wringer washer
Squeeze-dry cleaning machine
A wringer washer is a washing machine that cleans clothes in an agitating tub, then feeds them between two rollers to squeeze out water before hanging to dry.
The wringer replaced hand-wringing but required care—fingers and loose clothing could get caught in the rollers.
Wringer washers were standard household equipment until automatic machines with spin cycles replaced them in the mid-20th century.
The expression put through the wringer means to subject someone to an exhausting ordeal.
- mangleSeverely damage or distort
- tubOpen washing basin
- soapy waterDetergent dissolved in liquid
- agitatorOne who foments discord
- rollersRotating cylindrical movers
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