wringer

A wringer is a device used to extract water from wet laundry by passing the fabric between two or more rollers. Historically, wringers were a common household appliance, often integrated into washing machines or available as standalone units. The process typically involved feeding wet clothes through the gap between the rollers, which were squeezed together by a hand-crank or, in later models, an electric motor. The pressure from the rollers forced much of the water out of the fabric, significantly reducing drying time.

Early wringers were made of wood, but as technology advanced, metal and rubber rollers became standard. Some wringers featured reversible rollers, allowing for different ways to pass the fabric through. The use of wringers declined with the advent of spin-dry cycles in automatic washing machines, which achieved a similar water extraction effect more efficiently and with less manual labor. While no longer a mainstream appliance, some vintage wringers can still be found in antique shops or are preserved as historical artifacts of domestic technology. In industrial settings, similar roller mechanisms are still used for dewatering fabrics and other materials.