Posted: 5/8/2008 2:23:05 AM EDT
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I got to thinking about this in the shower today. how many of you could do your own laundry without the use of a washing machine and drier? what are some of the tools you would use? and what techniques do you practice? i would imagine that being able to make your own soap would probably be a good skill set to have in this. |
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washing without power 2 part film here on some options and ideas. |
so while in the navy, not wanting my stuff to get lost, and not wanting to fight for a personal washer, I spent the entire cruise washing my stuff with shampoo in the shower and sinks. Works just fine. It's not rocket science. |
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I wash a lot of my clothes today by hand. As a result, my clothes can last for years. Washing machines are way too rough on clothes, ever wonder where all of the lint in the lint filters come from? Yep that's right from your clothes. But most of my clothes are not soiled, but just sweat soaked. The trick to wash sweat soaked clothes is to soak the clothes with soap/detergent for several hours in cold water(I do it for overnight) and hand wash. Washing in cold water also preserves the colors more. The reason for the soaking has to do with chemistry, remember that a chemical reaction needs time to complete, well soaking in warm water will accelerate it, but it will also wash out the dyes. If you use cool water the reaction needs more time. The big problem is rinsing the soap out. If I have lots of trousers because they are very heavy, I put it in the washing machine and set for rinse cycle. And I hang outside for the clothes to day. In the more humid parts of the US, hanging clothing outside may not be possible because it will mildew before it dries. In this case it is impossible to hang outside and you must use a dryer. mike_0120 suggestion of the Wonder Washer sounds like a good idea. |
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I have an old 5gal paint bucket with a lid wiht a hole in it. Use a plunger to agitate the clothes and a washboard to really scrub them if needed. Then wring them out, replace with fresh water and agitate some more, rinse once more, wring them out and line dry. It aint elegant but it works. |
x2, bucket and plunger works great. |
How well does this work and what kind of load capacity can we expect? |
this system , the plunger and other methods are discussed in the movie i posted 
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Snatched this link from another thread: Make your own laundry soap |
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OST. Interesting discussion. My family and ancestors used wash boards, and a roller to 'wring out' the clothes, and then they were hung up to try - either outside on a clothes line in good weather, or INSIDE, in the basement, near a wood-burning furnace/stove during rainy / snowy weather. That's likely how it will be washed if need be in the future too. |
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I have zero experience with this, but if the SHTF and the electricity is out the plan is roughly what others have said. 5-gallon bucket with hole in the top of the lid half-filled with water and a small amount of soap, add clothes and use a plunger to clean. Rinse in Rubbermaid container with water. Rotate Rubbermaid water into 5-gallon bucket as needed and replace water in Rubbermaid. Wring dry and hang on clothes line, which will be indoors in the winter. Save water from bucket for other uses. I've been looking for an old crank wringer at garage sales and antique stores, but so far haven't seen anything good. The mop wringers are probably a good second choice. |
| We brought a bunch of laundry bar soap back from the Philippines in December. It works much better for hand washing than any other soap we have according to my wife. It comes in all the varieties that you can find here in liquid or powder. I dont know the shelf life of it and haven't been able to find it here in the States. Some of what we brought back is Tide brand but they dont list it as a product on their website. If there is a source for it here it would be worth looking into. |
