Abstract: An apparatus for expressing liquid from a load of laundry has an upwardly open vessel having upright side walls and a floor and adapted to contain the load to be dewatered. Liquid can be drained from this vessel and a piston is vertically displaceable into and out of the vessel toward and away from the floor thereof. A relatively soft cushion is carried on the piston and has a downwardly concave lower face engageable against the laundry load on the vessel floor. The piston can be displaced vertically between an upper position with the lower face above and outside the vessel and a lower position with the lower face pressing the load against the vessel floor. The cushion has an outwardly concave side surface. The cushion can be hollow and filled with a liquid. In addition it is so soft that when compressed with a pressure of 20 bar to 30 bar it is of generally half the volume it has when at ambient pressure.