Sibu Housewives and the Twin Tub Washing Machine

The American housewives in the 50's could not live without the twin tub . That washing machine seemed to say a lot about a careful housewife in those days. Now it is almost a thing of the past world wide.

The Indian mother of the bride would insist that part of the gifts her daughter must have was the twin tub in the 60's in West Malaysia. Any one not having a TT washing machine would have a lot of "tut tut tut..." or tongue wagging from their neighbours!! Some would even be stressed out being seen using the washing board at the back of the house!!

And proud Sibu housewives would share with each other how clean their washing was because they owned a twin tub.....a lady I used to know proudly said that her children's shirts were always brushed first and then washed in the twin tub....and their collars would always be sparkling white...no thanks to OMO!! It was definitely her brushing of the collar with Sunlight soap. And then she would rattle on about the different kinds of brushes for different kinds of materials. She was a woman who could have started ISO certification in laundry...but gone are the days with people like her and her washing. Today the lucky people have maids to do their washing. So may be neighbours would have different ways of bragging about their household chores.

My mother would adamantly first wash all the clothes by hand and then she would throw them into the tub for further washing. Later she would patiently take out all the clothes for the spin....If she found the clothes still not too clean she would have them washed again with more water.....That's her idea of doing her laundry then.  The TT was her ideal washing machine. She would never buy a single tub washing machine for a long long time..

My niece's twin tub in Rh Aling. Seeing her twin tub brings back a lot of  memories to me.

Indeed my frist washing machine was a twin tub. What about you?

In certain days  I myself would wash a few pieces of unmentionables  by hand and had them spin dry in the second tub. I had the machine for quite a long time.  And then one day I really had to get rid of it because I was almost electrocuted  when I put my hands into the water when the tub refused to drain. Never give your washing machine a chance to kill you.

My mother continued to have a twin tub but then my next machine was a single tub automatic machine. For after having a few more children I found that by having a single load automatic machine was more than a boon.

Now I am happy and would not be threatened by any neighbour who tells me that a twin tub is the best washing machine there ever is for the clean and perfectionist housewife.......on rainy days I spoil myself by using a dryer...Everyone can choose his or her own washing machine....and be happy.

By the way I do need some special pre-wash laundry detergent or home made enzymes to get rid of dirt on the collars.....sigh.....