Saturday, 28 January 2023

Wash-day drudgery gone forever!

A reminder of how much washing machines changed women's lives.  This one was a small, neat, quick machine.

Picture Post, October 30, 1948

THE BIGGEST WASHING NEWS OF THE CENTURY!

WASH-DAY DRUDGERY
GONE FOR EVER!

The NEW HOOVER ELECTRIC WASHING MACHINE – at a price that all can afford – of a size that will fit into every kitchen.

All those dreary, boring, exhausting washing days, probably in a steamy, unhealthy atmosphere – wearing yourself out, spoiling vour hands, making yourself old – are gone for ever!  The new Hoover Electric Washing Machine is here to set you free.  It's marvellously efficient in every way; does the wash for a large family in a fraction of the time taken by old-fashioned methods; is wonderfully gentle with the clothes; is suitable for every home, even the smallest; and yet costs only £25 (plus purchase tax).  Read all about it. It's the most important household development since the advent of the famous Hoover Cleaner.

MUCH MORE TIME FOR YOURSELF

You'll be amazed how quickly – yet how thoroughly – the Hoover Washing Machine will work.  You'll be through with your washing in a fraction of the time it takes you now and be free to get on  with the other jobs, free to play with the children, free to do whatever you want to do most.  You'll be delighted.  You'll no longer think of washing day with dread, you'Il take it quite happily in your stride.

NO MORE ROUGH, RED HANDS

"Washday hands", too, becomes a thing of the past.  Nothing spoils hands so much – nothing makes them look so rough and red – as constantly dipping them in hot water.  With the Hoover Washing Machine your hands get off very ligntly.  You just drop the clothes in the tub and leave the machine to do the hard work.  Right from the very first wash by this quick, new labour-saving method, you'll find your hands begin to improve – they'll be smoother, whiter, altogether more attractive.

MORE ENERGY LEFT FOR PLEASURE

After a day at the wash-tub you generally feel like slumping back in a chair and putting your feet up.  But not when you've a Hoover Washing Machine to do the hard work for you – and do it so quickly too.  Instead of washing being a long, hard job, it becomes quick and easy.  And afterwards you'll be fresh and full of go – ready to dance, go to the pictures or visit your friends.  You'll be astonished at the difference it makes, having a Hoover Washing Machine.

The gentlest way of washing clothes

No other way of washing clothes is so safe as with the Hoover Washing Machine.  It works on an entirely new principle. The "pulsator" (the device that keeps the water moving) is set in the side of the tub, thus agitating the water rather than churning the clothes – a big point when clothing coupons have to go so far.

Does the washing for a large family in record time

Besides being very gentle and very thorough, the Hoover Washing Machine is an exceptionally fast worker.  Whites and coloureds are washed in 4 minutes; woollens in 1 minute.  Even where there's a large family it does the job in a fraction of the time taken by old-fashioned methods.  It is equally successful with every type of washing – whites, coloureds, woollens, silks, etc.

Such an "easy-to-turn" wringer

The wringer, too, will absolutely delight you – it turns so beautifully easily, saving you so much effort.  It's extremely efficient, too.  The soft rubber rollers are amazingly gentle with delicate fabrics, and yet it handles easily large bulky articles such as sheets.

Low running costs – negligible electricity consumption

The Hoover Washing Machine in most cases uses less than ¼d worth of electricity to do the family wash.  It is economical with soap.  And of course, it makes an enormous difference to your laundry bills.

Hoover Dependability

Like the famous Hoover Cleaner, the Hoover Electric Washing Machine is guaranteed against faulty material and workmanship for one year.  In assition, to ensure that it continues to give washing efficiency, there is a Hoover Half-Yearly Inspection Plan.  Full details from your Authorised Hoover Dealer.

So quick … So gentle ... So thorough
and such a handy size – fits under draining board

The Hoover Washing Machine is so wonderfully compact that it can be tucked away under nearly all draining boards.  It is quite light in weight, stands on domed feet so that you can easily pull it out when you want to use it, and is just the right height for you.  It couldn't be more convenient.

AND IT'S MADE BY HOOVER
MAKERS OF THE WORLD'S BEST CLEANERS


And here's the same Hoover washing machine, but this time it's a toy dating from the late 1950s.  It's been very well used by a number of children, as its condition shows only too well.

It was a bit splashy to fill, involving jugs of soapy water from the sink, but it was very cheap to run.  In fact, it used no electricity at all.  Just child-power.

All the work is done by turning the handle, and the same handle works first the agitator in the tub and then the wringer.

This machine worked very well for a long time.  Admittedly, only a couple of handkerchiefs or a doll's dress or two would fit in, but they mangled beautifully.  The tub has finally developed a split and its working days are over ... what a shame!