The Twin Tub Washing Machine
Wash in one side, spin in the other, and mind the hose.
Two drums, one on wheels, and a Monday morning that took the whole morning.
The twin tub was the halfway house between the mangle and the automatic. You filled it from the tap, washed a load, then physically lifted the sopping clothes across into the spinner.
It lived in the kitchen, got wheeled to the sink, and flooded the floor at least once a year. Enormous labour saving compared to what came before, and back-breaking compared to what came after.
Cost back then
£40
Goes for now
£80–£200 for a working restored unit
