Westinghouse Soundwaves

It's been 65 years! Where is my home version of an ultrasonic washing machine, dammit!

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Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Posted By: Paul - Fri Oct 16, 2015
Category: Domestic | Technology | 1950s

Comments

I thought I saw this before. Any way to check the archives?

Posted by Joshua Zev Levin, Ph.D. on 10/16/15 at 09:46 AM

JZL--the search function on WU is pretty reliable and accurate, I think. I just typed in "westinghouse" and got 2 pages of results, but this video was not among them.

Posted by Paul on 10/16/15 at 09:59 AM

We've got OXI clean, ain't that enough to satisfy you greedy people?

BTW, "OXI" is Greek for NO!

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 10/16/15 at 10:45 AM

I have an ultrasonic cleaner at home for cleaning jewelry and other items with lots of fiddly bits.
For awhile (I think until there were problems with inhaling the junk in tap water) there were "cool" ultrasonic misters. Cool in this place referring to the temperature of the water, instead of steamers. Now they use squirrel fans and call it "centrifugal" misters.

Posted by mike on 10/16/15 at 12:28 PM

Sadly, if such a machine comes to market it won't be built by Westinghouse. That company went belly up more than twenty years ago.

Posted by KDP on 10/16/15 at 12:31 PM

Sometimes we just don't need a better mouse trap.

Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 10/17/15 at 08:32 AM

"Where is my home version of an ultrasonic washing machine, dammit!"

You can have an ultrasonic record cleaner in your home, today!

Posted by sudon't on 10/17/15 at 02:42 PM

It'd be the most labor-intensive washing machine ever! You'd have to put each article of clothing on a rack or spreader so the waves could get to a single layer of cloth. For anything heavier than a handkerchief, you'd probably have to do each side of the cloth separately. A lot harder than just dumping a hamper into a drum, adding a scoop of goop, and setting the timer.

Posted by Phideaux on 10/17/15 at 06:14 PM

I thought Goop was just for hands!?!

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 10/18/15 at 12:24 AM

@Expat -- the original Goop is multipurpose. On the lid on some cans is a washing line:
http://i.imgur.com/pwdOdkd.jpg

Okay, actually, you use it as a stain lifter/stain remover -- rub it on, wait, then wash. It's really pretty good.

Posted by Phideaux on 10/18/15 at 03:57 AM

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