "washing machine" because that appliance took over a task formerly done manually, but was now to various semi or fully automatic done by a machine. Drying laundry historically meant hanging it about on something (a drier)with little to nil intervention until the process was complete. |
Post# 1057910 , Reply# 4   1/17/2020 at 14:07 (1,532 days old) by LowEfficiency (Iowa)   |   | |
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Saw one for sale today... a "Dryer Machine"... reminded me of this thread. Thanks for the replies above - some interesting theories for sure.
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Post# 1057931 , Reply# 5   1/17/2020 at 16:23 (1,532 days old) by Wilkinsservis (Melbourne Australia)   |   | |
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Post# 1058418 , Reply# 7   1/22/2020 at 17:29 (1,527 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)   |   | |
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Post# 1058428 , Reply# 8   1/22/2020 at 18:52 (1,527 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)   |   | |
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A tub is a non-perforated container that can hold water. A solid-tub toploader has two tubs ... a spin tub that holds the water and clothes during agitation and throws the water into the outer tub (which has a drain outlet) during spin. Drum is closely related to tub in that it's not usually perforated ... although a frontloader washer's wash/spin basket is sometimes called a drum. Dryer drum. A basket is perforated (holey) and fits into a tub which holds the water. Water at all times can pass through the basket perforations into the outer tub. |
Post# 1058486 , Reply# 10   1/23/2020 at 06:41 (1,527 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)   |   | |
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Michiel, did houses in your country ever have the drying racks that were loaded up with damp laundry and hoisted to near the ceiling over the kitchen range? I have heard people from the British Isles speak of them. |
Post# 1058736 , Reply# 11   1/25/2020 at 00:31 (1,525 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)   |   | |
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If the container is vertical-opening to the side--than its a "drum" if oriented where the load opening is on the top-then a "basket with holes"Non perforated-than a "tub"?Note how the terms are used interchangebly |
Post# 1058821 , Reply# 12   1/26/2020 at 01:12 (1,524 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)   |   | |
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Post# 1058852 , Reply# 14   1/26/2020 at 09:37 (1,523 days old) by ozzie908 (Lincoln UK)   |   | |
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Post# 1058881 , Reply# 16   1/26/2020 at 17:35 (1,523 days old) by marky_mark (From Liverpool. Now living in Palm Springs and Dublin)   |   | |
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In Spanish a washing machine is: lavadora = washer Except I believe in Argentina it is lavarropas = clothes washer or "to wash clothes"
The machine that dries the laundry is: secadora = dryer Again, I think in Argentina they say secarropas = clothes dryer or "to dry clothes"
A washer-dryer combined is: lavasecadora = washdryer
A dishwasher is: lavavajillas = tableware washer / crockery washer or lavaplatos = plates washer
There may be variations between different people/cities/countries etc. |