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Saturday, May 29, 2010

Do you use blueing in your final rinse?

Things have been meshugah here in MD. As you know, Mum was visiting, as was a head/chest cold from Hell. Right before my company arrived, I took extra Sudafed and attended a soiree I'd RSVP-ed months earlier. Actually, it was a "wash-in" thrown by one of the important people at AutomaticWasher.org. I found this site years ago and have been checking in ever since. I was (and still am) a little baffled by people that are obsessed by washers and dryers. I admit, I find many of these machines beautiful and I'd love having a few in my home, but I don't have whatever gene it is that makes one's head woozy with Norge, Maytag, Speed Queen, etc. Initially what drew me to the site was that these folks like old stuff, just like me. Sure, I pick things up here and there, but many of the members go way beyond.

These two photos are of Robert and Fred's house, the hosts of the wash-in. Robert's the washer guy. Fred told me that yes, he likes washers, but his love is...vacuum cleaners! As you will see, Robert takes his passion quite seriously. Though I have no photo, Fred's collection of vacuum cleaners (on the second floor) is just as vast and overwhelming as the washers and dryers in the basement (this a mere fraction of what's down there). Aside from being a usual get together, loads of laundry were constantly being done with attendees transfixed by the different machines and their particular cycles. Here and there I did glean information....seems Robert has many "firsts" or special machines. This is no ragtag collection, but museum quality. If you visit their site, you can click on different folks collections from all over.

The entire house was pristine, with retro chachkahs and knick-knacks everywhere. A stunning old television, beautifully restored by Robert played I Love Lucy. They have collections of Better Homes and Gardens from the Fifties and a slew of old Sears catalogs I found tough to put down. Go know.

8 comments:

  1. Why do I find this so interesting? It takes all kinds. Fab group of friends. Honey I hope you are feeling better and you had a great time with mother. Don't forget the steam from the teapot trick it saved me a couple weeks ago.

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  2. why do you find this so interesting? because it IS interesting (and so are you). these are beautiful machines that were very important in our lives.

    and thanks, i'm finally feeling better.

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  3. I wonder if all this has something to do with the spin cycle.

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  4. I see an errant dishwasher in there.

    I do see the appeal, though. The mechanics on clothes washers - especially from the late 1950s and early 1960s are pretty remarkable, as are the designs and the colors and the manufacturers. Some of those old Norge and Whirlpool models are down right enteraining the way they combine dials, push buttons and lighting effects.

    And I know a couple people with those old Westinghouse front loaders are still chugging along.

    Frankly, I love any appliance that was from that jukebox era. But alas - by the late 1960s the flourish was off the rose and they went back to being boring.

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  5. goodness but this is impressive!

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  6. I want a house fitted with pink and turquoise appliances!

    And is it pervy of me to say that the pumping action on their home page is a bit suggestive?

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  7. Gotta love an obsessive-compulsive queen with a jones for retro design!

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