Abstract: In a method of washing clothes by a washing machine having a washing tub including a fixed drum mounted on the upper side of the tub, and a movable drum disposed under the fixed drum so as to rotate horizontally. Small loads are washed by the water flow within the movable drum, while large loads of clothes are washed by water flow and the force of contact friction between the fixed drum and the movable drum to cause a twisting and rubbing wash action.

Abstract: A washing machine having a washing tub including a fixed drum mounted on the upper side thereof, and a movable drum disposed under the fixed drum so as to rotate horizontally. The fixed drum has projection parts for providing clothes with a contact friction force on the inner wall thereof.

Abstract: A washing machine includes a washing tub whose peripheral wall is formed of an upper peripheral wall section and a lower peripheral wall section located thereunder and adapted to be rotated in two opposite directions. The washing tub receives laundry and water therein. In the washing mode, the lower peripheral wall section is rotated both clockwise and counterclockwise. Thus, the laundry is circulated by frictional contact with the lower peripheral wall section and is washed by the effect of multiplication of frictional forces produced by contact with the upper and lower peripheral wall sections. A projection protrudes upward from the inner bottom surface of the washing tub and is located inside the lower peripheral wall section to touch the laundry to increase the cleaning efficiency.

Abstract: A washer/dehydrater of the present invention comprises a washing tub and a vessel-like stirrer accommodated in a lower portion of the washing tub. The washing/dehydrating is performed through a washing step, a dehydrating step, a pre-rinsing step and a rinsing step. The washing and rinsing steps are performed by having the washing tub substantially stationary and rotating the stirrer forwards and backwards in a predetermined cycle period. The dehydrating step is performed by rotating the washing tub and stirrer in unison with each other in one direction at a high speed to thereby dehydrate the laundry. The pre-rinsing step is performed immediately before the rinsing step, which is performed after the dehydrating step, by rotating the stirrer forwards and backwards in a shorter cycle period than the aforesaid cycle period in the washing and rinsing steps.