The opposite to "Brands we have loved and lost"

Bejam Franbern that’s a name I haven’t heard for years, our Automatic washer was bought in 1967, but the freezer from Bejam was about four years later if I remember correctly. I hope I am not misremembering this, but I think it came with a special offer. It was an upright model and for an extra £50 it was full of meat, and by that I mean good sized joints, chops etc. I also remember, as soon as we made space Spending hours blanching vegetables. Freezers were hard work in those days!

Oh I must add - how wonderful are the self-desfrosting fridges and freezers. Back in the day of that big chest freezer, it was the most dreadful job defrosting it, and usually involved me actually climbing into it with loads of towels, etc.

Automatic washing machines and tumble dryers have been around for a very long time. Not very recent inventions. I did managed to get through my first baby (born in 1969) still doing his washing by hand and the rest at the local launderette. But when second baby was born eleven months later we did purchase a washing machine (not plumbed in - often went walkabout when emptying causing many problems). Tumble dryer joined the household by 1973.
Central heating we also had from about that time - but double glazing not until the turn of the millenium, Could not believe the enormous difference that made in our old, Edwardian semi.
Our first microwave also arrived in the seventies, and a large chest freezer was obtained in the late sixties, as my hubbie was then working for caterers, although had great difficulty in finding places to stock it from - until Bejams came into being.
I have always preferred terry nappies which I used on my own six, as well as on numerous foster babies, to the disposable ones that all my g.children had.
I would say that central heating along with double even triple glazing are real wonders. No longer having frost on the inside of windows. Also the great materials from clothes are made making them all so easy to keep clean and not have to iron.

My husband to be bought an automatic washing machine to grace the kitchen of our first home. No-one I knew at the time had one so I felt very blessed. The first time I used it I sat in the kitchen for an hour and a quarter watching it, but by the end of the cycle the novelty had worn off. The next week I had got it all sussed, and filled it up and went out to do some shopping. I returned an hour and a half later to disaster. The previous week I had left a pair of maroon socks in the washing machine and all the white washing, which included my husband’s white underwear and shirts, had turned a pretty shade of pink and there was no such thing as Dygon in those days. Not my finest hour.

Terry Towel Nappies order of my day. Discovered amazing nappy liners which kept the baby's bottom dry. That is until her GA, a feigned for ironing every thing, did the same to the liners - result disintegration and never found them again. Enamel bucket and NapiSan for soaking and gas boiler and Persil there after. The day my automatic washing machine arrived cheers for a best friend.

Liz, do you mean 1971?

Absolutely nothing to do with the thread but relating to Liz46 ,in the fifties, yes I am that old, an acquaintance told me that when she went into labour in the early hours of the morning her Husband went to the telephone box at the end of the street, rang the midwife and carried on to work.
Her Aunt who was expecting to see her that morning , called round when she didn’t turn up and found her in well established labour.
The midwife still hadn’t turned up.
Surprisingly she was still with him.

Liz 46 , Are you really about 120 years old?

Microwaves. A godsend

I vividly remember a day in December 1917. I had two babies under 2 in nappies and had bought my first washing machine. It didn't work!
My kind, considerate husband went to work in the morning and came home expecting his dinner to be on the table. I was still in my nightie and dressing gown and standing at a sinkful of nappies! He took himself off for a sit down while his useless wife got her act together.
My second husband is much better.

Disposable nappies and an automatic washing machines. Closely followed by a microwave. Oh, and after being brought up in a complete ice box of a house - central heating.

I've never had a dishwasher or a tumble dryer. No washing machine until DD was about 5. I used to wash sheets in the bath and put them in a spin dryer. Happy days (not).

I didn't have a dishwasher until the children were grown up. How did I survive ??

An automatic washing machine. Although I did have a tumble dryer and yes, it was wonderful for nappies.
I remember DB and SIL buying a dishwasher about 50 years ago after a visit to N America and we were all astonished.

Double glazing that wasn't secondary units.
A car

Central heating would have made our family life easier with 5 children to keep cosy.

A tumble dryer for the terry nappies!

With my first two I wish I had had the baby vests with poppers that do up underneath. By 1984 when number three came along they were available and my goodness didn't I appreciate my baby not having a cold gap around his middle!

So much - automatic washing machines. Tumble driers. Dishwashers. Steam irons. Supermarket deliveries. Internet. Mobile phones.

Surfaces, cleaning grease especially.
Cooker tops and I have used it on my oven glass door.
I will read the gumph later and post other uses.

Is that for washing or surfaces, Ann?

Star drops “the pink stuff/one”
It has saved many a scrubbing job since I discovered it and all for about £1.

Lycra.

But if we're talking about actual 'things', you know, tangible stuff, then it would be the microwave. That really would have been so useful when the children were little. And babies' sippy cups that don't leak when they're thrown on the floor/sofa/bed.

The internet! Definitely the internet. I can't think of a single thing that would have enhanced my life as a young mum more than the internet would have

I didnt have a tumble dryer when I had babies, what an idiot I was