Dryers
All this time we've been discussing how to get clothes clean. That was the first problem, of course. However, once they were clean-they were still wet and had to be dried before being worn. The procedure on the river bank was to hang them on bushes and tree branches. When the washing job was moved into the home, some one dreamed up the clothesline.
But as most homemakers discovered (often to their sorrow) trees, bushes and clotheslines are "for the birds." Then, too, there were the elements to worry about, rain, sleet, snow, freezing temperatures, and dust. So a mechanical clothes dryer was a welcome addition to the home.
Today there are many special features on these two versatile appliances - as the photos accompanying this article point out.
The first company to recognize the need for designing laundry to conserve space was Westinghouse. The Westinghouse "Space-Mates" were designed to stack so the floor space involved was only that required for one unit. (See photo at left of a Westinghouse pair from the 1950's.) On the right is another Company's version-the "Skinny Mini" - by Frigidaire, introduced in the late 1960's as the cost of floor space increased.
The early 1960's saw the beginning of recognition of the little "nuisance" loads of clothes - those which must be washed separately because of their color or construction. General Electric met with challenge with the introduction of the "Mini- Basket" in 1964. This innovation met with such success that a slightly larger version is still available in the General Electric laundry line. In the 1970's the Mini-quick cycle was introduced-so a "mini" load could be washed in 10 minutes and dried in a companion specially designed dryer in 20 minutes.
Newest innovation from Westinghouse is the "Taller Tumbler" on the left, with storage drawer below the washer; and its companion dryer, the "Higher Dryer," with provision for hanging permanent press items as they are re moved from the dryer. Many manufacturers have alarms which sound when permanent press items are ready for removal from the dryer and one company - Whirlpool - has a special cycle which continues to tumble permanent press garments for a few seconds every ten minutes over an hour period to prevent wrinkling.
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