Wringer Washer

This past week my hubby and I went looking for a new washing machine. The one I have been using is an old wringer washer. I had bought it about 20 years ago because my Mother wanted one. It was used when I got it, just refurbished. When the washer before the wringer went, my hubby thought I was totally insane when I told him to bring the wringer up from my Dad’s house.

This wasn’t the first time I used a wringer to do all my laundry wasn’t the second or third time either. I think I first learned to do laundry using a wringer. That was way back when I was in junior high. Before I was in high school, both hands had gone through the wringer (not at the same time of course) and my then long hair had gotten cough in it at least twice. I don’t know which hurt most, the hands or the pulling of my hair. At least nothing got broken and there was no bleeding.

When I was married to my first husband, we (I) had a wringer also. Both when we lived in Italy and when we lived with his father. Nothing exciting about the wringer in Italy, it was in the kitchen of the apartment we were renting. But the one at his father’s house was really interesting. We had only cold running water, no hot water heater. And the wringer was on the back porch year round. We lived in the mountains outside of Bloomsburg, PA. My daughter was about three and my son was one. So I had diapers to do. And it was cold in the winter, and the water was even colder. I usually had to get the blow torch to thaw the water pipe so the cold water would flow in the winter.

I know if I had had a choice when my kids were little, I would not have had a wringer. But the choice was not mine to make. The choice was my ex-mother-in-laws. She may not have lived there in that house, but she ruled it. What she said is what you did. No ands ifs or buts about it.

I don’t want anyone to take this the wrong way, but I’m glad that there is automatic washers now. And that they don’t have to be that expensive, unless you want one with a lot of bells and whistles. Me, I’m happy getting a used washer. Hubby wanted to go a regular store and look into getting a new washer. And he dangled the idea of getting a stackable washer/dryer unit. I wanted to go to the Rescue Mission (everything id donated and the monies made from selling goes to help the needy) to see what they had.

At the Mission, they didn’t have one I wanted, but they were expecting one. And they were sure that I would be very happy with it. How did they know that I would like the one coming in next week? We deal with the Mission a lot. During the summer, my hubby’s garden keeps them in fresh veggies. Anyway, we left a deposit and are now waiting for them to call us. I don’t mind using the wringer I have, but it will be so nice to have an automatic again.