Vintage Washing Machines
Instructions: From wringer washers to automatic cycles, how well do you remember laundry day?
- 1.
What dangerous component on early washing machines squeezed water out of clothes and was notorious for catching fingers?
AThe spin basketBThe drain pumpCThe wringer rollersDThe agitator - 2.
Which laundry product brand featured 'Rosie the Waitress' (played by Nancy Walker) in its TV commercials, claiming it was the 'quicker picker-upper'?
ABountyBAllCTideDCheer - 3.
Before automatic washing machines became affordable, what day of the week was traditionally designated as 'wash day' in many American homes?
AFridayBWednesdayCSaturdayDMonday - 4.
Which appliance brand introduced the first fully automatic washing machine for home use in 1937?
AWhirlpoolBMaytagCGeneral ElectricDBendix - 5.
What was the name of the Maytag advertising character, a repairman who had nothing to do because the machines never broke?
AThe Lonely Maytag RepairmanBThe Maytag DoctorCThe Maytag ManDOld Reliable - 6.
What laundry aid, added to the rinse cycle, was popularized in the 1960s to make clothes softer?
ABoraxBFabric softenerCBleachDStarch - 7.
What was a common method of drying clothes before electric dryers became widespread in the 1950s?
APlacing them near the furnaceBHanging them on a clotheslineCIroning them dryDUsing a mangle - 8.
What product, introduced by Procter & Gamble in 1946, became the best-selling laundry detergent in America?
ACheerBDreftCTideDFab - 9.
What household item was commonly used to press clothes before the electric iron became affordable?
AA flat stoneBA wooden paddleCA sad iron heated on the stoveDA rolling pin - 10.
What did homemakers add to the wash water to make white clothes brighter and whiter?
ALemon juiceBBaking sodaCBluingDVinegar - 11.
Which company's washing machines were known for their distinctive turquoise color in the 1950s?
AKenmoreBGeneral ElectricCFrigidaireDSpeed Queen - 12.
What type of washing machine had two tubs side by side - one for washing and one for rinsing and spinning?
AA twin tub washerBA stacked unitCA front loaderDA combo washer - 13.
What part inside the tub of a top-loading washer moves clothes around in the water?
AThe impellerBThe drumCThe agitatorDThe paddle - 14.
What product did many homemakers use to starch shirt collars and keep them stiff and crisp?
ASpray starchBLiquid bluingCFabric sizingDLye soap - 15.
What store brand, sold exclusively through Sears, became one of the most popular washing machine brands in American homes?
AAmanaBAdmiralCHotpointDKenmore